Using a Compass for Map Reading and Navigation
Using a Compass for Map Reading and Navigation
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| She's got it! Using a compass 1st Steps to Map Reading & Navigation Course |
It’s a commonly held
misconception that a compass is only useful for navigating across open
moorland, mountain terrain or in the mist. Additionally many people carry a compass but do not know how
to use it!
We have been living
and working in the Peak District for many years teaching Map Reading and
Navigation. Frequently we watch people park up un the village green opposite
our house get togged up for a walk and set off, only to see them coming back 5
or 10 minutes later as they had initially set off in the wrong direction. This
is especially true of young people on their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
expeditions.
Using a compass to
“orientate” your map before setting off helps you to then recognise where
features are on the ground (preferably using a 1:25k scale map) and therefore
which way to leave the car park or village. With a quick measurement using the
scale ruler on your compass, you can gauge how far the footpath is from where
you are and you can even take a bearing (if necessary) to show you the
direction to walk from where you are to the start of your path.
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| Set the compass to north and use it to "orientate" the map so it is facing north. You can now take a look around and find features on the ground. |
“Following footpaths is easy, you don’t need a
compass.” Wrong!
Sometimes the path
disappears, or is covered in snow or perhaps the farmer has ploughed the field or
planted crops and obscured the path. If you are attempting to walk a path or
right of way but can’t see the line of the path on the ground, by taking a
bearing along the line of the path on the map will give you the direction to
walk.
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| Using a compass to take a bearing down the line of the path that you intend to follow. |
In a similar way, if
you are attempting to follow a line of a path as shown on the map, but a second
path appears, which one do you follow? Once again, by taking a bearing along
the line of the path as shown on the map will give you the direction of which
path to follow.
These are basic skills
often not demonstrated on navigation courses.
At Peak Navigation
Courses we pride ourselves on being “navigation nerds” able to demonstrate the
many uses of a compass. If you
would like to learn to navigate including how to use a compass, join our 1st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation Course, a one day course in The
Peak District National Park.
Better still, if you have a whole weekend available, then join us for
the SilverNational Navigation Award.
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| The Silva Type 4 / 54 Expedition Compass, a good basic all round compass. |
