How to Use a Compass

How to Use a Compass: Orienteering Basics

Anytime you venture out into the wild, there's a handful of essential items that should exist in your backpack. Snacks, water, and actress layers make that listing, but something that many people forget or take for granted is a reliable navigation tool.

Maybe nosotros've become too reliant on cellphones or just lost the art of map and compass navigation. When it comes to wilderness travel and survival, a basic compass tin can't be replaced. Reliable and intuitive, a map and compass should e'er make your wilderness packing list.

But earlier calculation a map and compass to your gear list, acquire how to utilise them properly.

How to Use a Compass and Map
Photograph credit: virtualtitus

Parts of a Compass

Compasses are relatively uncomplicated pieces of technology that take been effectually in some form for thousands of years. To properly use a mod compass, familiarize yourself with a few mutual parts.

Baseplate

All compasses are mounted on a baseplate. These should be transparent so you lot tin meet your map underneath. Additionally, the baseplate's straight edge will assist in taking bearings to transfer to your map and navigate onward.

Management-of-Travel Arrow

This arrow indicates where you need to point the compass when taking or following a bearing.

Rotating Bezel

The rotating bezel is the circular area marked with degrees from 0 to 360 and also known as the "azimuth band."

Index Line

The index line is establish above the bezel and shows where to read bearings. It'due south an extension of the management of the travel arrow described above.

Magnetized Needle

Essential for navigation, the magnetized needle tin exist found within the bezel and is usually carmine or white. This needle always points to magnetic north, not true due north.

Orienting Arrow

This arrow allows you to orient the bezel with the map and is oftentimes designed to match the magnetized needle.

Orienting Lines

These are the parallel lines that move with the bezel and will help set up your orienting pointer to north on the map.

Declination Scale

The hash marks inside the bezel are known equally the declination scale and are there to employ when adjusting declination.

Declination

One of the virtually mutual mistakes made when navigating with a map and compass is failing to arrange for declination. True northward and magnetic northward are not the same, and for accurate navigation, y'all must correct for this departure.

Depending on where y'all are in the world, the discrepancy betwixt true and magnetic north could be anywhere from a few degrees to up of 20 degrees, which could ship you a couple hundred feet — or even miles — off course.

Every region has a different declination, and the respected topographic map of the area you lot're traveling in will list this value. Even and so, these values vary over time, and so cheque the map'south publication date or cross-reference the NOAA magnetic declination website for the most up-to-date readings.

Once you ostend the declination value (expressed as several degrees), you can interpret that to your real-world navigation. Simply subtract that value from your compass bearing if the value is 10 degrees westward, and add that value if the indicated declination is X degrees eastward.

How to Use a Compass

Maps, Bearings, Navigation: How to Employ Your Compass

To navigate correctly with a map and compass, yous need to orient your map with the surrounding landscape. Setting declination is stride i. From there, you can easily piece the rest together:

  • Beginning, put your compass on the map with the direction-of-travel arrow pointing to the summit.
  • 2nd, rotate your bezel to match the direction-of-travel arrow with north on the compass. Move the compass so the edge of the baseplate is sitting on the left or right side of your map, with the management-of-travel arrow all the same pointing to the top.
  • Rotate your body with map and compass in mitt, so the magnetic needle lands in the outline of the orienting arrow. These steps should leave y'all oriented appropriately, and you tin can cantankerous-bank check this by comparing the landscape to what y'all see on the map.
  • Bearings entirely depend on a specific location; retrieve of them as a numerical manner to describe the management of travel. That is, due southward is equivalent to 180 degrees. It is crucial to remember that following the same numerical bearing from different places will non deliver y'all to the aforementioned location. Setting a bearing using your map and compass is quite simple.
  • Place your compass on your map so the straight border of the baseplate is between your current location and where you would similar to travel.
  • Double-check that the direction-of-travel arrow is pointing in the direction y'all would similar to travel!
  • Rotate the bezel and then that the orienting lines within match the n/due south running lines on your map.
  • Check out the index line on your compass and record the bearing it is indicating to brainstorm traveling onward.
  • To move toward your destination, hold your compass and ensure the direction-of-travel arrow is aimed away. Still belongings the compass, move your body until the magnetized needle lines upward inside the orienting arrow. By doing this, the direction-of-travel arrow volition now be facing the bearing you took from your map. Follow its direction to your desired destination.

These are the basics of map and compass navigation. As you get more comfortable and familiar with the process and equipment, yous tin can work this process backward and utilise a bearing to identify where you are on a map.

Afterwards putting all the pieces together and devoting a fair amount of time to familiarization and practice, y'all will soon exist able to travel off trail in the wilderness with ease!

Using a Compass

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