Lift your compass off the map without moving your azimuth ring. Line up your direction of travel arrow with your landmark, then rotate the bezel until the needle lines up with the. Take a bearing to a visible landmark using your compass. Also called the azimuth ring, this outer circle has. It is very important to know where north is on the map and make sure that the orienting arrow is pointing toward north. And then, for hiking, you wouldnt use orienteering maps. As the name implies, the lensatic compass employs a lens. The more you know about using a compass with a map the more confident you will be navigating and the more inclined you will be to trust your compass. Your bearing is the number corresponding with the direction of travel arrow on your compass at this point.
Learn how to use the lensatic compass used by the us military. Modified with permission from outdoor living skills series. Using the map, compass, gps and altimeter to find your way the topographic map and declination adjusted compass together the topographic map is a blueprint of the ground features. How to navigate by map and compass appalachian mountain club. Navigation with map and compass backcountry attitude. Were going to assume you are working with the most common type of compass used for navigation, the baseplate or orienteering compass, and know what the various bit are called. Using your compass, orient your map so that north is pointing to true north. Doing so can seem a bit complex, but with practice, youll be able to do this quite easily. The two basic techniques for using the lensatic compass are the center hold technique and compass tocheek technique. If youre unsure about using a compass the best thing to do is get the map of an area you know really well, perhaps somewhere local to where you live, and is somewhere that you wouldnt usually need a map to get around. Gpsmap 64 series gpsmap 64x series using the compass. Explorer maps for over three years and found it is sometimes difficult to locate the lightblue northsouth map grid lines through the rotating compass capsule. Hold map and compass together and turn until the compasss magnetic needle aligns with the compasss orienteering arrow red on red.
The table below lists the steps to perform the centerhold technique. Rotate the bezel until north matches the maps north, and the meridian lines line up with a. Along with a good quality topographical map of the area youre navigating, knowing how to use a compass will ensure that youre never lost. Watch to learn the parts of the compass, how to set your declination and how to take a bearing from a map and in the field. Step action 1 open the compass so that the cover is fully extended. Organizations with high needs for internal coordination but rela tively low needs for environmental adaptation prefer to navigate using a map. While entire books have been written about navigating with a compass, every new compass user needs to know the basic concepts. Students will become familiar with navigational tools map and compass and demonstrate their ability to use them to navigate successfully. If all maps were drawn to the same scale, it would.
I have also done surveying, where i am, in a sense making the map. Turn both map and compass together until the red end of the needle is on the n. Making sure that the direction of travel arrow remains pointed in the general direction of the landmark 6a, rotate the entire baseplate until the orienting lines are running northsouth 6b and the north marker on the bezel is pointing to north on the. Its useful when you are working on a map that does not have a coordinate grid. Using your location as a pivot, rotate the compass until north on the bezel is pointing to the top of the map and the compass housing orienting lines are parallel with the maps vertical grid lines. Now take your map and place the inside line of the compass on point a. Orient the map with the terrain, using the technique already described. Compass basics a compass is one of the most basic navigation tools any hiker can own. Goal to be fully versed and practiced in land navigation using a topographic map, magnetic compass, and a gps. Dec 20, 2016 watch to learn the parts of the compass, how to set your declination and how to take a bearing from a map and in the field.
Free shipping get free shipping free 58 day shipping within the u. Aug 09, 2019 proper use of a compass is a basic but essential skill in backcountry hiking, which often involves getting off marked trails the lensatic read more. It s late evening and there are no aircraft available to check the smoke. If your map does not have meridian lines just line it. If your map does not have meridian lines just line it up as even as possible with the map. Identify where you are on the map and place the compass edge over this location. Guide to safe exploration of the wilderness, with instructions for using a compass, reading maps, planning an outing, navagating in the field, and understanding the weather boxid ia1557414. To successfully find your way while using a lensatic compass, you will need to know how to set a course to your destination. These compasses are not artillery compasses but are used in a very similar fashion. A compass and map will never run out of battery life. This popular, easytouse handbook has been helping people find their way for more than fifty years.
Compass housing contains the magnetic needle and has the points of the compass printed on a circular, rotating bezel compass needle floats in liquid so it can rotate freely but without being too sensitive to movement, the red end points to magnetic north. T hey are light weight and take up little space, yet are very dependable and when used in conjunction with and ordnance survey map, will ensure you find your way to your destination. How to use a compass it is essential for hikers to learn how to use a compass. Turn your entire body as a unit until your predetermined azimuth falls under the fixed black. Navigation for the backcountry using a map and compass. A compass is one of the most basic navigation tools any hiker can own. The components will provide you and your students with visual, oral, written and handson experience in learning the subject of compass and map use. Draw a line along the edge of your compass from the landmark along the bearing you took. Although primarily addressed to enthusiasts of orienteering i. The two basic techniques for using the lensatic compass are the center hold technique and compasstocheek technique. How to use a lensatic compass for beginners cammenga 3h duration. Directions for using an engineer lensatic compass gone.
Find out the basics of using a map and compass before you head out on an expedition. To be fully versed and practiced in land navigation using a topographic map, magnetic compass, and a gps. Helper, jackson school of geosciences, ut austin using the silva as a protractor. Move the compass not the bezel until the northsouth meridian lines on the compass line up with the northsouth lines on the map.
Plotting a bearing on a map using a round lensatic compass. A compass also appears in the topright of the map view. Rotate your body and compass until the magnetic needle on the compass lines up with your orienting arrow. This is a location by resectioning technique where the bearing comes from a gps instead of a compass sighting.
Place the fully opened lensatic compass on the map with the scale edge running through the terrain feature and with the compass reading the same as the azimuth sighted. Compass techniques techniques for using the lensatic compass. Apr 15, 2020 next, lay the compass on your map so that the long edgedirection of travel arrow is aligned with the northsouth meridian lines. Move your compass so the top end of one edge of its baseplate ends at the landmark, keeping it aligned with the maps meridians. Clear, so when placed on top of the map you can still see the map features. There are exercises to help you practice using your compass which will increase your skill level. Take yourself off for a walk, using the map and a compass to navigate your way. Skills share skills skills spices intellectual adventure skills hillwalking. How to use a map and compass ordnance survey ireland. The engineer lensatic compass is a precision instrument useful in measuring directions to objects and for land navigation.
Hold the compass steady and level, and up to your face. Using your compass sights to shoot an azimuth to use your lensatic compass to find the direction of your intended azimuth which you probably got from your map, using your protractor. Students use the sun and stars to determine general directions. A compass is an essential tool in wilderness survival. Place your compass on the map so that the orienting lines are parallel to the maps northsouth meridian lines. Use your map, your eyes, your notes and wrist watch to stay found. Knowledgeable use of a compass, survey, and maps is essential too.
First learn about maps, next the compass, then combine the two as outlined in this manual. Next, lay the compass on your map so that the long edgedirection of travel arrow is aligned with the northsouth meridian lines. Using a map, compass and gps to locate the source of a. It is a good idea to be conservative and add 510% of the total distance to take into account things like switchbacks that dont appear on the map. Declination is the difference or spread between grid north and magnetic north when using the utm grid lines as north reference.
You can also rotate the map manually using a twofinger rotate gesture. A map, a compass, asking for directions, and visioning. Move the compass so that the base is along point a where you are, and the mirror is along point b the other mountain. You can learn to identify the basic components of the compass, take an.
Draw line using edge of compass as a straight edge m. Now, you must align the orienting lines and arrow on your compass with the meridian lines on the map. If you want to use the handout for your class, you can order. Using a map, compass and gps to locate the source of a column of smoke a column of smoke has been reported in the hells kitchen area. To learn more about using your compass, head to your local rei outdoor.
Orienteering with map and compass camp allatoona aquatics base. If you tap the compass a third time the compass will be disabled. Updated with current web site information, photographs, and more, it covers traveling by map alone, by compass alone, or by map and compass together. These minimalist compasses, which usually have cardinal directions rather than degree markings, attach to the thumb so the user can hold the compass and map in. Ensure that the compass bezel is set to 0 degrees i.
The procedure will work if the magnetic northsouth lines are drawn on the map. Then, slide your compass around so that its edge passes through the landmark on the map but its orienting arrow continues to point north draw a line along the compass edge and through your. Using a map, compass and gps to locate the source of a column. Lay your compass on the map and align one corner of the straight edge with the landmark. Once youve mastered orienting a map to the field using a compass, you can now use that map to reach a destination thats out of your sight. Outdoor navigation with map and compass whatcom county. Such organizations must appear rational in their decision making.
I have used a military lensatic compass, but find the transparent base of a map compass superior. How to use a compass navigating with a map and compass. Clear, concise instructions for using a map and compass effectively. Sight an azimuth to any visible terrain feature that appears on the map. A compass and a topo map will always work when you need them to work. They will never have a broken screen or malfunction. The contour lines, shown in brown, make the blueprint three dimensional. As the name implies, the lensatic compass employs a lens in the rear sight that allows precise readings of the dial. Align edge of compass base plate and ns edge of map. For instance if i am in the desert with ninetymile visibility, i may just pull out my topo map and use the. Using a compass in the outdoors is central to a lot of activities from hill walking, cycling and camping. You can also view the compass mode through the navigation bar slide up on the coordinate display on the bottom of the map view under the gps tab.
Using your compass relative to magnetic north using your compass relative to true north. This type of compass is designed for the sport of orienteering, in which participants run or otherwise navigate a crosscountry course as quickly as possible using a map and compass. Place your map on a horizontal surface and then place the compass on the map so that the orienting arrow points to true north on the map. Clear, so you can see the map below it, it has at least one straight edge for taking bearings and transferring them to your map rulers. I also have a brunton pocket transit, but it is by no means a map compass. Even with a gps in your phone, knowing how to navigate using a map and a compass is a great life skill. Advanced techniques include using a map and compass with a pencil to locate your exact position by taking bearings from two or more distant landmarks, known as resectioning. I have been using a map type compass for over 60 years, and find this book excellent. A map and a compass never need a software update or an sd card. Heres a stepbystep guide to using compass bearings. Nov 26, 2015 if youre unsure about using a compass the best thing to do is get the map of an area you know really well, perhaps somewhere local to where you live, and is somewhere that you wouldnt usually need a map to get around. It needs no batteries, works with any map, and even works without a map.
With the information on this page, we aim to show you how to correctly use a compass. Proper use of a compass is a basic but essential skill in backcountry hiking, which often involves getting off marked trails the lensatic read more. It needs no batteries, works with any map, and even. Now hold the compass on the map and rotate yourself and the mapcompass together until the orienting arrow and the compass needle are aligned to magnetic. Apr 24, 2017 once youve mastered orienting a map to the field using a compass, you can now use that map to reach a destination thats out of your sight. Map and compass navigation the basics treelinebackpacker. Map and compass, missouri department of conservation overview. While entire books have been written about navigating with a compass, every compass user should know at least the basic concepts, otherwise the compass is just extra weight in your pack. Orient compass on map so black lines meridian lines are parallel to north 3.