What Two Arrows Should A Good Orienteering Compass Have

Set them flat on the ground in front of you so that they’re both facing North, which allows you to see what’s going on. If your orienteering compass isn’t working, chances are that the poles got reversed due to your compass coming too close to another magnet. I can’t imagine why I would need to use a compass for extensive map work. Map work outdoors, the mil compass still has a straight edge and folds flat. You want good quality….so it does not fail you in the field….but all the fancy tritium and 200 zoom lenses and other doodads some compasses sport are just bling. I’m looking for a good orienteering compass to take to NESA this summer.

It is an essential tool for hiking, but it also plays a vital role in orienteering. You can use it to find your location if you have a map with you, or to check the flag’s position. A lensatic compass is a type of military compass that is used for navigation and surveying. It is similar to an orienteering compass, but it has a few additional features, such as a magnifying lens and a built-in clinometer. Lensatic compasses are generally more expensive than orienteering compasses, but they offer more features and better precision.

Best for Hiking: Cammenga Lensatic Compass

The latest compasses are now more efficient and save a lot of time and effort. They mainly operate using a magnetized needle or a dial inside a capsule. This capsule will be filled with lamp oil, alcohol, and so on. These iron needles were magnetized by hitting them with a lodestone.

Nowadays, compasses are used for a delightful sport called Orienteering. Since then, people have produced a lot of orienteering compasses. All good orienteering compasses have a declination adjustment, sighting mirror and magnifying lens. If you are looking for a compass to use in orienteering, make sure to find one that has these features.

‘Safety Check’ on PIEPS and Black Diamond Avi Beacons Becomes Official Recall

A basic compass is often used by new hikers and mountaineers, people who want to rely on something beyond the trail, but also don’t plan on wandering far from it. Although basic compasses are inexpensive and simply designed, they come equipped with all you need for safety’s sake. Rotate the map until the “north lines” on the map are aligned with the compass needle. This is really useful because it lets you take bearings on features that are behind or to one side of your line of travel – something that can’t be done with sighting compasses. Compasses for orienteering need to be lightweight, because their users often carry them for hours over rough terrain. Suunto’s M-3G Global contains an accessory red pointer with a luminous tip which you can use to take bearings.

The control point IDs and times are stored internally in the card until it is reset on a Sportident “CLEAR” control station. Buying a compass, it is also important to get the one, which is balanced for your location’s magnetic zone. The compass, which works well in North America and Europe, won’t function properly in Brazil or Australia.

Navigation Tips and Tricks

But you should also have a good map of the area so you can use the two tools together. An orienteering compass is a tool for finding your way. A thumb compass can be helpful when you’re not sure where to go.

As discussed in the article How to Use a Compass you will be checking the direction you are traveling. After all of that I would still recommend the purchase of an adjustable declination compass. Just in case you might need to use declination in the future.

Compass Use

In a pinch, you could even use it to concentrate the sun’s rays on your tinder to get a fire going. The MC-2 is made in Finland and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Firstly, a compass needle must point to magnetic north. Magnetic north is not the same as the north pole of the earth, as it shifts every year. To compensate for this, an orienteering compass must be pointed in the direction of travel. This means taking into account the difference between true and magnetic north and adjusting for declination.

If you are lost and don’t know where you are on your map but you can see other landmarks you can use your compass to find where you are on a map. To do this you will want to use the ability you learned on how to transfer your bearing to a map three times. Start by identifying three landmarks you can see that you can also identify on your map (you will want your landmarks to be at least 60° different from one another).

What is the most commonly used compass in orienteering?

At first, going out and buying the best compass on the market might sound foolish. After all, there is any number of the best GPS apps you can install on your phone. It won’t fall victim to soaking in the rain, and a decent one won’t shatter if it falls from your hand.

It is quick to settle and fix on a direction, perfect for young hands with little patience. The all-plastic construction is sturdy and will easily handle even moderate-height falls. It contains a magnetic compass needle, a liquid-filled capsule, and a bezel containing bearing markings.

Sports optical map reading glasses

It includes a sighting hole and notch so you can get accurate bearings, as well as a clinometer and a declination adjustment tool. A high-grade steel needle points the way, swinging smoothly through the liquid-filled capsule. Luminescent markings enable you to use the compass in low light conditions. A detachable snap-lock lanyard keeps the compass close at hand, but out of the way until you need it. The lanyard can easily be removed when you’re working with a map, too. A magnifying lens in the baseplate is useful for seeing small details on your map.

For orienteering, you need a baseplate compass, consisting of a rotating compass housing mounted on a flat, transparent base. If you don’t have a baseplate compass, buy one before reading further. Orienteering can sound complex, but by placing your own compass over the map illustrations and following these instructions, you’ll discover that it’s actually quite simple—and fun. To move toward your destination, hold your compass and ensure the direction-of-travel arrow is aimed away.

Features of an orienteering compass:

You know that there are not many great trails but there are a few. You really want to get up to this great lake you went to with your friends and this time you are the navigator. You want to use the map and compass but you don’t feel strong in the use of them together.

The benefits of using an orienteering compass?

Some of you have recommended Silva, so I’ll look more into that. What do all good orienteering compasses have.docx – WHAT DO… You also might want to consider using a thumb-held compass as a back-up. These were specifically designed with orienteering in mind.