Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Traditionally, cruiser compasses featured a sighting notch, a mechanically-damped[9] or "dry" needle, adjustable declination and a large dial marked in individual degrees using counterclockwise calibration (reversed east and west positions). If you’re currently practicing it (i.e. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. How do I use a compass without the red pointer? Turn so that the wind is blowing in your face. These compasses were fast to use, particularly along straight cruise lines and were sufficiently accurate for most forestry applications. As a refresher to an off road cycling experience. A hand bearing compass is used to measure the magnetic direction of sighted objects relative to the user. What do I do with it? The imaginary line extending out from your body will travel through your compass along the direction of travel arrow. The most precise method of using a compass, this method is similar to using a handgun. You should be able to draw a line along the edge, as if it were a ruler'which it basically is. Think of how off you'll be after ten or twenty miles. If visibility is limited and you cannot see any distant objects, use another member of your walking party (if applicable). Learn old school methods for using a traditional map and hand-held compass. Learn more... A compass is an essential tool in wilderness survival. Repeat as necessary. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,255,631 times. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Compasses are most useful when you're in the wilderness. after studying this article, I go to the forest, woods, camping, and with the knowledge that I got from this article, I don't get lost.". All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Bonner Soil & Water Conservation District, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hand_compass&oldid=993025443, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 December 2020, at 11:41. You can also hold the compass square to your body by holding the sides of the baseplate between both hands (making L shapes with your thumbs) and keeping your elbows against your sides. Stand still, then ask them to walk away from you in the direction indicated by the direction of travel arrow. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. The northern tip is usually marked with an N, but if for some reason it isn’t, try to figure out which one is north by orienting your compass to the north or south in relation to the sun. [8] Hand compasses were soon widely employed in the practice of forestry, geology, archaeology, speleology, preliminary cartography and land surveying. In this case, you'll correct for declination by adding the appropriate number of degrees in areas with West declination, and subtracting in areas with East declination. Trust your compass: 99.9% of the time it is giving you the correct direction. Once the degree dial is in place, put the map away. https://www.summitpost.org/compass-basics-an-introduction-to-orientation-and-navigation/358187, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3sm-i7KJpM, http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/mapcompass2.shtml#Compass, http://www.compassdude.com/compass-declination.php, https://www.sco.wisc.edu/learning-center/magnetic-declination/, https://www.gore-tex.com/blog/how-to-use-a-compass, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/how-to-read-a-compass, http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/navigation-basics.html, http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/mapcompass3.shtml#Scenarios, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. If you maintain this bearing, your path from your current position will be along the line you just drew on your map. The markings are usually around the map's border. In an area with East declination, you'll subtract. If you're not exactly at a tick mark on the scale, you need to interpolate between the two nearest tick marks. understanding how a compass works and how to use it with a map learning about grid references These educational resources are hand-picked from BBC Bitesize and the wider BBC. Most compass faces are smaller than the palm of your hand, and marking 360 degrees on a circle that small can make things tough to read. The magnetic needle shouldn’t touch the top or the bottom of the compass housing. To create this article, 71 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Advertisement. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. If you have set up your compass correctly according to this wiki, you want to travel in the direction of the "direction of travel" arrow, which is the large arrow on the compass base. The beauty of a compass with a floating compass dial is that the compass magnets are built into the floating compass dial, so it automatically aligns to north, and you do not have to align it … Then, look at the travel arrow on the baseplate of the compass to tell you which direction you’re facing. The arrow that moves on its own as you move is the one that points to magnetic north. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. See Figure 1. When I take a bearing, do I need to travel straight when the needles are aligned or in the direction the needle is pointing? Just be sure you aren't wearing a big steel belt buckle or some other magnetic material close to the compass when doing this. Therefore, if you travel in the direction of the needle, you will be going north. A compass is a magnetometer used for navigation and orientation that shows direction relative to the geographic cardinal directions (or points). Compasses have been leading people in the right direction for hundreds of years. With the additional precision offered by the sighting arrangement, and depending upon construction, sighting compasses provide increased accuracy when measuring precise bearings to an objective.[4]. Set the compass on the map so the edge of the base plate (remember what that is?) For maximum accuracy, hold the compass up to your eye and look down the direction of travel arrow to find landmarks, guide points, etc. [16][17] Instead of a magnetized needle or disc, most hand bearing compasses feature liquid damping with a floating card design (a magnetized, degreed float or dial atop a jeweled pivot bearing). 4.5 out of 5 stars 467. Now, "I wanted to learn the basics of how to use a compass, and the information was straightforward and not too, "Have a 1943 marching compass that I am restoring. With the additional precision offered by the sighting arrangement, and depending upon c… Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Say you take a bearing on your compass in an area with West declination. By using a hand compass in combination with aerial photographs and maps a person can determine his/her location in the field, determine direction to landmarks or destinations, estimate distance, estimate area, and find points of interest (marked boundary lines, USGS marker, plot centers). ", "It did help so much. Once there, repeat the process. References Usually, a diagram called a compass rose shows the directions north, south, east, and west on the compass face as abbreviated initials. It is all I tried to guess!". While the Pocket Transit was more than adequate for such work, it was relatively expensive. Pitch and roll generally refer to the orientation of a body or craft (boat, plane, vehicle) with respect to horizontal, and are typically not considered when orienteering on land. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a6\/Use-a-Compass-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Use-a-Compass-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a6\/Use-a-Compass-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid34360-v4-728px-Use-a-Compass-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"