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#GetOutside champion Steve Backshall teaches you how to use a compass to take a bearing and find out which direction you need to go to get from one point on ...
- 2 min
- 422.9K
- Ordnance Survey
- Step One
- Step Two
- Step Four
- Step Five
- Step Seven
Locate on your OS Map the bearing you want to take. So if I was standing at the blue circle (A) and wanted to walk to the purple circle (B) using a compass bearing, I first need to simply locate both A and B on the map.
Find out which way on the map is North. You can do this easily, just make sure the text is the correct way up, so you can read it, then North is pointing to the top of the map.
Twist the round bit on the compass (called the compass housing) until the lines inside the compass housing are parallel to the lines on your map and that the big red arrow marked on the compass housing (not the red needle that actually moves, ignore that) points to the north of your map.
Double check you have done step four correctly. The biggest mistake people make when taking a bearing is they get the lines in the compassing housing parallel to the lines on the map but they forget to check the big red arrow points to the north of the map (and actually it is pointing south).
You have your bearing, well done. That is all you have to do to take a bearing using a map and compass. If you want to learn how to then follow a bearing please read our “How to follow a bearing” article.
Jun 27, 2024 · 1) Find your location on the map – it's vital you know your exact location. 2) Estimate the bearing – this acts as a handy check that you've measured the bearing correctly in the coming steps. 3) Line up A and B on the map using your compass – this is where A is your location and B is your destination.
Jan 22, 2009 · Video of how to take a compass bearing and how to follow it across the hills. You can also read through the steps on my blog - http://tinyurl.com/78xp35.Magn...
- 5 min
- 115.6K
- Outdoors Ireland
May 6, 2022 · Take the compass off the map, hold it longways, flat in the palm of your hand, with the direction of travel arrow pointing away from you. Rotate your body until the red end of the floating needle settles exactly in the red orienting arrow on the base of the housing. You’re now facing in the direction you want to walk in.
Orient your map and compass. Turn your compass dial until it shows N at the index mark1 under the direction-of-travel arrow2. Line up a side edge of your compass with the map’s vertical gridlines3. Next, holding the map and compass, turn your body until the red arrow is inside the red “shed”4.
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Aug 25, 2023 · Step 3: Take Your Bearings. Lay your compass on top of your topo. Place the edge of the baseplate along the line between point A (your current location) and point B (your first waypoint). Turn the bezel so that the orienting lines align with the north-south grid lines, making sure that the north marker still points toward the upper part of the ...
