![]() ![]() This popular, easy-to-use orienteering handbook has been helping people find their way for more than fifty years. GPS devices are great, but they can break, get lost, or easily be hampered by weather conditions, making basic map and compass skills essential for anyone who spends time outdoors. (Feb.This classic map and compass navigation guide-newly revised for the age of GPS-offers a clear and concise master class on the art of orienteering. "Maps, Compasses, & GPS's 101: A Basic Course.". "How to Use Your New GPS Receiver." REI.com. National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Coordination Office."History of the Vikings and Navigation." 2009. "Nokia 6210 Navigator Keeps Pedestrians on Course with Compass, Accelerometers." Gizmodo. "OA Guide to Map & Compass - Part 1." The Backpacker's Field Manual. "What are the pros and cons of taking a GPS unit on a hike?". Your local outdoor supply store may offer helpful courses on how to use a GPS device, as well as basic navigational skills. Practice at home before taking your GPS device out into unfamiliar terrain. Obviously, you'll also need to know how to read a map. You can learn how to do this by reading the instruction manual that came with the device. Set waypoints along the way - starting with where you parked your car and ending with your campsite. Program your GPS device using coordinates from your map. This may be difficult if you're under heavy forest canopy. A clear sky with few obstacles between you and it is the best for a strong signal. If your signal is weak or the system can't find enough satellites, then you shouldn't rely on the device for directions. This means acquiring a signal from the satellites. You'll likely need to initialize and configure your GPS device before you can use it. Tracking means that the GPS unit will provide you with a breadcrumb trail, in case you need to retrace your steps. Try doing a practice run at home before you go out in unfamiliar backcountry.Ī GPS receiver provides you with your location, distance/directions, routes and tracking. Read the instructions that came with your compass, check your library, outdoor gear store or search for a tutorial online. Some compasses only require you to make that adjustment once for your entire trip - check your compass instructions for more about setting the declination.Īgain, learning to read a compass and topographical map requires preparation and skill. When you make your navigation calculations, you add or subtract that angle from the compass bearing numbers. But when you're trekking long distances, the margin of error could be several miles (or kilometers). With short distances, the declination may only be 100 feet (30 meters) or so. This is why it's important to always use a current map when you're in unfamiliar territory, especially when you're trekking long distances. The angle varies depending on where you are on the planet. Declination is an angle that measures the difference between true north and magnetic north. Magnetic north is always moving, and we call this margin of error declination. Magnetic north isn't the same as true north - it's close, but no cigar. Once you've set your bearing, you're on the right track to finding your way. But there's still another wrinkle. Following that exact bearing will take you to your exact target on the map. The travel line on your compass will show a bearing number. Imagine or draw a straight line from the compass center to your destination. Align your map and compass both North, and place your compass over your location on the map. You'll see the ring is divided in increments that add up to 360 degrees. Your compass has a rotating ring around it. This is important because, with a bearing, you can travel toward a specific spot instead of just in a general direction. Your compass lets you assign a numerical direction - a bearing - to any direction in the full 360-degree circle around you. If you know where you are on the map but you don't know how to get to your destination, use your compass to take a bearing. It's best to utilize a topographic map when hiking and exploring. A map gives you directions, and a compass enables you to follow them. It'll also alert you to any areas you won't be able to cross straight through, such as a river or a canyon. Pairing your compass with your map will give you more accuracy. ![]()
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