You just need one more piece of information to figure out exactly where you are on the map. Module 1 Lensatic Compass. Orienting the Map with anOrienteering Compass. This can be done either by (1) rotating the map the requisite number of degrees east or west or (2) holding the baseplate firmly, rotate the compass housing to the correct number of degrees west or east to account for the declination. The U.S. military M-1950 lensatic compass shown in this video is still in use today. 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. Weve compiled a detailed guide on how to adjust for magnetic declination, but at its most basic level it goes like this: Your map should state what the magnetic declination is in degrees for the region you are in. Its a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, youre solid. How to Use a Compass: 15 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow NB. If the local declination is positive, subtract the declination amount from the bearing you just derived. He climbs when he should be writing, writes when he should be sleeping, has fun always. You want to line up your view so the direction of travel arrow is straight ahead. NY 10036. You can also plot a known compass bearing on the mapthe reverse process. In my online video land-navigation course, I explain in lecture 20, how to orient a map. 3. An "azimuth" is pretty much the same as a "bearing." 1. Were headed to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma for this example. If the contour interval is 10 meters, then what is the change in elevation of each intermediate contour . You dont have your point position. 1. Old-School Navigation: How to Use a Map and Compass The red end of the needle must be pointing to the top of the map. Turn your compass on its side. For instance, line up roads, mountains, water towersany terrain features that stand out enough to make orienting the map possible. Well, that is, unless you're doing something silly like holding the compass backwards. Your article very useful for me and it helps me understand more about compass. The Lensatic compass also has a large number of drawbacks, including the use of a large case that can make this a cumbersome and heavy option. Then turn the map until the position of the landmarks on the map corresponds to the real-world features in the terrain, then cross-check your position with additional features to ensure you have oriented correctly. Advnture is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Isnt that a little black arrow outline? 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. When map reading, there are two ways to orient a mapby eye and with a compass. Youll notice the north/south symbol on a corner of your map with a straight 90 line going up. 4. 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. Triangulate your position. Take your compass and turn the compass housing (bezel) until the red orientating arrow is in line with the direction of travel arrow. What happens if you dont compensate for declination with your compass? Huzzah! Now its time to store your compass. Well say the declination value is 10 degrees. Knowing how to orientate a map is just one facet of the wider skill of knowing how to read a map. ), Set Your Compass for Your Intended Azimuth. north. Without getting over-complicated, a standard compass is different from a lensatic compass. Orienting the Map with an Orienteering Compass. 3 . From point A to point B, thats your bearing. Hey, it happens! Map and Compass Orientation What's that? You should then be able to roughly work out which way is north, east south or west using your maps gridlines. Ethan Allan thats the peak you saw. See that little black outline of an arrow? The basics of orienting yourself with a map and compass. You now have your target's bearing. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & More: A Manual On Food Storage and Survival: 2nd Edition Revised and Updated. Well adjust it to account for the declination of our compass. To prevent this issue, well tweak our compass to account for declination. PDF Lensatic Compass or Military Compass Basic Use. - Survival Primer In Part I, we covered how to properly use a compass, how to shootyour bearings, and the best map for navigating: the topo map. Remember, human features are the last port of call and, whats king again? Though GPS and smartphonesare reliable, its still vital to carry a compass, and know how to use it, as a backup or lifesaving form of navigation. What wildlife can you see at Yellowstone National Park? 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. How to Use a Lensatic Military Compass? - Let's Find Out! The how to orient a map using a compass is a skill that can be used in the outdoors. Execute your docs in minutes using our simple step-by-step instructions: Get the How To Use A Lensatic Compass you need. Casio's latest G-Shock watch could be a serious Garmin rival. Best Overall. In this video below,the user walks through the elements of a USGI lensatic compass, and how to properly use one. Dont worry that your red orientating arrow doesnt point exactly map north. Performance Steps 1. Your email address will not be published. Holding any compass in a slack and half-a**ed (that's an old military term) manner can cause you to go off in the wrong direction. This is because it is prepped to point instead to magnetic north once it's lined up with your compass needle. As we can see, the area Im in has a declination of 4E. While this doesnt technically register as an electronic, were going to treat it like one. Next, without changing the orientation of you map, move your compass so that the point you are plotting to/from is under the sighting wire, and the compass dial reading matches your bearing. Keep it in a case, or wrapped up in a thick cloth to prevent those damages. Its 310 degrees in reference to you, as you can see. Well say the declination value is 10 degrees. $8.77. Thats 130 degrees. Map-and-Compass Skills: How-To - TREAD Magazine The skill allows users to find north with ease, which is crucial for navigation. You can figure this out with a little compass work. When you point your compass towards true north, the needle will point a bit to the west. How to use an Orienteering Compass - Survival Gear Book Put that hand up to the compass, steadying the compass by placing your index finger along the compass's side, and wrapping your thumb between the bezel ring and the rear sight. Corrected the orientations of the map when the G-M angle exceeded 3 degrees (50 mils) using one of the following: a. From the compass, to GPS, to now even your mobile devicetheres no shortage of navigational tools. You cant shoot a bearing on the end point in your terrain since you cant see it. In this guide, we will be covering the following: The first step to successful navigation with a map and compass in the backcountry is correctly orienting your map. 3.30 MB. Pull your elbows firmly into your sides; this will place the compass between your chin and your belt. The narration and imagery may seem old-timey in this era of high-def computer graphics . Some of the best land navigators around are orienteers--those who participate in the cross-country running/map reading sport of orienteering. Want a free ebook on Land Navigation? PARTS OF THE LENSATIC COMPASS Compass, Lensatic, US Army, closeup: 2 (From another source) 1. To find the tower's bearing with your lensatic compass: 1. relation to a map. Announcement: My online Land Navigation course includes four hours of video instruction, and two downloadable PDF books, all for about the same price as a typical paperback book. 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. $7.20. Throughout this procedure, were not utilizing it at all.). You can see that the mountain is 24 degrees away from you. What is the preferred method of using a lensatic compass when reading magnetic azimuths. How to Orient a Map: Navigation 101 - My Open Country Magnetic north is now off the coast of Greenland, but true north is at the very top of the world. 5. Sight an azimuth to any visible terrain feature that appears on the map. 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 . Basically, in areas west of the agonic line, the compass needle will point somewhere to the east of true north; in areas east of the agonic line, the compass needle will point somewhere west of true north. Thats your bearing from point A to point B. 1. The floating dial is used to determine the direction in which you are pointing your compass. A power point class to Orient a Map Using a Lensatic Compass or $0.99 - Purchase Checkout Added to cart or $4.99 - Monthly Subscription Checkout Added to cart Billed once per month until cancelled or $14.99 - Annual Subscription Checkout Added to cart Billed once per year until cancelled or $9.99 - Protected: VIP Subscription Checkout Added to cart Billed once per year until cancelled . Were going to figure out where we are on that line now. We know were somewhere along HW 115 and south of Saddle Mountain. But its important to understand the different types of navigational toolsincluding a lensatic compass. Identify where you are on the map and place the compass edge over this location. Lets say you know youre southeast of Saddle Mountain and northeast of some smaller mountains. "}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you orient a map to ground? Housing lines should be parallel to the vertical grid lines on the map. Navigation has taken on many forms over the years. Compass (For Dummies) Beginner guide to map and compass - Survival Saturday Ep. How you can Read an Engineer Compass - Physics | ScienceBriefss.com When you return from using your lensatic compass, take it apart as much as possible to detect any moisture. Lets say youve hiked the peak of Camels Hump in Vermont. 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). Youve orientated the map. What are 2 ways to orient a map? Lensatic compasses aremade upof three parts: cover, base, and reading lens. Magnetic North is 15 East. Last but not lease, lensatic compasses are prone to scratching. A map, by definition, is a small-scale representation of the real world or a section thereof. 3. Announcement: My online Land Navigation course includes four hours of video instruction, and two downloadable PDF books, all for about the same price as a typical paperback book. Look directly down on the top (smaller card) of compass to view general orientation cardinal points. Turn the compass and the map as a unit until you box the needlei.e., Put Red Fred in the shed. 2. A lensatic compass is often referred to as a military compass, and is typically used by the U.S. Military. Customize the template with smart fillable areas. Turn your declination-adjusted compass dial so due North is at the index pointer. You get the picture. Keep doing this until you get to where you want to go. This step comes after aligning our map and compass needle to magnetic north if using a compass that doesnt have a declination adjustment key. For this, they use a lensatic compass, among other navigation equipment and techniques. Thats right Contours are king. Find out more atwww.alexfoxfield.com (opens in new tab). So, if youre at Muir Woods and your compass reads 180 degrees, subtract 14 degrees. 2. In this case, it 15 degrees positive (east). The back bearing is 50. Well, youre going to have to do some math with all your bearings to make sure you get a true bearing. 2. Lensatic compasses are made up of three parts: cover, base, and reading lens. This was developed. Whenever the luminous magnetic arrow lines up with the luminous short line, you're following your intended azimuth. 3. A Beginners Guide. There's another way to orientate a map using a compass that starts slightly differently to what was explained above. The angle between true north and magnetic north is declination. Using the rotating bezel, turn it until the direction of travel arrow lines up with the north arrow. 4. Lensatic Compass Military Camping Hiking Army Style Survival Marching NEW Navigate to your map. durability, and its hyper-accuracy in land. Plot a line on the map using the back bearing from that mountain. What if you dont have a compass that allows you to adjust for declination? 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. Lensatic compasses are used by the United States military for a reason. To obtain a heading from our map, we may use our compass as a protractor. Your compass is now set. 3.