The Basics of Compass Use
For the Beginner and Intermediate Orienteer we highly recommend a base plate compass:
With this easy to use compass you can efficiently do the two most common tasks in Orienteering:
- Simply to determine which direction is magnetic North. The Red end of the compass needle points to magnetic North when the compass is held level with the ground. And with that direction, you can turn and rotate your map so that the Blue Magnetic North Arrows (aka Meridians) on the map align properly with magnetic North. That way your map and the reality around you are aligned with each other and you will know what direction to travel to get to your next control. (As long as you know your current position on the map!)
- For navigating in harder terrain, a compass bearing can be determined from the map and then the compass itself is used to follow the bearing direction.
The following video does a great job explaining these two tasks plus Map Scale is explained at the beginning of the video.
Base plate Compass
For more advanced Orienteers, a Thumb Compass can be used.
Using a Thumb Compass for Orienteering
Another quick example
Thumb Compass
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