Use map compass book

With your map properly oriented, position your compass on the map with the straight side of the base plate touching both your current location and destination location. This information can help you become more familiar with the map and compass. These will mostly require the use of the compass to use in navigation. Amc map and compass course section hikers backpacking blog. I was on the navigation committee for years, was lucky enough to meet bob and attend a lecture by him, and usually reread the book once a year, even though ive been an. The second half of the book is more geared towards those looking to compete in orienteering events for which the author regularly opines his deeply abiding love, and thus isnt essential for mastery of map and compass, but i know of no better manual for navigational skills for hikers, hunters, fishermen, and. This is the book that the mountaineers use for their basic wilderness navigation course. The compass feature works from only your current location, so it may have limited application. The art of navigation cicerone techniques 01 by pete hawkins isbn. This guide on how to use a compass and map should be enough to get you started and give you the confidence to use the skills for yourself in the hills. Next, lay the compass on your map so that the long edgedirection of travel arrow is aligned with the northsouth meridian lines. By observing birds and other animals, weather patterns, vegetation, shifting sands, patterns of snow fields, and the positions of the sun, moon, and stars, wouldbe explorers can learn to estimate distances and find their way without having to rely on a map or a compass.

Then identify your current location and the location you want to reach on the map. After tracing out your route, pull the string straight and measure it against the scale line in the map legend. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. I have also done surveying, where i am, in a sense making the map. About maps a map is a scaled representation of the earths surface. Gps chapter completely updated to reflect newer models and. How to teach children how to use a compass sciencing.

Heres a stepbystep guide to using compass bearings. Obvious examples of the simpler tools available are the protractor, map, compass, and pace count. The official navigation textbook used in outdoor education courses by thousands of students. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. One is to use a piece of string or flexible wire to trace the intended route. X trustworthy source princeton university leading academic institution devoted to expanding and sharing knowledge go to source road maps or atlases are detailed maps used to display highways, state roads, and other roads in a given area. The essential wilderness navigator philip werner outdoor skills books, wilderness navigation tools i have been reading a lot of books about compass navigation this year to improve my skills as an offtrail navigator and to figure out if there is a better way to teach compass navigation to. Fleming teaches a method that does not require drawing declination lines on your map, nor do you need to add or subtract when going from map to compass and vice versa. These webbased, interactive workbooks will display on any device that has access to the internet. Even if you know nothing of how to use a compass or map when you begin reading, youll have a good.

She does not go over utm and gps, for that the previously mentioned wilderness nav book is great, or this free online tutorial by map tools. Place the fully opened compass on the map with the scale edge alongside a northsouth meridian longitudinal line, grid line. Map and compass outdoor experiences can become safer and more interesting if you know how to use a map and compass. I have used a military lensatic compass, but find the transparent base of a map compass superior. Using a compass and a map posted on august 22, 2014 todays digital reliance on gps navigation has all but relegated compass and map use to hardcore outdoor enthusiasts, orienteering clubs, and geography buffs. While entire books have been written about navigating with a compass, every compass. The classic map and compass navigation guiderevised for the age of gps gps devices are great, but they can break, get lost, or easily be hampered by weather conditions, making basic map and compass skills essential for anyone who spends time outdoors. I have been using a map type compass for over 60 years, and find this book excellent. An orienteering compass is part of the essential survival gear, and most people take one with them into the mountains without knowing actually how in the world does it work. And, of course, a bit of knowhow it becomes a powerful tool for navigation.

Google maps for ipad 2 includes a compass you can use to orient yourself with the map. These devices include smartphones including iphone, android and windows, tablets, ipads, desktop computers, laptops and more. Best book or reference guide for using maps, a compass. Compass basics a compass is one of the most basic navigation tools any hiker can own. Less obvious examples, that will take experience to appreciate, are the. The book starts slowly, introducing the importance of map and compass skills and how theyre used in every day life. Has sections on night navigation and weather forecasting that other books dont cover. A small drainage where deer or elk might escape detection or where you might find emergency shelter will make a small indent or v, on a contour linewhere the water has lowered the.

Using compass is kind of like rotating a paper map in your hands, in order to properly orient it with your actual position. There is no need to turn the compass or the compass housing to do this. You can learn to identify the basic components of the compass, take an. Finding your way without map or compass harold gatty. The only drawback is the author recommends drawing magnetic declination lines on every map if you compass cant be adjusted for it. Compasses come in many designs, but most compass features are the same as those found in an alltime classic compass like the silva ranger. Ensure that the compass bezel is set to 0 degrees i. This book provides excellent instruction on land navigation. The wealth of valuable data and advice in this volume much of it. Map reading lesson 2 unit 10 land nav by map and compass. 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. It includes reading a topographical map, using a compass, navigating in the field, planning an outing, and understanding the weather.

Be expert with map and compass bjorn kjellstrom, carina. By the end of the book i was able to use my compass well and didnt feel nervous about using it on a hike. How to use a compass navigating with a map and compass. 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. As long as the map is oriented with respect to magnetic north, any bearings you take from map to compass or compass to map will be the same. The book describes the process of wilderness navigation using tried and true old school methods. How to navigate by map and compass appalachian mountain club. Amc map and compass class at harvard cabin in new hampshire. First, check where youre currently facing or traveling.

Introduction land navigation requires the use of many tools. Also called the azimuth ring, this outer circle has. North arrow of the lensatic compass will point 11 degrees west of true north. Be expert with map and compass, the complete orienteering. Turn the degree dial until the orienting arrow aligns itself with the magnetic needle.

The needle should swing off to sides, unless you are facing north. Luckily it isnt too hard to use your compass and when paired with a good map. While entire books have been written about navigating with a compass, every new compass user needs to know the basic concepts. Explain to kids that a map is a birdseye view of the world and how navigators use the four cardinal directions. How to use a navigation map and compass in the woods guy. Turn the compass housing until north on the dial is aligned with north on your map. Route evaluation essay taking bearings, measuring distance and estimated time. A compass is an essential tool in wilderness survival. Guide to safe exploration of the wilderness, with instructions for using a compass, reading maps, planning an outing, navagating in the field, and understanding. A basic paper map is the simplest, most reliable and most effective way to find your location and navigate somewhere else. Tells you which direction to point the compass when youre taking or following a bearing. But then you dive into the nittygritty in part 1, learning about the details of topographic maps how theyre made, what the squiggly lines represent, the various scales mapmakers use, how to tell paved roads from dirt roads. Be expert with map and compass by bjorn kjellstrom. Finding your way using map, compass, altimeter, and gps by bob burns and his son mike burns.

Joe comuzzi and i taught the amcs map and compass course again last weekend at harvard cabin in pinkham notch, a 2day class which combines a morning of instruction with two. Even with a gps in your phone, knowing how to navigate using a map and a compass is a great life skill. It needs no batteries, works with any map, and even works without a map. The compass ebooks are an electronic version of our popular materials.

They need to know that the earth has a magnetic north pole, which is always in the up position on a map, and that the needle of a compass always points toward the north. Finding your way without map or compass during his remarkable lifetime, harold gatty became one of the worlds great navigators in 1931, he and wiley post flew around the world in a recordbreaking eight days and, to the benefit of posterity, recorded in this book much of. I would recommend this book if your a little unsure about. Using your compass, orient your map so that north is pointing to true north. Along with a good quality topographical map of the area youre navigating, knowing how to use a compass will ensure that youre never lost. Clear, so when placed on top of the map you can still see the map features. The case cover should be pointing toward the top of the. You can eliminate the need to correct for declination if you use your compass to orient the map each time. The direction you need to go in this case, 60 degrees. Find and transfer bearings in the field and on a map duration.

It is a useful tool in planning a trip or locating your position on the ground. 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. This book concentrates on using the two most important tools for navigating which are good compass with adjustable declination and mirror and a proper map. 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. The direction of travel arrow should be pointing toward the destination this is how youll be holding the compass while following the bearing. Here is how to use the map and the compass together. 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. Put the compass on your palm and watch the magnetic needle. Line up your direction of travel arrow with your landmark, then rotate the bezel until the needle lines up with the. I also have a brunton pocket transit, but it is by no means a map compass.

If youre looking to feel more comfortable in the wilderness, this book will teach you. I went to a really good weekend map and compass skills and topo map reading class at the smokey mt. The mountaineers organization in seattle uses wilderness navigation. The essential wilderness navigator section hikers backpacking. 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. You need to make use of some or all of the compass features for different tasks. I have been reading a lot of books about compass navigation this year to. Rei holds a free map and compass class regularly here in the asheville area.

Orient the map with the terrain, using the technique already described. Put your compass down on a flat surface and align one edge of the compass with your starting point in this case, camp 22. Align the forward edge of the compass with your destination, camp 23. A compass is one of the most basic navigation tools any hiker can own. Popout map london by compass maps, other format barnes. Tips on using your gps device in concert with map and compass techniques. How to use a compass the most important piece of gear to help you find your way. How to use an orienteering compass survival gear book. The book is very clear and informative for newbies or those with an urban understanding of topo maps and compasses. But some of the best secrets are found in unmarked clues. Gps devices are great, but basic map and compass skills are essential for anyone who spends time outdoors.