Someone asked on a FB group that I belong to about what to look for in a good compass. In addition to that information, he got a lot of free advice about learning how to use a compass.
Well, it just so happens that I have a series of articles on Roaming Parkers from a few months back on that very subject! I thought I’d collect them here for the fellow that asked the original question, and because some other folks might have missed them and might benefit.
The seven articles include info on –
- How to get a (good, durable) compass
- How to find a map with the right information for the kind of outing you’re going on
- How to orient the map using the compass
- How to find a given heading (or direction) using the compass
- How to walk in a straight line following a heading
- How to find the heading (direction) to a visible landmark
- How to pinpoint yourself on a map by finding the heading to a landmark
Now, as I stated plainly in the last article, and hinted at in some of the other articles – just reading over this won’t help you much. You need to actually get a compass and a map and practice these skills at home or on nice tame hikes before you actually need these skills to save you in the bush!
