How to Utilize a Compass for Orienteering Exercises?

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Understanding Your Compass A basic compass consists of a rotating bezel, a direction-of-travel arrow, a magnetic needle, and a dial or direction-of-travel dial. Familiarize yourself with these components and how they interact. Practice rotating the bezel to align the direction-of-travel arrow with a desired direction, then follow the needle to determine the bearing. It’s essential to understand how the magnetic needle responds to the Earth’s magnetic field and how it relates to your location.
Taking Accurate Bearings To take an accurate bearing with your compass, start by holding the compass level and rotating the bezel until the direction-of-travel arrow aligns with the desired direction. Next, use the magnetic needle to determine the bearing. The direction-of-travel arrow should point towards the desired location. Take note of the bearing in degrees and use it to guide your navigation. For example, if you need to head due east, your bearing should be 90 degrees.
Navigating with Your Compass When navigating with your compass, use the bearing you’ve taken to guide your direction of travel. If you’re following a bearing, use the direction-of-travel arrow to keep yourself on course. If you’re traveling to a specific location, use the compass to determine when you need to make course corrections. For example, if you’re heading due east and your bearing is 90 degrees, use the compass to determine when you need to make a correction to stay on course. In general, it’s a good idea to take frequent bearings to ensure you stay on track.