Compass & Map

Preparing For

Your Longest Day!

Do It Now Before

Copyright

By

Dr. Charles S. Brocato

2011

When working with Map & Compass, they are, when not set correctly together, two distinct and separate entities. You have the map; and, you have the compass. However, when you do certain things with map and compass together, such as (1) taking a map bearing and taking that bearing to the field (ground); or, (2) taking a field (ground) bearing and taking this bearing to the map, certain things must be done and accounted for correctly. In both accounts, one must account for Declination to the compass; and, then place compass on the map gently turning the map with compass set on it. In this manner, the map and compass literally become as one. We explain more below.

This process in making the Map & Compass as one is known as Orienting the Map That is a hot link Folks! [You won't believe it, but most people do not really know how to use their computer. If you put your cursor over the hot link, a hand comes up or some other symbol you have selected; Click It!] In order to do this, the map must be adjusted when going from (1) Map to Field (Ground); or, (2) Field (Ground) to Map. And, it will become obvious as you do the above two, you must also Orient the Map when taking a (3) map bearing, which is the same as #1. This is so because after taking the map bearing–"the direction of travel from your current position to a landmark or destination expressed in degrees from 1 to 360."– Compass & Map, Michael Hodgson, you take off in that direction following your direction of travel arrow on your compass.

Here is a Video that illustrates how you can make practice map(s) for Orienting Map To Compass. Do several sets of points, as you see was done with only one set of points. Practice...practice....practice...such that YOU become One with the Map & Compass orienting the map automatically whenever you go from Map To Ground; or, Ground To Map.

One note of awareness, however, is taking a field bearing only to march off in that direction. This procedure does not necessitate one's adjustment for declination. Declination is applied only when Compass & Map are used in conjunction with one another.

The latter is given because students often consider #s 1 and 2 separate and distinct. They are not. We will show how to do these two things, three if you count #3 as separate.

Note: You must learn the parts of the compass first from the Orienteering books given throughout this series or from the Brunton 8010g Classic Compass.

If you get the books we have suggested, there are exercises the authors do that you can mimic on paper. Doing this as you follow along with the authors, you will learn quickly. Also, when you get your orienteering compass that we recommended (Brunton 8010g Classic Compass), learn the compass parts and what they do.

Orienting The Map

To orient your map, make sure you are not near metal with the compass. Your keys, wrist watch, concealed carry gun in pouch in front pants, and even just your belt buckle can affect the magnetic needle causing a wrong reading. If you are near the ground and there is plenty of iron ore about, or another metal in the ore that attracts the magnetic needle, you will get a wrong reading.

First, Adjust for magnetic Declination. You will find this in the Brunton Compass we recommend. However, if you do not have this, you will have to do this now too. You will either Add or Subtract the Declination East or Declination West; depending upon the legend at the bottom of your map legend. Oftentimes, an angle diagram is given and you read it off from there. Not hard at all when you have the books recommended and go through a lesson on this.

On the Brunton, all you do is simply adjust the magnetic ring for your map's declination; otherwise, as given above just now, find the magnetic declination and moving the Bezel (also called the compass housing; this is also known as the Azimuth ring; other names are 'Rose,' and 'Capsule') to the right or left of the N symbol using the index lines as a guide.

The magnetic ring or declination you set to your map's declination has a half-circle, number scale printed inside the main circle of the degree numbers. You adjust it to the Declination you want (E/W) by holding the Bezel white ring tightly and place the other hand's thumb on the center piece of the compass and the index and middle finger on the bottom side directly opposite those two fingers and twist clockwise or counterclockwise with the hand holding the white Bezel and the other hand's thumb and fingers the opposite way to the Bezel holding hand.

The half-circle to the far left says West Declination and the opposite side to it says East Declination. Each mark is 2 degrees. The half-circle is represented below. We are using a different Brunton Classic To show this:

Again, get an orienteering compass and the books where they explain all this. We perform a 'reduction' for you here to make your reading the exercises or chapters easier.

Once you set the magnetic declination from your particular topographical map, you keep it as long as you stay on that particular map for that area. When you change maps, check the legend in the lower corners of the map for declination. They will have changed. Therefore, declination is set for that map and area and as long as you use that map or one pertaining to that area, no change in your Brunton compass declination is necessary. When you change maps for another area, check for declination in the lower bottom corner of map.

With a built in declination scale, you just set it according to your map's Declination E or Declination W. Otherwise, you have to turn the compass housing to adjust for the declination each time you orient your map for that area's declination.

If the declination is West, you turn the housing to the left; if East, turn the housing to the right. As you do so, count each degree until the north of the compass sits on the adjusted degrees West or East on the index line of the compass (here again, learn the parts of the compass).

Twenty degrees west declination means you turn the compass housing counterclockwise to the left until 20 degrees is at the index mark. If East, turn the housing to the right (clockwise) until the index mark of the compass is at 20 degrees East.

Note: 1

Whenever you take a bearing from the map and place it on the compass, or whenever you take a bearing from the map and transfer it to the field (you are going to trek in that direction that the Direction of Travel Arrow on your compass is pointing in degrees), or you take a field bearing and transfer those degrees to the map

You Must convert the reading you get on the compass or field so that it allows for the Declination. You have thus compensated for Declination East or Declination West.

Note: 2

Remember The Following (But, If You Have A Declination Adjustment Ring, Set It & Forget It) :

1.	Map to Ground (Field)

(True Bearing To Magnetic Bearing)

a.	DE — Subtract

b.	DW — Add

2.	Ground (Field) To Map

(Magnetic Bearing To True Bearing)

a.	DE — Add

b.	DW — Subtract

3.	Map Is Not Used

a.	& b. :Do Nothing With!

Note: 3

Place the immediate above on several 3 x 5 index cards and carry them with (1) your compass, (2) in your survival pak when trekking, and (3) anywhere else you may need this information while on The Great Trek!

Your Cross-Country Trek.

Second: Then, after checking with your compass to see if it follows any metal on you; the ground, a table, etc., have your compass at waist high a few inches from your waist. Turn your body, not just your hands and arms, to align the magnetic needle in the Orienting Arrow; also known as: Dog House, or Shed. Then, the wording 'Red in Shed,' as most magnetic needles are red, and Needle in Dog House; or, even 'Box the Needle,' is used, all meaning the same. The compass needle must now be 'in the box.'

Third: After orienting yourself to the North, place the map you are using on the ground to the North, using some rocks, tree branches, or pebbles and the like to hold the map down from the wind, if blowing. The north side of the map is at the top of the map and the south at the bottom. The map is now placed correctly to the cardinal parameters. N, S, E, W.

Fourth: Place the baseplate edge of the compass of one side of the compass at the map's corner. There is a vertical line on the map edge. This is what you are going to line the baseplate's edge up against. Maps always read true north.

You have just about Oriented the Map.

Fifth: Now that the baseplate is at the edge of the map, you are going to gently turn the map in one direction or the other so as the 'Red in Shed' occurs. By doing so you have just 'Boxed the Needle.' Do not during any of this time pick up the compass; nor, do you want to move the compass in the least from where you place it during 'Third' procedure.

Your map is now oriented to the Geological North (True North). Your map is now speaking with the compass. You translated the magnetic north of the compass to the geological north of the map. They are as one in the two-
dimensional world. Because map and compass now both refer to true north. Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other! When we take a map bearing and transfer it to the field (ground), we have gone from the two-
dimensional world of the map to the 3-D world in which we live and move. When time enters into the picture, you are now in the fourth dimension. The fourth dimension is time.

A Short Summary Of What You Have Done:

1.	Account for Magnetic Declination on compass & Check Area For Deflection Objects (iron ores, metals, gun in front fanny pack, wrist watch, keys, electronic objects, overhead/underground wires, transformers etc.).

2.	Align Compass To Geological North With 'Red In Shed.'

3.	Place Baseplate Edge of Compass To Left or Right Map Edge, with North of Compass toward the top of the map.

4.	Turn Map & Compass Together; Not Moving Either One To Get 'Red In Shed.' This will necessitate having a relatively level piece of ground. Then, anchor the map from wind blowing using pebbles, small branches, twigs, and the like. The Map is Now Oriented. Map & Compass are now one because they are now one and oriented with the landscape, which is geological north.

5.	Move Baseplate Edge of Compass, Without Moving Map, To Direction-of-
Travel arrow From Point A (Current Position) To Point B (Destination).

6.	Hold Down Compass Securely On Map Without Moving Either Map or Compass And Rotate Compass Housing To Where 'Red Is In Shed.' You do this to keep the compass and map talking the same language! You have brought them together, making them one—after (1) adjusting for Declination on compass; placing (2) Compass on map edge corner; and, (3) turning the map.

7.	Then, Read Bearing Off Direction-Of-Travel Arrow.

8.	You Are Ready To Trek In That Direction, Following Above Arguments.

Now, You Have Done So Well

Let's Do A Little Practice

But First, Work For Understanding—Not Just The Right Answer

Study The Maps & Their Orientation

The First One Is Up Side Down & The Author Simply Turns The Map To The North By Rotating The Entire Map. This Is Actually The Same As We Have You Do. You Have To Turn The Map To The North, Per Your Compass

Reading—It Is Very Educational & Lots Of Fun!

After The First Exercise (Do It Several Times As Well As Watch The Reply Several times Also). Go To The Top Of The Exercise Box, & Click On

Take A Test

It Is A Lot Of Educational Fun!

Go Here!

And 'Open Compass Animation'

Practice...Practice...Practice

I.	Taking A Field Bearing

A.	You are out in the wilderness hiking toward a mountain top that is clearly seen from your vantage point.

B.	Soon, you will lose this vantage as you descend into the jungle below. You need to get a bearing now while the mountain top is still in plain view.

II.	This is how you stay on course:

A.	Be Well-Hydrated; Have Eaten A Protein Bar; Then,

1.	Hold your compass at waist level observing no metal object near it, as given in the above.

2.	Point the compass' direction-of-travel arrow at the peak of the mountain. Do this from waist high. Do not move the body or tilt the head up or down to observe the mountain peak. Use only the eyes to observe it to see that it is in the direction-of-travel arrow. Do the three-eyed (your two eyes and the compass at waist height) technique three times. Do not move around each time. Use only the eyes from the compass, held at waist level, to the mountain peak, three times, making slight adjustments if need be.

3.	Once #2 is accomplished, rotate the compass housing only until the 'Red in Shed' is centered and 'Boxed' in the 'Orienting Arrow.'

4.	You may now read your bearing in degrees from the Index Arrow on the compass baseplate that lines up with the degrees on the 'Rose,' Compass Housing, etc. at the center index point. This is the point on the baseplate meeting the direction-of-travel arrow.

5.	To use this bearing, find another landmark in line with the direction-
of-travel arrow from #4. Say, for instance, a large dead tree still standing; or a tall evergreen, etc. Use only one. You follow this second landmark that is in line with your direction-of-travel arrow.

As you move off on your bearing, you want a landmark that you won't lose sight of once down in the 'jungle.'

B.	Be sure and look for other nearby landmarks directly in back of you as you stay on your forward bearing for the trip back. They always look different coming back than moving forward.

Do not move the Compass Dial throughout all this. You do not want any tricksters with you when you have to run. We have warned of this plenty. They did not prepare; know nothing; and just want to 'See what you'd do' if they could foul you up! You have been warned of these pricks! Stay clear of them.

You must also watch small children and teens, especially if they are uninvited, or even invited 'guests.' Rudeness and games and ill-
mannered behavior as well as not following directions or orders must not be tolerated. They will get you and yours killed and themselves and others in your party.

When you reach your second landmark you picked out, the dead tree, etc., since the compass setting has been set at the index mark, pick out another landmark after you pass the tree a little bit and keep the direction-of-travel arrow at the original bearing. Do not touch the compass housing. Pick out another landmark in the direction-of-travel; head for it, and continue doing the same until you come up from the jungle and see the mountain peak, originally shot for the bearing still on your compass heading. Walk to it.

In Staying Found: The Complete Map And Compass Handbook, by June Fleming, she points out that if your compass bearing is 60 degrees, "The world is full of 60-degree bearings, but only one of them connects your start and your goal.

"The trick is to pick intermediate landmarks along the line from start to goal, traveling the distance in short legs from one landmark to the next. To do this, follow these steps:

1.	Measure the bearing. Once this bearing is set, don't turn the housing at any time while you're following it.

2.	Look ahead along the line of the direction-of-travel arrow and choose a landmark you can keep in sight and get to from your starting point—perhaps a distinctive snag on the far side of a huge clearing. In dense woods the best intermediate landmark might be only 50 feet away.

3.	Now ignore the compass and walk to this landmark by the easiest route. Don't walk with head bent, peering at the compass and tripping over logs. As you walk, it's the landmark that keeps you on course, not the alignment of the needle and arrow. (Emphasis by WebMasters)

4.	When you get to the snag or rock, make sure you are again headed in the right direction, on your original bearing line. To do this, hold the compass in front of you—don't touch that housing!—and turn body and compass together until the north-seeking needle end matches the pointed end of the orienting arrow.

5.	Pick another landmark along the bearing line and walk to it. Repeat this process as often as needed to cover the distance between camp and Basket Butte."

III.	Back Bearing: But, before you head out to your original destination, which you can now clearly see, take a back bearing. By turning directly around, the white (south needle) will be positioned into the 'Orienting Arrow.' Do not touch the Compass Ring (Azimuth ring, etc). Make a mental note of it; or write it down.

When you arrive at the mountain peak, take another back bearing by doing exactly what you did just above.

Enjoy your trip back after you find your cave; stay during the holocaust and come down from the mountain, if there is anything to come down to.

IV.	Another Way To Take The Back Bearing:

a.	If your index bearing is less than 180 degrees; say, 20 degees

(1)	Add 180 degrees to it: 20° + 180° ='s 200 degrees. This is your back bearing.

(2)	Therefore: Bearing < 180 degrees; Add 180 degrees.

b.	If your index bearing is more than 180 degrees; say, 340 degrees

(1)	Subtract 180 degrees from it: 340° - 180° ='s 160°. This would be your back bearing.

(2)	Therefore: Bearing > 180 degrees; Subtract 180 degrees.

That is the way you figure your back bearing.

Run this through your head, as you read the following s-l-o-w-l-y...Get your Mind Set in proper mode...NOW!

While you can, a trekking pole, also known as a hiking pole, will be advantageous for the leader trail blazing the unknown compass bearing path with followers in tow. You will be taking the most risk! Therefore, you must be well-trained, physically, in mind and physical strength and cunning for what is ahead of you. God Bless! Hoping all that you fight will not come from within and from your motley group. Note, the trekking pole makes a good weapon for fending off wolves, bears, and other quadrupeds—they too will be looking for a home and 'fresh meat.'

Orienting The Map: Graphically Illustrated

After All The Above Is Performed, You Have Now Made The Map & Compass As One!

And Since This Is One Of The Most Important Skills In Map & Compass, Let's See It Once More: Orienting The Map!

Also, A Light Review Of The Basic Parts Of A Compass.

Things To Carry In Your Compass Pouch:

1.	Compass With Silk Cord Lanyard. See previous The Kong Reports For Cord from the month July, 2010.

2.	3 x 5-inch card with Declination Rules. Transfer above: Map To (Ground) Field; Ground (Field) To Map with rules to more than one card.

3.	Hand-Held Magnifying Glass With Hole At Carry End For Lanyard

4.	Lucite/Plastic 12-inch ruler with metric on one side; inches at other side.

5.	Flash Light with pressure switch.

6.	Metal Whistle with lanyard (each member of the forced trek should have their own!)

7.	Small Writing Pad & Pencil with eraser(s).

8.	Hi-Protein Bar(s)!

Now that you have practiced, until you've gotten all the online test correct, look at what you learned. Practice with your 'practice maps' you now know how to make and work for learning and understanding, you deserve to get through all this if you become displaced; have to run for it; or, your place of land moves.

But, there is one thing more—did you notice the purposely induced error? And, where it was. This was given for your 'Check Learning.' This was the error:

See It Here:

Why You Do Not Want To Omit Declination Adjustment When Going From Map To Ground; or, Ground To Map:

If you ignore declination adjustment, these are the consequences. For every degree ignored, you will be off course 1/60th of the distance you travel. This works out to 88 feet per degree traveled in 1 mile of walking (88 feet/degree per mile walking).

If your Declination is DE 2.4 degrees, and you ignore DE 2.4 degrees, then, 88 feet x 2.4 degrees DE = 211.2 feet for every mile walked. This leads to 5,280 feet in 1 mile; thus, 211.2 ft/5,280ft ='s 0.04 miles of course. And if you trek for 5 to 10 miles, you are off course 0.2 - 4 miles off course.

This is enough to confuse a person in the wild; he may become highly disoriented, and then becomes totally lost if he was not taking 'Back Bearings' to reorient himself and work back to his original start. He would still have perhaps serious problems if he did not use pad and pencil to make intermediate 'Landmarks.' As you can see, the further one travels, the greater the error.

You do not need to do Declination Adjustment when you are using your compass without any reference to map. You do not need to make a Declination Adjustment between true north and compass directions when the map is not involved whatsoever. Your compass is being used alone as a persistent line bearing; or, as a reference line to a constant direction. You took a bearing—a direction-of-travel given in degrees, on Bear Butte Mountain, and take off in that direction. You will use intermediate Landmarks, back bearings from each landmark, for difficult areas where there are no landmarks, you will use your trekking partner as a living, intermediate landmark.

Get the compasses, at least two to three—they can go bad with capsule leakage, breakage, etc....as well as get lost. Get the books recommended and start studying more. By studying this document, you will be amazed at how much easier it is to understand the books and use your compass.

This is a fun thing that is educational and is going to save someone's life, including family and friends, when the turmoil hits in its fullest rigor. Because, you will have already made it to your cave or caves. It is not going to be easy, but, you should live through it all if you do all this in advance and be prepared to move out on a moment's notice.

Go Here For The Magnetic Declination of Your Locale or Where

You Are To Trek, And To Find Its Longitude & Latitude.

Question: Why Do We Use Magnetic Declination When Using A 'Map To Ground' Or 'Ground To Map'

Situation?

Answer:

To make Map & Compass as one, what does this really mean? When using the map in any form or fashion with the compass, as in the immediate above, 'Map To Ground,' or 'Ground To Map,' and they must be made as one, 'What does this really mean...what is this oneness business?'

When using the map in any form with the compass, the compass is set to Geographic North by adding or subtracting the declination given in degrees for that particular map. The declination is found on at the bottom legend; or in the angle symbol there. The map is already set to geographic north by map makers. However, the compass reads Magnetic North and must be offset to geographical north adding or subtracting magnetic declination East or West.

The 'Oneness' of map and compass is now easily seen in that the Map & Compass are set to the same North—geographic or true North when placed together and turned such that the magnetic needle is 'boxed' in the orienting arrow; or, 'Red In Shed!'

Your compass now reads true North, the same as your map. All things that are referenced from the map, as in going from Map to Ground; or, Ground to Map, when using the compass for accuracy—must take into account the declination so the compass will read the same as the map, true north. You have therefore set the Compass to the same thing or reference point as the Map: True or Geographic North. They are both one now!

With the compass needle a reference point and the Direction-of-
Travel Arrow pointing the way, if on foot, your map and compass will work together. If you adjust your compass for declination and stay off the map, "the direction-of-travel arrow and N on the dial point to true north. You have oriented yourself so that N, E, S, and W on the compass match true north, east, south, and west in the actual landscape." — Staying Found: The Complete Map And Compass Handbook, June Fleming, pp. 93-94.

And, if you do not adjust for declination and no maps are involved, you can leave the compass at magnetic north and shoot a bearing and use the direction-of-travel arrow to follow to the destination. However, you need to use landmarks; or, a portable landmark—your trekking partner.

And when you orient the map (using procedures above) since you are following the adjusted declination to the compass from the map you are using, then, not only are the Compass and the Map one; but, you are included when using the direction-of-travel arrow and moving in that direction. Hence, You, Compass, and Map are one.

A Quick Summary of The Above:

In Outline Form

1.	Rotate the compass's dial so that north (N, or 0 or 360 degrees) is at the direction-of-travel arrow or line. This is called 'Zeroing' The Compass.

2.	The compass's declination adjustment is performed to offset the magnetic north of compass to the geographical north of map.

3.	Place the baseplate edge of the compass with the map's left or right hand border. The direction-of-travel arrow or line toward the top of the map.

4.	With the compass's position (#3), carefully turn the map—leaving the compass as placed in #3—until 'Red In Shed' occurs.

5.	The map is now oriented with the geographical north, which is the landscape.

Where To Start To Learn Map & Compass:

If you are good at 'books' and 'thinking' with self-study, get the following:

(1) The Basic Essentials of Map & Compass, Updated Second Edition

By Cliff Jacobson

And/Or His Second Edition:

(2) Basic Essentials: Map & Compass, Third Edition

By Cliff Jacobson

(3) Compass & Map Navigator

By Michael Hodgson, New Revised Edition

(4) Using A Map & Compass

By Don Geary

(5) Staying Found: The Complete Map And Compass Handbook

By June Fleming

Or Feel More Comfortable With A Teacher...

Look In The Phone Book For A Local Orienteering Club or Instructor To Teach You Map & Compass.

Either Way...You Will Be Prepared For

The Adventure of Your Life! Coming Soon

&

Stay Found! ... Especially Your Loved Ones

From Dilbert.Com

This Is What We Have Been Warning You About

'Loose Lips Sink Ships'

To Be Continued....

'Navigation'

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