Using an electronic compass

Here is a quick bit of instruction for those of you who want to get the most out of your hiking expeditions, but who can not, or do not want to afford a GPS system – much of the same route finding can be done with an electronic compass, but you have to know how to use it. The traditional use of a compass seems to be a skill which has been lost in the mists of time, but it can be a very rewarding experience, and is as applicable to using an electronic compass as the old magnetic kind.

However, you will also need a piece of equipment which complements the electronic compass and is a kind of cross between a protractor and a magnetic compass. It has no needle but allows you to accurately plot lines on a map without the need for a separate compass.

Orienteering with an electronic compass requires that you are able to spot three points which you can identify on the map, and take a bearing towards each in turn. Then, using a ruler, you need to draw three lines away from these points, and towards the place at which they converge.

Where all three lines meet, is the place where you are currently located on the map. It is then an easy thing to take a bearing from where you are to where you need to be, and then use the electronic compass to find out which direction you should walk off in.

The beauty of the electronic compass is that it will also tell you when you are wandering off course, with an audible alarm, so you do not have to keep looking at it.

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About The Author:

Guy Lecky-Thompson is a successful author and publisher at www.1st-at-camping-gear.com. Recommending camping equipment, tents, backpacks, GPS, binoculars, sleeping bags, hiking boots, camping stoves, containers, water purifiers, compasses, topographical maps, pocket knives & hammocks
12-06-04