Using your compass, orient your map so that north is pointing to true north. (Pro tip: make sure the fixed grid lines on your compass line up with the north-south grid lines on your map.) 2.

Start by taking a bearing as normal using your map, then, holding the compass fixed against your hips, turn your body until the red end of the compass needle points to 10° on the ‘W.decl.’ scale.

Using a compass is an essential skill. It’s like having a mental roll of duct tape: You don’t know when you’re going to use it, and it might kick around unused for a long time, but when you ...

This is why basic compass and map skills are so important. "Using a map with a compass is a skill that a lot of most people probably don't possess anymore," Bieri said.

If you see a valley on your left, then the valley shows on the left on the map. You can do this by eye or with your compass. Using Land Features: Lay the map on the ground or hold it horizontally.

Read Next: How to Make a Compass How to Use the Compass. A compass is more effective with the aid of a map. Together, they can pinpoint your exact location and the direction you need to head.

Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldier shoots an azimuth using a lensatic compass during a land navigation event April 23, 2022 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by ...

Various designs have come and gone since then, but the most enduring incarnation of the modern magnetic compass was invented in Sweden. In 1932, Björn Kjellström, along with his two brothers Alvar and ...