Hiking
How to Use a Compass without a Map
Navigating without a map is a real pain. A pain that many of us—the author included—have endured at some point ...
How to Take a Compass Bearing
Knowing how to take compass bearings is one of the most vital skills every backcountry adventurer should learn. Doing so allows you ...
How to Adjust for Magnetic Declination
What is Magnetic Declination? Technically speaking, the earth has two Norths: the magnetic north and true north. The true north, also ...
How to Read a Map
If there’s one must-have skill every hiker and camper should learn, it’s how to read a map. Arming yourself with ...
How to Tell Direction Without a Compass
Losing your way while hiking in unfamiliar terrain is no joke. And yet, every year, it’s something that happens to ...
Bearing vs Heading vs Azimuth vs Course
What Do They Mean? As mentioned above, the terms azimuth, bearing, heading, and course are often—and incorrectly—used interchangeably. Below, we’ve ...
How to Orient a Map
Two Methods of Orienting a Map Map reading is a foundational skill of land navigation that allows you to use ...
True North vs. Magnetic North vs. Grid North
The Three Different Norths If you’ve never explored the world of maps and the technical jargon that comes with the ...
How to Triangulate Your Position with Accuracy
How to Triangulate Your Position Triangulating your position is relatively easy. It mainly requires a good pair of eyes, a ...
How to Use a Watch as a Compass
If you're in the northern hemisphere, hold your wristwatch horizontally and point the hour hand directly towards the sun. The middle point between the hour hand and the twelve o'clock marker is true south. If you're in the southern hemisphere, hold the twelve o'clock marker towards the sun instead. True north should be at the midpoint between the twelve o'clock marker and the hour hand.
How to Make a Compass
To make a compass, you must first magnetize a needle by rubbing its endpoint with a magnet about fifty to a hundred times. Next, flip the magnet over and use the opposite side to magnetize the other end of the needle. Finally, push the needle into a piece of cork or cardboard, place it on water, and observe as your makeshift compass aligns itself with the Earth's magnetic field.
How Does a Compass Work?
The Origins of the Compass The first magnetic compasses were invented by the Chinese during the Han Dynasty or Tang ...
How to Use a Map & Compass
Compass Basics Let’s start with a little bit of trivia… Did you know that the compass is one of the ...
Backcountry Navigation
Finding your way through the wilderness is an essential backpacking skill requiring reliable tools and knowledge of how to use ...
