Remember, maps are drafted with north at the top. Where can these symbols be found. Position in the area. Making sure you don't move to change directions, turn the glass compass housing until the short luminous line is directly lined up with the luminous magnetic arrow. It. Its declination would be written as 14E. Using a little screwdriver or the metal piece that came with your compass lanyard, turn the small screw. Boom. Sight an azimuth to any visible terrain feature that appears on the map. When orienting a map, our aim is to position it so that the north-south grid lines on the map (eastings) are aligned north-south. Place the compass on the map with one long edge of the baseplate running between the two points of interest. Orienting, or aligning, the map is really easy with just 3 steps: Lay your map out on a relatively flat, smooth surface. The method is to align the edge of the compass along the Magnetic North (MN) line, and then move the map and compass together until the compass needle points north. He has climbed a handful of 6000ers in the Himalayas, 4000ers in the Alps, 14ers in the US, and loves nothing more than a good long-distance wander in the wilderness. Lets move to the opposite coast of the U.S. Lets say youre in the Adirondacks of New York. At this point, your map is almost oriented. Open the compass: Let the cover and the base form a 90-degree angle. With a little bit of compass work, you can figure this out. As you can see, the declination of the location Im in is 4E. The lensatic compass is comprised of different parts compared to a baseplate compass. Determine your position on the map and set the compass edge over it. Well say the declination value is 10 degrees. 2. Customize the template with smart fillable areas. a. He is currently the President of the London Mountaineering Club, training to become a Winter Mountain Leader, looking to finally finish bagging all the Wainwright fells of the Lake District and hoping to scale more Alpine 4000ers when circumstances allow. Instead of using your compasss arrow, youll align your needle with the tape arrow. Shoot the reverse bearing you got with your compass from the top of Saddle Mountain on your map. Yeah, book is the most effective tool that can be made use of for affecting your life. Use your index finger to steady the front of the compass. Determine the correct magnetic azimuth to the designated point within 3 degrees using the compass-to-cheek method, or within 10 degrees using the center-hold method. Place the thumb of the other hand between the rear sight and the bezel ring; extend the index finger along the remaining side of the compass, and the remaining fingers around the fingers of the other hand. {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you orient and read a map? Turn your declination-adjusted compass dial so due North is at the index pointer. Before we can start actually navigating, which well get to in Part IIIof this series, we still need to learnwhere we are in relation to our maphow to orient ourselves. Plus, as a web site visitor, you get a 50% discount off the regular price, meaning you get the whole course for $10. 3. Youll want to stick to areas that are cool and dry, and dont offer any immediate threats to technological devices. Get your own customized topographical maps, built according to your specifications. Spread out your map. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Spatial awareness refers to having knowledge about where everything in the environment is located relative as well as understanding how objects relate with each other spatially. Say your azimuth was 170 degrees. These other objects can interfere with compasses, and no matter how miniscule the differences may seem, it can leave an impact. Were going to move that to take into account declination on our compass. Identify your approximate location on your map. Plot a line on the map using the back bearing from that mountain. Fill & Sign Online, Print, Email, Fax, or Download Check back next month for our final briefingon how tonavigate using MGRS coordinates, just like they do in the military. Photo: Wikipedia. Youre somewhere on that line, so you know have a line position. pointsnorth, east, south, and westbut some are marked additionally with the. Close is good enough in horsehoes, but I'm hoping exact is the standard for artillery fire. Turn the bezel on your compass so that north on the compass points to north on the map. . You just need one more piece of information to figure out exactly where you are on the map. Using your compass, take a heading to a visible landmark. While some elements of the navigation process are similar to using a baseplate compass, there are also slight differencesincluding how you hold a lensatic compass. Copyright 2013-2019 Collingwood Publications LLC, It's important to hold your compass stable, squarely in front of you, and level. Easy-to-Read Thermometer - Cushion-mounted thermometer provides an "at-a-glance . 2. With the thumb loop all the way down under the compass, put the thumb of one hand all the way inside the loop, and place the index finger of that same hand along one side of the compass. Then tilt the mirror until you can see straight down into the bezel. Pros . If your destination is further than what the side edging allows for, you can use an actual ruler to align with the side of your compass edge to help you get to your destination. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A: To rotate a map in Beat Saber, you can hit the trigger button on your controller. Set your compass dial to 000 degrees. Last but not lease, lensatic compasses are prone to scratching. On your map, place your compass. Remember declination from Part I? Whenever the luminous magnetic arrow lines up with the luminous short line, you're following your intended azimuth. Tilt it forwards until you can see your sighting arrow. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Make a mark with your pencil at the notch on the end furthest from the sighting wire. The needle on your compass dial will always be pointing north, so when placing the compass on the map, the needle on the compass should match the map's north in order to orient yourself. Step 3 Use one of two techniques to orientate the map. Youll see that it shows two arrows when you turn your headset or controllers around to show the new orientation of a map. The fundamentals of using a map and compass to find your way around. 9-4. orient a map to the ground by map-terrain association, Sunday Firesides: Become an Evangelist . Step 1 Determine the direction of the map of the declination and its value from the declination on the map. Look at your map, or use a website to see your local areas declination. 3.Rotate the map and compass until the directions of the declination diagram formed by the black index line and the compass needle match the direction shown in the . We know were somewhere along HW 115 and south of Saddle Mountain. Hey, it happens! 4. In my online video land-navigation course, I explain in lecture 20, how to orient a map. Your email address will not be published. This latter option is a cheat since grid lines have their own declination value. Oncein pre-GPS dayswhile on a canoe trip through the chain of lakes in Canadas Quetico Provincial park, our professional guide expertly got us through about 100 miles of wilderness, without ever using a compass. You don't want to hold it crooked, cockeyed, or off level. 3. Use the illustration above to familiarize yourself with the components of a lensatic compass. Regardless, let's break it down into several steps: Open the compass cover at a 90-degree angle and then set the lens bracket at a 30-degree angle. In my. Brett May 23, 2016 Last updated: June 2, 2021. Lay the compass on the map, using the straight edge to create a line from your starting point to your destination. Line your orienteering compass's base plate up with the map's north-south lines. The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. Step 2 Lay the map in a horizontal position. Find the magnetic declination on your map. Casio's latest G-Shock watch could be a serious Garmin rival. Lets break down the individual parts of a lensatic compass so you can understand every element behind how it works. Triangulate your position. The big bang. Corrected the orientations of the map when the G-M angle exceeded 3 degrees (50 mils) using one of the following: a. The lanyard hole that can be used by the orienteering compass user can limit access to the compass if not enough space is available to move the compass across your map. to orient the map to find your position. But its important to understand the different types of navigational toolsincluding a lensatic compass. This is commonly known as puttingthe red in the shed. Gently pull the lid down until the sighting line is visible through the lens. With your bezel ring set, stand at your starting point and . 5. Lay your map out in front of you on a relatively flat and smooth (and dry!) The instructions on this page might make orienting a map seem a highly technical thing. He did this for ten days, taking us across numerous waterways and lakes. Move the lens holder: Slightly push forward the lens holder. That has the potential to make a significant impact! Mt. Take a bearing to a visible landmark using your compass. Take a bearing to a visible landmark using your compass. Assume youve climbed to the top of Camels Hump in Vermont. When this happens, its time to orientate using a compass. When you point your compass towards true north, the needle will point a bit to the west. 1. Make an "L" shape with the index finger and thumb of your other hand. When orienting a map, our aim is to position it so that the north-south grid lines on the map (eastings) are aligned north-south. We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. In such orientation we use a lensatic scale. Using the side of your compass, draw a line towards the highway that youre on. Thats right Contours are king. The housing is marked with cardinal points, typically north, south, east, and west, which . True north is at the very top of the earth, while magnetic north is currently off the coast of Greenland. Now, hold the compass level and squarely in front of you. Check the index line to find out the bearing you just have taken. 3. Want a free ebook on Land Navigation? Rotate the compass dial until north on the compass ring lines up with north on the map. Next, turn the compass housing so that the index pointer corresponds to the number of degrees of the magnetic declination. The lensatic compass is used by the U.S. Military. The cover is used to protect the compass and alsoincorporates thesighting wirewhich helps you determine direction. With the thumb loop all the way down under the compass, put the thumb of one hand all the way inside the loop, and place the index finger of that same hand along one side of the compass. So its declination would be 14W. To do so accurately, however, we must first adjust our compass for magnetic declination so the reading taken from the compass arrow is pointing our map towardtruenorth as opposed tomagneticnorth. As a result, your real bearing is 166. Make an "L" shape with the index finger and thumb of your other hand. Read the number at the index line. You can use this feature to set your compass in the dark. ), you just dont know exactly where. Bear in mind that an east declination value will be a positive number, and a west declination value will be a negative number. Place the compass on your map with the edge along a north-south grid line. It is easy to learn and it can be done with just a map and compass. Lets say youre planning a short hike from one point to another. 4. The reason contours are king is that they are fixed, at least in the timescales were talking about here. The compass baseplates edge is now pointed in the direction of the visible landmark you used to get your bearing. Fortunately, orienting your map is simple. Step 3: Find a path that leads to the horizon. We only recommend products we genuinely like, and purchases made through our links support our mission and the free content we publish here on AoM. 2. Its a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, youre solid. Articles - Email - Linkedin - Facebook - Instagram. The term "lensatic" comes from the fact that there is a lens on the rear side of the compass that aids in the orienteering process. Well adjust it to account for the declination of our compass. 2. Adjustable Declination Compasses. Once you master using a lensatic compass, it becomes the only way youll ever navigate around the wilderness moving forward. Looking at the map is an easy way of finding which direction north or east are relative to your current position. Have you noticed the agonic line? Take your compass and line up the edges with the north-south gridlines on your map. Used the G-M angle formed by the . If you point your compass towards true north, your compass needle is going to point a little to the east. It would be 204 (24+180) in this situation. Compass (For Dummies) Beginner guide to map and compass - Survival Saturday Ep. Method #2. Line your lensatic compasss base plate up with the maps north-south lines. Best Camping Knife for Outdoor Adventures, Best 4-Person Tent For Camping [2023 Update], How to Use a Fire Starter: A Simple, Step-by-Step Guide, How to Dispose of Butane Cans (and Other Solvents), Best Hikes in Colorado: 17 Incredible Trails, Types of Backpacks: The Ultimate List of 23 Pack Styles, Learning one of land navigations primary skills, Turn your map using your map and compass together, How to check your map is oriented correctly. Navigate to your map. If your compass doesnt have a declination adjustment key, simply make the adjustment on the spot. 3. 3. The orient a map to the ground by map-terrain association is one of the most basic skills that you will need in order to survive. To figure out precisely where you are on the map, you simply need one more piece of information. Remember how we spoke about declination in Part 1? From the compass, to GPS, to now even your mobile devicetheres no shortage of navigational tools. But lets say youre in the Muir Woods near San Francisco and youre facing true north. In addition to 360 degrees to measure directions in a circle, the military also uses 6,400 mils. While this doesnt technically register as an electronic, were going to treat it like one. SEE IT. To use the terrain to orient a map, you must be familiar with symbols used on the map. Required fields are marked *. Above: For this example in the Grand Canyon, grid north ("GN") differs from true . First, use your compass to get a bearing on a peak of Saddle Mountain. Taking each features relative shape, height and distance away into consideration, you should be able to start to match them to the contour features on the map. You can see that the mountain is 24 degrees away from you. Position the eyepiece at a 45-degree angle to the . For sighting purposes, we recommend using the compass-to-cheek method for better accuracy. Before we do that, lets take a closer look at declination. On your map, though, you can see the two spots. When you point your compass towards true north, your compass needle is going to point a little to the west. Youre in the right place! Place your compass base plate on your map so the edge of the compass is aligned with the north-south meridian lines. Positioned the cover of the compass toward the top of the map. Where the line intersects with the highway is where you are on the map. Where the second line intersects with the first is where youre at on the map, more or less. For bearings of 181 to 359 degrees, rotate the bezel clockwise. Hey, it happens! 2. Now hold the compass on the map and rotate yourself and the map/compass together until the orienting arrow and the compass needle are aligned to magnetic north. In the daytime, you'll normally find something in the distance on your azimuth and walk to it, so you don't have to keep staring at the compass. Place your map in such a way that the terrain features line up with your maps features. Line up your map with what you see around you. This straightforward video shows both approaches to using a compass to orientate a map: All the latest inspiration, tips and guides to help you plan your next Advnture! Learn Land Navigation Now. Come on in and save lots of money! Large Ball Compass - Easy to read ball compass shows two readings. 4. Using the Centerhold Technique. Simply look for distinguishable landmarks that are marked on the map, and turn so that both you and the map are facing this object. Spatial awareness refers to having knowledge about where everything in the environment is located relative as well as understanding how objects relate with each other spatially. Take a bearing on the mountain thats southwest from you. What is the preferred method of using a lensatic compass when reading magnetic azimuths. For this, they use a lensatic compass, among other navigation equipment and techniques. All you have to do is shoot a bearing towards the unidentified peak. You can always orient your map with a working compass. Looking at the map is an easy way of finding which direction north or east are relative to your current position. Make sure the travel direction arrow is pointed in the direction you want to go. Turn the little screw using a small screwdriver or the little metal piece that comes with your compass lanyard. Take your compass and turn the compass housing (bezel) until the red orientating arrow is in line with the direction of travel arrow. Suunto M-3 Compass. To do so accurately, however, we must first adjust our compass for magnetic declination so the reading taken from the compass arrow . You can also plot a known compass bearing on the mapthe reverse process. Let's say you see a water tower off in the distance. This is because it is prepped to point instead to magnetic north once it's lined up with your compass needle. Draw a line on the map at 130 degrees from Saddle Mountain. Well use the rear bearing of it to draw a line on the map from Saddle Mountain to our approximate direction. Reserve! Its 310 degrees in reference to you, as you can see. You can also use this website to get up to date declinations. The easiest way to orientate a map is to relate the features in front of you to the features on the map. Next month, well wrap off our series with a final briefing on how to navigate using MGRS coordinates, exactly like the military. When you point your compass towards true north, the needle will point slightly east. The plotted line cuts through Mt. Ethan Allan thats the peak you saw. Step 2. At least, I never saw him with one. How to use the Lunatic Compass Map Orientation by compass Magnetic Azimuth A magnetic azimuth of any object is the compass reading of a direct line across the center of the compass to the object. We still need to understand where we are in reference to our map how to orient ourselves before we can start really navigating, which well cover in Part III of this series. B. Timetoprepare.net. Turn the compass dial so that the bearing intersects the index line (2). This is why you should never take a bearing off a sheep. See the line labeled the agonic line? Let's have a look at the sources that constantly give favorable points. Read your compass (Figures 5-25 and 5-26). Center the compass on the map, with one of the baseplates long edges running between the two places of interest. Ensure that the compass bezel is set to 0 degrees i.e. Travel to that landmark. We can find out easily enough, though. 4. Use a Compass to Plot Bearings on a Map. Hand placement: Insert your thumb through the thumb loop and the index finger along the compass. The courses of streams change, field boundaries move, new hedgerows are built, walls are plundered for buildings, glaciers melt, roads and bridges are washed away by floods, houses are knocked down and rebuilt somewhere else. The following 30-minute U.S. Army training video from 1966 shows how to find your direction, orientation, and location with a mil-spec lensatic compass. Keep doing this until you get to where you want to go. You should be able to turn the map so that if you were to imagine jumping into it, the features would lie in the same direction both on the map and in your surroundings. Put the compass anywhere on top of the map. You notice another mountain peak out in the distance, but you dont know what its called. Lets return to Muir Woods as an example. What if you dont have a compass that allows you to adjust for declination? A: You can use the arrow keys, or you can hold down shift and move in any direction to rotate a map around its axis. Turn the compass and the map as a unit until you box the needlei.e., Put Red Fred in the shed. Flip up the lid to a 90-degree angle. If your local declination is east of the agonic line, youll need to add the declination to the bearing on your compass; if your local declination is west of the agonic line, youll subtract the declination from the bearing on your compass. Double-check by making sure the map title or legend text is the correct way up, or find the maps north arrow. 2. So, if youre at Muir Woods and your compass reads 180 degrees, subtract 14 degrees. But it isnt just magnets there are other culprits at play, here. The mils are in black, and are the outer measurements on the ring. It has its advantages and disadvantages over the orienteering compass. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A: In order to orient and read a map, you have to have spatial awareness. This was developed. To make sure you receive a correct bearing, youll have to perform some arithmetic with all of your bearings. When your compass cant adjust for declination, you may make your own declination arrow out of masking tape and attach it below your compass under the right declination degree hash (This will only work if your compass has a clear base). He is currently working towards qualifying as a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and International Mountain Leader. We'll start from the beginning, and go through everything you need to know to find your way over the terrain. Throughout this procedure, were not utilizing it at all.). If you take just one thing from this guide, let it be the appreciation that contours are the most important navigational feature on the map, especially where hills and mountains are concerned. It's important to hold your compass stable, squarely in front of you, and level. It is the bread and butter of navigation and a good habit to get into every time you set off in any given direction. But heres where things get tricky: the angle of declination changes depending where you are on the earth. Look through the sighting slot and find some target (a tree, boulder, whatever) that lines up with your sighting wire. We know were someplace south of Saddle Mountain on HW 115. So in this episode, well go through the abilities youll need. He climbs when he should be writing, writes when he should be sleeping, has fun always. Place the fully opened lensatic compass on the map with STEPS 1.Ensure the map is on a level surface, place the compass parallel to a north-south grid line with the cover side of the compass pointing towards the top of the map. Most lensatic compasses are designed to withstand moisture to a certain extent, but nobody makes them perfect. (Note: Ignore the magnetic compass needle. If youre in the Adirondacks, youll want to add 14 so your true bearing would be 194. 3. "}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you do map orientation? Note: This procedure places the fixed black index line of the compass parallel to north-south grid lines of the map. Step 4: Walk along the path and make sure your compass always points North. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); MyOpenCountry is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. ), Set Your Compass for Your Intended Azimuth. Positioned the cover of the compass toward the top of the map. Your map (and yourself) are now be orientated north. This step comes after aligning our map and compass needle to magnetic north if using a compass that doesnt have a declination adjustment key. Now its time to use the lens. At night, however, or in other periods of limited visibility (fog, blizzard, etc) keeping these two luminous bits lined up will be your only remedy. Magnetic north would be slightly to your right, or east, by about 14. The variation between magnetic north and true north is currently so minor that this can generally be ignored. We covered how to use a compass correctly, how to shoot your bearings, and the greatest map for navigating: the topo map, in Part I. The term lensatic comes from the fact that there is a lens on the rear side of the compass that aids in the orienteering process. Magnetic north is now off the coast of Greenland, but true north is at the very top of the world. Well, that is, unless you're doing something silly like holding the compass backwards. Youve got your dependable compass and a map of the region, but youre not sure where you are in respect to the map. When you have a line location, you know youre on a maps recognizable line (trail, ridge line, etc. One advantage is it's probably more accurate when it comes to "shooting azimuths," meaning the act of determining the specific compass direction to a spot on the earth. Note that we will be moving and adjusting the compass on the map. Its 230 degrees in reference to your position, as you can see. Assume youre in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Youll line up your needle with the tape arrow instead of the arrow on your compass. As long as you can hold the compass level and steady, the exact grip doesn't matter. The techniques employed when using the lensatic compass are as follows: a. But not to you, I trust. When youre on this line and are facing true north, magnetic north lines up perfectly, too. Because most of the components are housed in a casing, moisture can wreak havoc once its in there. 3. Assume youre southeast of Saddle Mountain and northeast of a few of lesser peaks. Declination was taken into account while adjusting the compass. Map and compass skills are essential when navigating the great outdoors, Abrupt topography, like mountain peaks, should be easy to identify thanks to their contours on the map, Magnetic declination guidance on a standard topographical map, Having adjusted the compass housing to correspond with magnetic north, line your compass up with the map's gridlines, Red is in the shed: the compass needle is lined up with the orientating arrow, Ski towns are full: why we cant all just move to the mountains, Berghaus MTN Guide MW Hoody review: a performance mid-layer for the mountains, Rangers warn National Park graffiti could throw hikers off the trail. How to Pack a Backpack Are You Doing it Right? In this video below,the user walks through the elements of a USGI lensatic compass, and how to properly use one. First things first. Take your compass and line up the edges with the north-south gridlines on your map. You will not be using it for the center-hold technique. This may arise when you don't know your current position but have taken a back bearing from a visible landmark (1) you can identify on the map.