THIS is how to take a compass bearing and follow it

Every single LT. in the world serving needs to subscribe to you. Literally all have got us 'lost'

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

We all get “navigationally challenged” at some time or another 😊😊

[@Rick-ih7wp]

That's because they think that if they take a bearing and just follow that bearing they will end up at the target. They WILL NOT. If you must change course you must re-take a new bearing. EVERY TIME!

[@someblokecalleddave1]

Love the start - "Whatever you've watched before is nonsense, this is the real way". I'm a photography lecturer of 22 years, on here there are a gazillions of 'How to videos' on a specific learning camera that's very popular at the moment. None of them that I've looked at explain how to load the thing properly. No doubt its the same with your specialism here. You've got me hooked in - you are the go to Guru on this subject!

[@donaldburton6869]

I just discovered your videos and I have to say that I’m really enjoying them. I love all videos having to do with navigation. It seems to be a hobby of mine.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Thanks Donald, I'm glad you're enjoying the videos (LOTS more to come)

[@Ciaokat]

Your explanations are so clear with lots of useful advice!

[@camiondecamion7541]

Greatly enjoy these videos. Very well presented, with no 'waffling', and potentially complex issues are explained in an easy-to-understand manner. Good production values help make the videos a pleasure to watch.

[@TheXeroid]

An excellent tutorial and an excellent presentation style.

[@danemadsen3908]

Grew up with orienteering class and competitions in Northern Minnesota. My brother and my best friend and I lived outside in the woods as much as possible on foot most of the time day and night. We never dealt with being lost but did know of people that did get lost. Compass use and understanding is such a needed skill as well as map reading ability. You may not always have Google maps. Taught gun safety training for many years and tried to get students too take an interest in maps and compasses. Because of time limiting factors could not go into depth. Thank you for your great explanation!

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Thanks for the feedback Dane

[@dianespears6057]

Thank you. BTW, little bits of variations, deeper experience or knowledge is not waffling. You are enriching the basics you are trying to explain. You do a good job of staying on task.

[@deds326]

Best video out there on how to use a compass

[@petegillespie6978]

Great video as always and very well presented. May have been worth mentioning the effect of metal objects/ equipment close to the compass when following or taking a bearing.

[@adrianlw2750]

Map and compass work is great fun. It can be a life-saver too. Using tufts of grass can be the only intermediate points to sight and go to. Essential to stop when tuft is reached and take bearing for next tuft. I did just that on the “featureless” top on one of the Brecon Beacons many years back, in thick low cloud. Compass was the only option as the destination point was not visible from any distance.

[@oscarrox]

Simplicity itself, when properly explained! Great videos, I'll make a point of watching them all. Thank you :)

[@stevemulholland1532]

A reminder to all that the parallel lines within the bezel are aligned with the Eastings (north-south lines). The Red shed must be pointing upwards to the north. It may be slightly left or right if you have adjusted the inner shed to account for declination. Do not make the mistake of having the red shed pointing south. The UK presently has a small declination and the author prefers to not adjust for declination using an adjustable red shed. You mess with some of the other features of a compass by moving the red shed to account for declination. On a map, always use the parallel lines to obtain the bearing. Your compass is more than a magnetic needle. Think of it as a protractor. The old technique of obtaining a bearing using the magnetic needle on a map can lead to problems with magnetic interference. This is why you use the parallel lines. The author has covered these topics in other videos and has greatly increased the public's knowledge of navigation. Job well done.

[@runstant1]

excellent, informative and entertaining !

[@waynejohnson9135]

Very informative and easy to understand. Thank you

[@shaunwilmott3142]

Thank you for your brilliant video's I struggle with mathematics and find your instructions bang on keep up the good work .

[@jimmys6566]

I do some videos on inappropriate apostrophes

[@Rozenix]

Thank You. The best guides.

[@charlesmckinney]

Outstanding content well presented

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Thanks Charles

[@alanwetherelt7155]

Enjoyed the watch , a lot of shake holes on the map , never knew of them .. plenty of old mine working here in. Cornwall

[@keeblem1]

Great video! Keep them coming!

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Thanks

[@unclebob8419]

Great video. How do you take a quick bearing?

[@TruckerMike74]

Thank you so much for helping me to not get lost! Were your in the military? I was

[@bilaltahir9978]

Do you take the compass bearing while kneeling down on one knee?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Why would you do that ?

[@bilaltahir9978]

@TheMapReadingCompany I mean to get a stable relatively flat surface as it the map may not be stable if you take the compass bearing while standing

[@FAS1948]

Great video, but there are limits to the usefulness of compass bearings. Don't ask me why, but i remember one time in a white out and gale force wind on the Cairgorm plateau, being pelted with ice crystals, and trying to take a compass bearing. It was impossible because I couldn't see any landmarks, and being aware of the danger of falling through a cornice, I tried, very carefully, to find a gully that would get me out of the wind, and down to safety. Eventually I found myself in Coire Etchechan and spent a comfortable night in the Hutchison Hut, and made my way down to Braemar on the following morning. It was an unforgetable experience, although I wouldn't recommend it.

[@kalleleman]

I've been following bearings the lazy way, just looking at the compass. Maybe it's time to start leapfrogging 😊

[@westbsa7424]

👍👍👍

[@시커먼선생Mr.Blackman]

❤Niceview This is a really cool video.👍

[@Jimbo878]

I would add only one point, while taking the bearing from the map study the map itself so you can spot any difficult terrain i.e. cliffs, water or impassible objects, it's not always possible to traverse "as the crow flies".

[@QuantumMech_88]

It's up to the viewer to sort out what a "shake hole" is.

[@simongee8928]

Its interesting to see how many other 'experts' use a mirror compass when teaching 'basic' compass use. Keep it Stupidly Simple - ! 😅

[@MrSimonmarr2005]

If the intermediate landmark is not exactly on the bearing line, for example it's about 10m on the left, is it better to stop at 10m to the right of the intermediate landmark and take the next bearing or go straight to the intermediate landmark?

[@CT7ALW]

If your waypoint of choice was exactly on the line of the bearing, you wouldn't need to take another bearing when you arrive to it. You take another bearing exactly to correct your course against the slight variations of yourself and your landmarks.

[@MrSimonmarr2005]

Thanks for the response.....but what if you can’t see the attack point or final destination as you won’t be able to correct your course (you’re intermediate features, if they are a tree or a rock, will be too small to be marked on the map, and if you have moved off your direct bearing line to go to these intermediate features you will be on a different bearing and can then only adjust your compass bearing if you can see the attack point or final destination). The narrator does not address this scenario which I would imagine would be quite common in the field and so I just wondering what to do.

[@BCsJonathanTM]

Is it just me or does he not say that after you've placed the compass on your intended path you must then ensure the map is oriented so that the compass needle is pointing North...? This is all new to me, but that missing explanation is the only thing that makes sense. If that is missing it seems a serious omission.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Hi Jonathan, in this video I didn't mention orienting the map. When taking a compass bearing from a map, the map can be pointing (oriented) in any direction as it will make no difference to the bearing. I made a video about this very topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4jMfolqiZqehsU

[@BCsJonathanTM]

​@@TheMapReadingCompanyThanks for the quick reply! I actually just understood it from watching another video of your's (kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5LUqqGGjZimhtE) and came back here to update my comment. That video specifically addressing the confusion works even better. Thank you for the helpful material : )

[@grideffect1193]

Thank you🧭

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Your welcome

[@troycarpenter3675]

Nice

[@rashie]

👍👍

[@Sparky-ov1ot]

Keep waffling, sounds good to me!

[@mihailvormittag6211]

👍

[@TruckerMike74]

Aww shucks we missed the fight haha. Who won?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

The big male. The two youngsters flew away.

[@TruckerMike74]

@@TheMapReadingCompany those youngsters need to learn to respect their elders.

[@reivertim7586]

the first step which you never mentioned is you have to orientate the map to the north using the compass before taking a bearing or your bearing your taking will be wrong, in the video you have the map orientated West and your destination is East ,when you took your bearing you would have ended up walking north not East.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

When using a map with a compass the map does not need to be oriented north.

[@petegillespie6978]

The map does not need to be orientated to North prior to taking a bearing. The direction of travel arrow on the compass base however, must be pointing in your direction of travel.

[@servicetrucker5564]

You can tell who didn’t watch the video