6 Map and Compass Skills Every Outdoorsman Needs

Navigation That Never Runs Out of Battery

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A phone can die, lose signal or crack, and a map and compass keep working. Outdoor retailers, scouting programs and navigation guides teach the same core skills, and the six below are the ones every outdoorsman should be able to do without thinking. None requires expensive gear. A baseplate compass and a topographic map of your area are enough to start. Practice in a park or on a familiar trail before you need these skills in unfamiliar country. Terms and procedures vary slightly between guides, so work through each calculation yourself. The aim is confidence, so that when the trail disappears or fog rolls in, you can still tell where you are and where you are going.

Orient the Map

Orienting a map means lining it up with the real world so that north on the paper points to north on the ground. Place the compass on the map with its edge along a north-south grid line, then turn the map and compass together until the needle lines up with the orienting arrow. Now features on the map sit in the same direction as features in the landscape. Guides treat this as one of the fundamental orienteering skills. With the map oriented, you can look at a mountain and find it on the paper, or see a stream on the map and know where to look. Check that no metal objects or electronics are near the compass, since they can pull the needle off.

Account for Declination

Magnetic north, where a compass points, is not the same as true north, which is the direction of the geographic pole. The angle between them is called declination, and it varies by location and changes over time. It is printed on most topographic maps. Sources agree on the rule: add west declination to a map bearing, or subtract east declination, to get a magnetic bearing you can follow. For example, a map bearing of 132 degrees with a 13-degree west declination becomes 145 degrees. Many good compasses have a small screw adjustment that corrects for declination so you do not have to do the math each time. Ignoring declination can send you far off course over long distances, especially in places where the angle is large.

Take a Bearing to a Landmark

A bearing is a direction expressed in degrees from north. To take one, point the compass's direction-of-travel arrow at a landmark, such as a peak or a lone tree, then turn the bezel until the orienting lines align with the needle. Read the number at the index line. That bearing tells you which way to go, or which line to plot on a map. Hold the compass level and steady at waist height, and keep metal objects away. Take several readings and compare them. Practice on landmarks you can see so that you learn how the bearing matches the terrain. This simple skill is the foundation of most compass navigation, and it takes only a few minutes to learn.

Follow a Bearing in the Field

Following a bearing means walking in a straight line by compass. Set the bearing on the dial, hold the compass in front of you, turn your body until the needle sits inside the orienting arrow, then look up and pick a landmark in line with the direction-of-travel arrow. Walk to that landmark, then repeat. Sources stress checking the arrow's direction, because a reversed bearing sends you the opposite way. Re-check your bearing periodically so you do not drift off course. In fog or dense forest, choose closer landmarks and have a partner walk ahead as a target. Count your paces to estimate distance. Following a bearing is a patient, step-by-step process, and it works when no trail is visible.

Find Your Position With Two Bearings

If you are not sure where you are, you can use bearings on known landmarks to find out. Identify two or more features visible on the ground and on the map, such as peaks or a lake. Take a bearing to each one, convert it to a map bearing by adjusting for declination, and draw the lines on the map. Where the lines cross is your approximate location. This is a standard technique known as resection, and it works best when the landmarks are at wide angles from each other. A third bearing helps check accuracy. It takes practice to do well, so try it on a known spot before you rely on it. The method gives you a location without any electronics at all.

Read the Contour Lines

Topographic maps use contour lines to show the shape of the land. Each line connects points of equal elevation, so lines that are close together mean a steep slope and lines far apart mean gentle ground. Closed circles show hills or depressions, and V-shapes point uphill along ridges or downhill in valleys, depending on the orientation. Learn to find the contour interval in the map legend, which tells you how many feet each line represents. Reading contours helps you pick a route, estimate climbing effort and match the map to the view. Combined with a compass bearing, it turns a flat piece of paper into a three-dimensional picture. Practice by comparing a map with a hill you know well.

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