Learning how to use a compass is an important outdoor skill; not
just for walkers, but cyclists and runners too. It's good to take a
compass with you, but even better if you know what to do with
it.
Our guide to using a compass gives you the basic skills, hopefully
without over-complicating things.
Why do you need a compass?
A compass helps you to find where you are and find your way; this
is very useful but can be critical if you get lost and visibility
is poor. The main ways you use a compass are:
Compass features come in many designs, but most compass features are the same as those found in an all-time classic compass like the Silva Ranger. You need to make use of some or all of the compass features for different tasks.
Before you can use a compass to navigate you need to be familiar with the main features.
The main working part of a compass is the magnetic 'needle' that
floats on a central pivot. The red end always points to the Earth's
magnetic north pole and the outer ring is marked with the cardinal
points of the compass (N-S-E-W) and every 2 degrees. These markings
are used to get bearings (the direction from where you are, to
where you want to go).
If you rotate the ring to line-up the red north of the needle to
the red arrow on the baseplate, a bearing can be be taken from the
compass ring.