As the subtitle mentions, you might think that is so simple and fairly common sense, do you really need to read this article? My response to that is that the fact that you were taught this topic in geography during your adolescent\u00a0years and you still end up reading this article, means yes.<\/p>\n
But we will be covering more than North, East, South, and West.<\/p>\n
Understanding how to read a compass properly is necessary for any outdoor adventure or activity whether you are going for a hike or plan to hike, this small piece, can really save your life,\u00a0and determine your location in relation to our surroundings and direction of travel, that is if you know how to use it properly. For that, you need to understand what a compass does and what it cant.<\/p>\n
A 101 Guide to Reading and Using a Compass<\/strong><\/h3>\nSo, let\u2019s go over the basics.<\/p>\n
The two main types of compasses are magnetic compasses<\/strong> and gyro compasses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n![\"Settle](\"https:\/\/www.settleoutdoor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Settle-Outdoor-Reading-a-Compass-2-300x196.jpg\")
Magnetic Compass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA magnetic compass<\/strong> is a type of compass in which the needle aligns itself with magnetic lines of Earth\u2019s magnetic field to point to the magnetic poles of the Earth. (More covered below)<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Settle](\"https:\/\/www.settleoutdoor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Settle-Outdoor-Gyrocompass-300x200.jpg\")
Naval Gyrocompass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGyrocompass<\/strong> is a compass which has a rapidly spinning wheel whose rotation interacts with the rotation of the earth until its axis of rotation is parallel with the Earth\u2019s and points to the Earth\u2019s rotational poles. This compass points to the true poles of the Earth. (More covered below)<\/a><\/p>\nDifferent Types of Magnetic Compasses<\/strong><\/h3>\nSubtypes of a magnetic compass<\/strong> that are relevant to our category are:<\/p>\nLiquid Compass<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 which has a magnetized needle or card immersed in a fluid and is somewhat accurate and does the job.<\/p>\nMarine compass or a card compass<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This type of compass has a needle that is fixed and a compass card that is mounted in fluid and rotates according to orientation. It is used on boats because the moving card absorbs much of the motion of a boat which makes it easier to read than a needle compass.<\/p>\nBase plate compass or Orienteering compass<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 which is a liquid filled compass placed on the rectangular base made of transparent plastic so a map can be read through it. It often has a magnifying lens for map reading, some sort of light for low light conditions and a ruler. It is often used for plotting.<\/p>\nThumb compass<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 is a variant of base plate compass but smaller. It is fixed on the thumb (as its name says) which leaves one hand free to hold the map and is used often while traveling at speed by bike or by canoe.<\/p>\nSolid state compasses<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 are found in electric devices. They often have two or three magnetic field sensors from which microprocessor reads data about the orientation of the device. They can often be found in clocks, mobile phones, and tablets.<\/p>\nGPS compass:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0GPS compasses make the use of satellites in a geosynchronous orbit over the earth to establish the exact location. This is the 21st century\u2019s compass as it is commonly found in phones.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0Components of a Compass<\/strong><\/h3>\nCompasses might be small but have so many details and components inside that you might be surprised when you finish reading the article.<\/p>\n![\"Settle](\"https:\/\/www.settleoutdoor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Body-of-Compass-300x300.jpg\")
Components of a Compass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCompasses\u00a0<\/strong>tend to have the following as primary component parts:<\/p>\nBody of Compass:<\/i><\/strong> This is the body of the compass which contains the tiny parts.<\/p>\nCompass Needle:<\/i><\/strong>\u00a0A Movable Part that turns according to the magnetic pull of the Earth.<\/p>\nFor purposes of this article, we would be focusing on the orienteering compasses as that is the most common one used outdoors while mountaineering, trekking, hiking, and camping. Orienteering Compasses which are used during hiking or mountaineering contain two extra components:<\/p>\n
Travel Arrow: <\/i><\/strong>\u00a0This is an arrow painted outside the compass, that the traveler follows, once he hs determined where h needs to go.<\/p>\nOrienting Arrow:<\/i><\/strong>\u00a0A fixed arrow painted on the compass itself, to which the traveler adjusts the compass.<\/p>\nAn important feature found on many compasses is declination adjustment.<\/p>\n
What is Declination?<\/h2>\n
Declination, in simple terms, is the difference that exists between Magnetic North and True North. The difference is attributed to the fact that the magnetic fields of the Earth (to which an Orienteering Compass Points) do not align exactly with the North Pole and the South Pole (to which a Gyrocompass points) and for this reason, declination varies from place to place.<\/p>\nThe Difference between True North and Magnetic North<\/h2>\n
There are two types of North and understanding this is vital in knowing how to read an orienteering compass. True North is located at the North Pole, which is the point in the Arctic Sea around which the earth rotates.<\/p>\n
The Magnetic North, however, is located in a different location, in northern Canada. This location actually changes with time. The earth is covered in magnetic lines that come out of the Magnetic South, cover the planet, and converge again at the Magnetic North.<\/p>\n
To understand Magnetic North, you need to understand that those lines are generally not straight, and in some parts of the country they point pretty far from True North.<\/p>\n
That variance between the True North and Magnetic North is called magnetic variation or declination<\/strong>.<\/p>\nCardinal Points<\/h2>\n
There are four\u00a0cardinal points<\/b>\u00a0on a compass \u2013 North, South, East, and West. In compass terminology, the words \u2018right\u2019 and \u2018left\u2019 are not used as they are relative and can differ based on one\u2019s location, a and depends on how one is facing the relevant landmark, whereas cardinal directions are constant and remain same for everyone.<\/p>\n
The direction halfway between each cardinal points are called intercardinal points <\/b>and for example one of them is\u00a0\u00a0SouthEast<\/i>. The other three intercardinal points are\u00a0 SouthWest, Northeast, and NorthWest.<\/p>\n
Finally, there are\u00a0secondary intercardinal points<\/b>\u00a0halfway between each cardinal point and intercardinal point. These are North-NorthEast, East-NorthEast and so on.<\/p>\nReading a Compass Correctly<\/h2>\n
Compasses as mentioned above, contain a magnetic needle and therefore you need to make sure that are no metal or magnetic objects closeby that can skew your readings.<\/p>\n
Here are a few tips on how to read a compass correctly, as explained by the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Compass Dude<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n1.<\/strong>\u00a0When holding the compass, make sure that the baseplate is level and the direction-of-travel arrow points away from you.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0<\/strong>Hold it at a height between your waist and your face, and close to your stomach. Your elbow should be slightly bent and your arm relaxed.<\/p>\n3.<\/strong>\u00a0Look down and see which direction the needle points to.<\/p>\nThen, place the compass so that North is at the top of the circle. Now use the numbers of declination and rotate the compass slowly until you are at the correct number of degrees away from the magnetic North to point to True North.<\/p>\n
Remember that North on a map is calibrated to True North. So when using your compass along with a map, remember to adjust for the declination or difference.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s it, now you know how to operate and work with a compass and now you cannot get lost, that is if you bring a compass along with or if you don\u2019t want to be sure to read our article, How not to Get Lost.<\/a><\/p>\nSummary<\/strong><\/p>\nWe hope you\u2019ve enjoyed reading 101 Guide to Reading and Using a Compass<\/strong> and we hope this small masterclass should give you some great tips on how to get you to use this tiny magnificent creation and hopefully find your way through your adventure. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below, what different brands of compass do you use and which is your favorite one!<\/p>\nAlso, do check out our other great articles and guides<\/a>. Be sure to signup for our newsletter to get future updates on great guides, and other outdoor inspirations and gear from Settle Outdoor.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
A magnetic compass<\/strong> is a type of compass in which the needle aligns itself with magnetic lines of Earth\u2019s magnetic field to point to the magnetic poles of the Earth. (More covered below)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gyrocompass<\/strong> is a compass which has a rapidly spinning wheel whose rotation interacts with the rotation of the earth until its axis of rotation is parallel with the Earth\u2019s and points to the Earth\u2019s rotational poles. This compass points to the true poles of the Earth. (More covered below)<\/a><\/p>\n Subtypes of a magnetic compass<\/strong> that are relevant to our category are:<\/p>\n Liquid Compass<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 which has a magnetized needle or card immersed in a fluid and is somewhat accurate and does the job.<\/p>\n Marine compass or a card compass<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This type of compass has a needle that is fixed and a compass card that is mounted in fluid and rotates according to orientation. It is used on boats because the moving card absorbs much of the motion of a boat which makes it easier to read than a needle compass.<\/p>\n Base plate compass or Orienteering compass<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 which is a liquid filled compass placed on the rectangular base made of transparent plastic so a map can be read through it. It often has a magnifying lens for map reading, some sort of light for low light conditions and a ruler. It is often used for plotting.<\/p>\n Thumb compass<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 is a variant of base plate compass but smaller. It is fixed on the thumb (as its name says) which leaves one hand free to hold the map and is used often while traveling at speed by bike or by canoe.<\/p>\n Solid state compasses<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 are found in electric devices. They often have two or three magnetic field sensors from which microprocessor reads data about the orientation of the device. They can often be found in clocks, mobile phones, and tablets.<\/p>\n GPS compass:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0GPS compasses make the use of satellites in a geosynchronous orbit over the earth to establish the exact location. This is the 21st century\u2019s compass as it is commonly found in phones.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Compasses might be small but have so many details and components inside that you might be surprised when you finish reading the article.<\/p>\n Compasses\u00a0<\/strong>tend to have the following as primary component parts:<\/p>\n Body of Compass:<\/i><\/strong> This is the body of the compass which contains the tiny parts.<\/p>\n Compass Needle:<\/i><\/strong>\u00a0A Movable Part that turns according to the magnetic pull of the Earth.<\/p>\n For purposes of this article, we would be focusing on the orienteering compasses as that is the most common one used outdoors while mountaineering, trekking, hiking, and camping. Orienteering Compasses which are used during hiking or mountaineering contain two extra components:<\/p>\n Travel Arrow: <\/i><\/strong>\u00a0This is an arrow painted outside the compass, that the traveler follows, once he hs determined where h needs to go.<\/p>\n Orienting Arrow:<\/i><\/strong>\u00a0A fixed arrow painted on the compass itself, to which the traveler adjusts the compass.<\/p>\n An important feature found on many compasses is declination adjustment.<\/p>\n Declination, in simple terms, is the difference that exists between Magnetic North and True North. The difference is attributed to the fact that the magnetic fields of the Earth (to which an Orienteering Compass Points) do not align exactly with the North Pole and the South Pole (to which a Gyrocompass points) and for this reason, declination varies from place to place.<\/p>\n There are two types of North and understanding this is vital in knowing how to read an orienteering compass. True North is located at the North Pole, which is the point in the Arctic Sea around which the earth rotates.<\/p>\n The Magnetic North, however, is located in a different location, in northern Canada. This location actually changes with time. The earth is covered in magnetic lines that come out of the Magnetic South, cover the planet, and converge again at the Magnetic North.<\/p>\n To understand Magnetic North, you need to understand that those lines are generally not straight, and in some parts of the country they point pretty far from True North.<\/p>\n That variance between the True North and Magnetic North is called magnetic variation or declination<\/strong>.<\/p>\n There are four\u00a0cardinal points<\/b>\u00a0on a compass \u2013 North, South, East, and West. In compass terminology, the words \u2018right\u2019 and \u2018left\u2019 are not used as they are relative and can differ based on one\u2019s location, a and depends on how one is facing the relevant landmark, whereas cardinal directions are constant and remain same for everyone.<\/p>\n The direction halfway between each cardinal points are called intercardinal points <\/b>and for example one of them is\u00a0\u00a0SouthEast<\/i>. The other three intercardinal points are\u00a0 SouthWest, Northeast, and NorthWest.<\/p>\n Finally, there are\u00a0secondary intercardinal points<\/b>\u00a0halfway between each cardinal point and intercardinal point. These are North-NorthEast, East-NorthEast and so on.<\/p>\n Compasses as mentioned above, contain a magnetic needle and therefore you need to make sure that are no metal or magnetic objects closeby that can skew your readings.<\/p>\n Here are a few tips on how to read a compass correctly, as explained by the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Compass Dude<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n 1.<\/strong>\u00a0When holding the compass, make sure that the baseplate is level and the direction-of-travel arrow points away from you.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0<\/strong>Hold it at a height between your waist and your face, and close to your stomach. Your elbow should be slightly bent and your arm relaxed.<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong>\u00a0Look down and see which direction the needle points to.<\/p>\n Then, place the compass so that North is at the top of the circle. Now use the numbers of declination and rotate the compass slowly until you are at the correct number of degrees away from the magnetic North to point to True North.<\/p>\n Remember that North on a map is calibrated to True North. So when using your compass along with a map, remember to adjust for the declination or difference.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s it, now you know how to operate and work with a compass and now you cannot get lost, that is if you bring a compass along with or if you don\u2019t want to be sure to read our article, How not to Get Lost.<\/a><\/p>\n Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n We hope you\u2019ve enjoyed reading 101 Guide to Reading and Using a Compass<\/strong> and we hope this small masterclass should give you some great tips on how to get you to use this tiny magnificent creation and hopefully find your way through your adventure. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below, what different brands of compass do you use and which is your favorite one!<\/p>\n Also, do check out our other great articles and guides<\/a>. Be sure to signup for our newsletter to get future updates on great guides, and other outdoor inspirations and gear from Settle Outdoor.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nDifferent Types of Magnetic Compasses<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\u00a0Components of a Compass<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What is Declination?<\/h2>\n
The Difference between True North and Magnetic North<\/h2>\n
Cardinal Points<\/h2>\n
Reading a Compass Correctly<\/h2>\n