Map and Compass Basics

What it's for

Phones die and GPS hiccups. A paper map and a compass work with no battery. REI points out a compass relies only on Earth's magnetic field. The Scout carries both and knows how to use them, and teaches the rest of the outfit.

Before you need it (practice)

• Get a local map that shows your home area and your evacuation routes. Mark two ways out.
• Learn the parts of a baseplate compass (REI):
  • Baseplate: clear, with a straight edge.
  • Direction-of-travel arrow: points where you're going.
  • Rotating bezel: the dial marked 0-360°.
  • Index line: "read bearing here."
  • Magnetic needle: red (or white) end points to magnetic north.
  • Orienting arrow and lines: turn with the bezel; line them up with the map's north-south lines.
• Set declination. Magnetic north and true north differ, and REI notes a single degree off can put you about 100 feet off course per mile. Look up your area's current value with NOAA's magnetic field calculator (it changes over time), then set it per your compass's instructions. If your compass has a declination adjustment, you set it once for your area.
• Practice in a park: pick a landmark, take a bearing, walk it, and see where you end up.

Step by step

Orient the map (REI)

1. Lay the compass on the map with the direction-of-travel arrow toward the top of the map.
2. Turn the bezel so N lines up with the direction-of-travel arrow.
3. Slide the compass so a straight edge lines up with the map's left or right edge.
4. Holding map and compass together, turn your body until the red needle sits inside the orienting arrow ("red in the shed"). Now the map matches the land.

Take a bearing from the map (REI)

1. Lay the baseplate's edge from where you are to where you want to go, direction-of-travel arrow pointing toward the destination.
2. Turn the bezel until the orienting lines match the map's north-south lines, with N toward map north.
3. Read the bearing at the index line. Write it down.
4. Hold the compass flat in front of you, arrow pointing away, and turn until the needle is in the orienting arrow. Walk where the arrow points.
5. Pick a landmark on that line (a tree, a fence post) and walk to it, then pick the next one.

Find where you are (REI)

1. Point the direction-of-travel arrow at a landmark you can also find on the map.
2. Turn the bezel until the needle is in the orienting arrow; read the bearing.
3. Put the compass on the map with an edge touching that landmark, turn the whole compass until the orienting lines run north-south with N up, and draw a line. Where it crosses your trail or road is about where you are.
4. Off-trail? Do it with two or three landmarks spread at least 60° apart. Where the lines meet (or the small triangle they make) is your spot.

Common mistakes

• Skipping declination. Small errors add up over distance.
• Keeping the compass next to metal or electronics. Brunton's manual warns that long exposure to electronics, speakers, knives, metal, or magnets can make a compass lose or reverse polarity. Check it works before you rely on it.
• Bezel north pointing to map south. Double-check before you read.
• Following the needle instead of the arrow. The needle points north; you walk the direction-of-travel arrow.
• Using an old map's printed declination without checking NOAA. REI notes the value changes over time.

Care & storage

• Store it away from magnets, speakers, electronics, and knives (Brunton), and within the temperature limits in your compass manual.
• Store maps flat or folded in a zip-top bag; write routes and rally points on them in pencil.
• Practice twice a year so the skill stays fresh.

Related gear

• Baseplate compass with declination adjustment · Baseplate compass
• Paper road atlas or local map · Waterproof notebook + pencils
• Headlamp with red light (reading a map at night)
• Category: Navigation · Role: Scout

Lessons link to the shelves on our Gear pages. Saddlebag Supplies may earn a commission if you buy through shop links elsewhere on the site. This doesn't change your price.

← All Bunkhouse lessons · Browse by Category · 72-Hour Kit Shelf