Short Tutorial on Map and Compass Use

Being proficient with a map and compass is an important skill for our guides, particularly the ones who are leading trips that go off trail. One of our goals for the future is to incorporate more off trail hiking - you know you're truly in the wilderness if when you hike for days and finally come to a trail you feel like you're back in civilization!

So here is a brief tutorial on the steps for using a map and compass effectively. Before you set off on your off-trail adventure, it's best to practice your map and compass skills in the front country.

Map to Terrain

1. Set declination (the declination is the degree to which magnetic north differs from true north, which varies based on where you are and will be noted on your map)
2. Put straightedge of compass baseplate on your location and your destination – point direction of travel arrow (etched arrow on top of baseplate) in desired travel direction.
3. Line up orienting lines inside compass housing so they are aligned vertically and parallel with true north, south lines on map
4. Make sure north on compass dial faces north on map
5. Remove compass from map and “box” magnetic arrow needle
6. With needle boxed, follow direction of travel arrow

Terrain to Map (triangulation)

1. Set declination
2. Shoot an azimuth (the direction in degrees the feature is from you) to known landscape feature (magnetic arrow needle will be boxed)
3. Put compass baseplate on known landscape feature on map and turn entire compass until orienting lines inside compass
4. Housing are aligned vertically and parallel with north, south lines on map – make sure north on compass is pointing is facing north on map – disregard magnetic needle now – it won’t be boxed
5. Draw line along baseplate straightedge – your location is somewhere on that line
6. To pinpoint location, repeat process on 2 or 3 more landscape points