Orienting a Map and Compass

Orienting a map and taking directional bearings with a compass

[@Chris-H00]

Out of all the KZbin videos that I've seen on how to read and understand a compass with a map. Yours is by far the best explanation I've ever seen.

[@dannylambert4302]

I've watches nearly a dozen of these presentations on UTUBE and this is the first that actually, working from a very basic level, helped me get it. Thinking on it, all the others made implicit assumptions that some aspect of the lesson didn't need to be included because "everyone knows that" or "it's so elementary nd obvious I don't need to cover it." I'm certain it was not intentional but it's amazing how the absence of an apparently unimportant concept will make or break an attempt to understand something. THANK YOU SIR, AND WELL DONE!!

[@henrymaldonado9115]

Do you have to buy a declaration map of the area your working with?

[@brianfitzgerald499]

I couldn't say it better, so many videos out there but this one has to be the most simple and easy to understand one I've found, so grateful for the upload!!

[@Bham67]

I've watched several similar videos and this is one of the best, assuming that your compass has already been adjusted for the magnetic declination of the geographic region you are in. It is well explained, well demonstrated, and concise. He states at the beginning that for the purposes of what he is teaching, magnetic north and true north are assumed to be the same. There are plenty of other videos on KZbin which cover the vitally important topic of magnetic declination.

[@MrJx4000]

This is a really good video from an instructional point of view and even better that there's no background music or noise or other distractions that other people seem to think is necessary. Well done Scout Skills.

[@ricev7071]

Thank you. Your video is the most easiest to understand, especially with two ways of reading the compass. This video is very educational. Thank you for your time in teaching those that do not know how to use a compass.

[@Denman500.]

I wish we had videos like this one,back when I was a Scout.

[@Theo-s_rifle.]

we’re you a first-class scout ?🙃

[@thomasverga469]

Best and simplest explanation I have ever seen. I will be using this in my discussion with our scout troop tonight. Thank you.

[@OmarGravity]

God bless you. The only compass tutorial that made any sense to me. Please do another on triangulation to find current location on map.

[@dpm1964]

This is the best video I've seen so far explaining how to orient the grid lines on your map to the orienteering lines on your compass. This method is also much easier in my opinion. Using the second method you can ignore magnetic north altogether. You will need it out in the field however. If you throw your azimuths at home, method two makes it much simpler.

[@echoyaknow1104]

I'm in the NJROTC and we started orienteering without being properly taught. This helped me figure it out. Thanks!

[@felipequintana6398]

Thank you for helping me with my Orienteering MB!

[@alanwetherelt7155]

Watched several of these basic orientation videos,this was one of the best thank you

[@jestlv]

Good, clear, instruction. Thank you.

[@smcobb99]

Thanks for being concise and to the point!

[@TyJee28]

Really good instructional video. Clearly, precisely, and correctly explained. That method will work fine anywhere in the Midwest from eastern Minnesota to Mississippi , where the magnetic declination is near zero or only one or 2 degrees east or west. But if in Maine where mag declination is near 20 degrees West. Or in Washington state where mag declination is near 20 degrees East. If your destination is one mile away, you could miss it by about 1,840 feet, the length of 3 football fields. [ approximately 92 feet at one mile per degree off course. But it's easier to remember - 100 feet, at 1 mile per 1 degree error] I would suggest in your next lesson, if you live where mag declination is 5 degrees or more, and you're ready to introduce some of the complexities, that you add a second step to your map orientation. After turning map & compass together. So that red Fred is in the shed. Look at your mag declination diagram. If your mag declination arrow is CCW of the true north arrow, by say 10 degrees ( = 10 degrees West). Hold the map & compass base stationary. Then turn the bearing ring CCW by 10 degrees. Then again turn map & compass together and again put red Fred back in the shed. After that adjustment any bearing set on the compass by measuring the bearing on the map will automatically & accurately set the correct mag bearing on the compass. If on the other hand the mag declination arrow is 15 degrees CW (= 15 degrees East mag declination). of the true north arrow. Turn the bearing ring CW by 15 degrees.then again turn map & compass together and again put red Fred in the shed. You can do the same thing if you set a compass bearing on the map with out the map being oriented to true north. For example If the compass is set to 280 degrees map bearing, just look at the mag declination diagram. If the Mag North arrow is 9 degrees CCW of the True North arrow. Turn the bearing ring CCW by 9 degrees. { if it's 5 degrees CW, turn the bearing ring 5 degrees CW } Just a suggestion if your scouts are ready to understand mag declination. And you live where it's more than about 5 degrees East or West.

[@michaelquinn8498]

TyJee28 surely if you orientation the map to mag north. The declination is already included ie the map is oriented to mag north

[@Francois_Dupont]

thank you. after seeing the marking on the compass and many people complaining about non-adjustable compass i wondering why no-body understood that you can just add and subtract from any measurement your current declination.

[@srwven]

@@michaelquinn8498 Only if you are in the rare areas that don't have a declination. If you simply align magnetic north with map north, your directions will be off, in many places by alot. You have to adjust for declination (he states at 0:35 in this example declination is zero-map and grid north are the same). Or you just use your compass as a protractor on the map to get a bearing (angle), add or subtract the declination and voila you have your direction of travel.

[@TyJee28]

@@michaelquinn8498 "surely if you orientation the map to mag north. The declination is already included ". No that is not correct. If you only orient your map to magnetic north (and not to true geographic north), then take your bearing directly off the map (as is demonstrated in the video), your bearing (aka azimuth) will be off by the number of degrees of local mag. declination. Most low cost compasses are only accurate to about 2.5˚, (some are accurate to 1˚ or even 0.5˚) and if local mag. declination is < 5˚, ignoring it wont be anything to worry about over relatively short distances. But if mag. declination becomes much larger, ignoring it becomes a bigger issue. The thumb rule I use is : 1˚/@ 1mile/ = 100 feet off correct bearing. (actually it's closer to 92 feet, but 100 makes the math easy, and it fits nicely with 1˚ & 1 mile. ) . 10˚ off correct bearing could make you miss your destination by 1,000 feet (~330 yards) at one mile. Depending on how accurately you can walk on the bearing. Usually not very close in actual practice. Anyway, orienting the map to be aligned to true geographic north (within the accuracy of your compass), is easy if you use the " fixed mag. declination scale" printed inside of most compass capsules. Sometimes it's printed at the top side, sometimes printed at the bottom side of the capsule. Just orient the map as shown in the video. Then do one more step. Turn the map and compass together until the compass needle points at the correct number of degrees of your local magnetic declination. That's it ! Then if you do not move the map, any bearing you measure on the map from point A to point B, will be correct, and already adjusted for mag. declination. No math to do. Example: If your local mag. declination is 10˚ West. After you turn the map & compass together so that the compass needle is pointing at 10˚ West on the fixed mag declination scale. The compass needle will be pointing at 350˚ instead of at 0˚/360˚/N on the bezel ring with "red in the shed". [no red in the shed] You would have turned your map CW, clockwise, by 10˚ to reach that position. IF instead your local mag. declination is 10˚ East. After you turn the map & compass to make the compass needle point at 10˚ East on the fixed mag. declination scale. The compass needle will now be pointing at 10˚ on the bezel scale. You would have turned your map CCW, to reach that position. Therefore, you could also use this thumb rule: For West mag. declination, turn your map CW. (to orient your map to geographic north) --- For East mag. declination, turn you map CCW. By the number of degrees of your local mag. declination. This rule applies whether you are using a base plate compass or a lensatic type compass. (but with a lensatic compass the process is a little different. Kind of the opposite way from how it is done with a base plate compass, because on lensatic compasses, (such as the Cammenga compasses) A) the degree scale moves with the compass needle. Not independently from the degree scale, and B) there is no fixed mag. declination scale. But that is a lesson for another day. But it's still easy to do.) There are other easy methods for using the fixed mag. declination scale printed inside base plate compasses to adjust for mag. declination. To avoid complications best to stop here. However, I would suggest you can go to the Silva website, find a compass model they supply with a manual in pdf format. Download the manual and read their description of a different method of using the fixed mag. declination scale to adjust your bearing for mag. declination.

[@SK-qc6fb]

Great explanation of two ways to orient the compass to the map. We always teach method one, will now try the second, with the dial grid lines. Thanks!

[@otakucat3827]

Best video out there on how to orient and use a map with a compass.

[@YearOfTheDadGaming]

Great explanation. This will be a great training video for our scouts.

[@mcat6071]

Thank you for your simple and informative video.Much appreciated.

[@lansdorf]

This is the first video where the map has been orientated, nice and simple .thanks

[@mradios4671]

Thanks for sharing the video. Taking a direction bearing in the oriented map and not oriented map is the same result as long as the meridian lines are in the N - S direction with the map.

[@dlbassett]

Great detail and easy to listen to your voice. Good review!

[@harabas3499]

nice! short and simple! thanks!

[@JOKINGANIMAL]

After many videos, this is the first one I understood. THANK YOU

[@TheKentuckyWoodsman]

Great info. thanks for sharing it!

[@ianth3_r0ck3r5]

Must be one of the easiest lessons for most people to understand. Thankyou.

[@flatpat]

Great video, just what I wanted.

[@probiotix1847]

this is the only video in youtube about map and compass that i like

[@nanlphillips5907]

Great tutorial. Thanks for posting.

[@chibbiChibb]

Quick and easy to understand, hopefully ill remember this when i venture out

[@jamiemetta2482]

Thanks. I have a military Navigation assessment tomorrow. Very helpful

[@guywithhisownopinion]

Jamie Metta you watched this and your in the military for feck sake

[@xaniel6639]

You are a good scoutmaster :)

[@alanwann9318]

I used this method when I lost my hike route in hilly open terrain. It was a success

[@cadd9511]

Which method do you prefer to use and why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two methods?

[@Songs-vy7qu]

Excellent refresher..thanks

[@stacysmeader6228]

Excellent job! What I would like to see, is mention of the “Back” bearing. Where it is and what do with it to get Home.

[@aquapuncture3477]

Thanks!! That was a great explanation 🙏🏽

[@alanholland9355]

That is the best way of explaining it I think I understand now 👍

[@TooTall_hikes]

Yup very simple to understand for me. Thanks for posting

[@masonsokolowski1705]

thx for teaching me how to orient a compass

[@Francois_Dupont]

what is your compass model? i love the look and functionality.

[@sixofone1307]

Look at it. There's absolutely no necessity to orient a map before taking a map bearing (unadjusted for declination). A map bearing in one sentence is---the angle between true north and direction of travel (A to B line you will be drawing/or not drawing). The bearing is determined simply by placing the edge of the compass along your A to B line (drawing it or not), then lining up the orienting arrow/lines on the compass housing with the map grid lines (toward map top). The degree of angle between these two lines IS your degree bearing.. The magnetic needle is irrelevant and so is the position of the map (whether oriented to mag. north or not). I don't know why people can't see this. (btw, when orienting your map why did you line up the orienting lines/arrow on the compass to grid lines? You can ignore those when orienting a map. A map is oriented by simply aligning the magnetic needle to the grid lines on the map. Bingo, oriented (unadjusted for declination). The orienteering compass is an invention that combined a mag. needle and a 360 deg. protractor. When taking a degree bearing off a map all you use and need is the protractor part of the compass. The mag. needle is needed and used when you are in the field. You set your bearing on the compass. Now when you line up orienting arrow and mag. needle you simply proceed in the direction of travel arrow. One of the main uses for an oriented map is for visual aid...everything on the map matches everything in relative position in the real environment.

[@honkymonkey9568]

Wish you would make an orienteering vid. You seem to have a real grasp on the subject. Your comment really helped me.

[@chrisroper5698]

Very good comment.

[@timdenney6146]

for scouting requirements you need to orient a map and the use it to travel. the actual degree bearing I believe is irrelevant in this case.

[@sixofone1307]

Everyone should know how to orient a map. NOT necessary however for taking a bearing from a map to go somewhere in the field. Of course you don't have to even read or know the number of degrees in the bearing. Just put the mag. needle 'in the doghouse' in the field and follow line of travel arrow. However if you change the dial (and change the angle) for some reason, it's much easier to have written down '65 deg.' so you simply reset it back to 65 deg. Otherwise you have to retake the angle from the map again. My whole point is to debunk the idea that 'first you have to orient the map' before taking a bearing from a map. False. It's just the angle of difference between your A to B line of travel line and true north on the map. Nothing to do with what orientation your map is in, or whether everything lines up on the map with the real surroundings or not.

[@mradios4671]

100% agreed with you about you statement: One of the main uses for an oriented map is for visual aid...everything on the map matches everything in relative position in the real environment. I this video, taking the bearing with oriented map or not oriented map, was the same angle.

[@markfletcher4964]

Great tutorial! How did you get the contour lines on Google Maps? I can't get them?? Thanks

[@tc4421]

great video thanx. i was wondering where i can get that sample map for my scouts YIS tony C

[@pay9011]

Great video, mostly because both the compass and the map are clearly visible from above using a stationary camera.

[@trooper2221]

good video, i believe ill draw the declination out on the map and use those lines, tht way no compass adjustment ever needed, and using azimuth from field to map , will be simple and no calculations needed, if i am thinking right here

[@stevemulholland1532]

Bad idea in my area. Bon Echo Park changes declination 2 degrees per year. I paid 10 bucks for a map and if I go two years from now the lines are 4 degrees off. The map had a grid line printed on it. It was 2 degrees out when I bought it. Better to get a compass with an adjustable declination and use the UTM grid lines and the parrellel lines on the bezel to take map bearings. There is no math with an adjustable declination compass. You can go from compass to map and map to compass with no math. In my opinion. Cheers

[@michaeltaylor1616]

Brilliant, easily explained

[@michaelmoore2802]

Great video !

[@zianiera]

Very well explained.Thank you

[@doughowarth8114]

good work!

[@geektarded]

Thank you very much!

[@phildo864]

Don't forget to account for declination.

[@kellergibson5643]

Nice video how have you managed to print the GoogleMap with the orientation lines? Thanks for sharing ;)

[@thomasleebrown3136]

Well done; thank You.

[@alexismarquez3674]

BEING ABLE TO READ A COMPASS AND PAPER MAP ENSURES YOU'LL NOT GET LOST. THIS IS ONE OF THE ADVENTURE SKILLS TO CULTIVATE.

[@legodice123]

Great job!

[@RosssRoyce]

Best! Thanks!

[@michaelspurlock9575]

I understand the first map and compass explination. The second one I don't as much. How do you get a similar answer from #1- #2? I get a different answer. Do you move in question #2 the map and compass? Or do you just rotate the compass?

[@dpm1964]

You don't have to worry about orienting the map to magnetic north in the second example. Just orient the map grid lines and the orienteering lines on your compass. Not both map and compass are using true north. You can ignore magnetic north and orienting your map to magnetic north. I find the second example much easier.

[@peace7377]

Good work. New subscriber.

[@chrischapman4457]

what if you have numbers and degrees? how would u find out where they are?

[@kaylinglass4435]

That was amazing

[@wvb6289]

Figure out your magnetic north azimuth, then convert to true north azimuth adding for west declination or subtracting for east declination--- "west is best, east is least".

[@arnoldwong7969]

I don't agree, this video is very useful for teaching youth around 11 year to 13 year, I am a Scouter, this is the method I use to teach scout, this information is very useful for me, for a youth of 11 years to lean compass, they need to draw a line from staring point to destination point, for adult no need, because sometime when you telling a 11 year old youth to do something, they easily forget and they will ask you back again, and when I teach more than 10 youth at a same time, so I need to tell them to draw a line from point A to point B to make sure they know where is the starting point and where to s the ending point, you need to think the point of view from the youth. Youth also need to learn the different between how to find direction by using compass in two ways

[@robertbrumit228]

Could you do the second method with no grid lines and just the out edge of map?

[@shandybrandy5407]

Very well explained

[@phillipedwards6484]

Good job Thank you

[@donz8501]

Fantastic lay out!!

[@kurtbaier6122]

Good presentation

[@alexismarquez3674]

I LOVE THE FILIPINO TELESERYE "THE PROMISE OF FOREVER". RITZ AZUL ROLE IS NICE.

[@FortressMT]

nice...just a couple of points to polish...Need DECLINATION to truly orientate map....otherwise, if you are east or west of your Mag N you will be a little off target. Also, "bearing" is a nautical term. You can use it, but "Heading" would be more correct. Thanks for posting and thanks for supporting SCOUTS!!!!

[@rtg5421]

Bham67 is correct only for the non-oriented map example. Otherwise by orienting the map with magnetic North and then not moving it, all readings are oriented to magnetic North and are correct. No need to set or worry about declination.

[@carlospalomo9121]

Yes very well explained finally but I'll stick to when the map is oriented just wondering when do you use the map when it's not oriented

[@simonhawkins7004]

Cheers.👍👍👍

[@alphabears6342]

Do you always have to oriant your map from a grid north instead of magnetic north?

[@condor5635]

Great video. Must say your compass's orienteering line design is not optimal. Never seen one like that. Having them inside the degree dial circle where they traditionally are make them so much easier (and accurate) to use. Should follow up with the same video but take into account declination which most of the country has to deal with to some degree(!). Again very good intro video! Thanks

[@MeracioPlayz]

June 1st 2019

[@ramonchavez4780]

Thank you

[@garyliu6589]

The 2nd method, after getting the bearing, you need to put the dog in the house, in order to get your direction correct?

[@wicker1234]

This is fine if you happen to be on the Agonic line (zero magnetic declination) but you don't speak about magnetic declination at all. You can't just set a bearing to walk on without correcting for the magnetic declination.

[@patticarey9016]

This may be a dumb question, but how do you know if your map is oriented or not oriented? Is it simply that step involving turning the entire map with the compass on it until Fred is in the Shed? What would be the situations where you would use one method over the other?

[@lookingoverstrangeterrainl3667]

All maps are made the same with the top of the page being N, right being E, bottom being S, left being W. This is how I begin with plotting out my course. Hope this answers that first question.

[@shannaNYNY]

Anyone have a link to the map that’s in this video?

[@Alienshark]

Thank u!!!!

[@outdoorsummiteer399]

Brilliant

[@vinhtrinh1712]

Hi can you share the map you used in this video

[@lar842]

very good video thanks u and happy new year

[@jerrona.delatorre3679]

WOw nice..

[@kenkoh1724]

Where can I print your map from?

[@MukeshKumar-jw6ji]

👍👍👍

[@wassabekil]

You oriented the maps grid North to magnetic North. Grid north and magnetic north are two different locations on earth. Your error will reflect more the further you travel from your start point.

[@seanpiacente4635]

When does declination come into play?

[@thetiredworm2100]

Sean Piacente I think you set that before you try to take a bearing, I can’t remember...I suggest looking that up

[@TheWairarapaWildcat]

vial dial or bezel :D

[@cole.himself]

Thanks

[@richsilvasatx]

Great lesson for a 12 year old (and a 79 year old youngster wannabe). Next is declination.

[@Fett2303]

No mention of declination?

[@ryankokkatt754]

I have the same compass

[@javierrm34]

the sound every time the bezel turns .....😨😨😨🙉🙉🙉

[@rituchouhan532]

useful

[@alexismarquez3674]

IN SIMPLE TERMS, THIS DELVES WITH SHIPS.

[@colinsaber6881]

I have my scoutmaster conference today and I have to prepare

[@James_Bowie]

Orienting lines!