How do you use a map and compass together?
Mark where you are and where you are going. Lay the compass edge through both points with the travel arrow toward the destination, and turn the bezel until its lines run north and south on the map. Read the bearing at the index line, apply declination, then turn your body until red is in the shed. Pick a far landmark, walk to it, and repeat.
What is declination and how do you adjust for it?
Declination is the angle between true north, which maps use, and magnetic north, which a compass follows. East is positive and west is negative, and it changes with place and time. Check the map margin and the NOAA calculator for your route. Walking a map bearing with an unadjusted compass, add west declination and subtract east.
How do you read a topographic map?
Start with the margin: scale, contour interval and legend. Blue is water, green is woodland, brown is relief and black marks roads, trails and buildings. A contour line joins points of equal elevation. Close contours mean a steep slope, and wide contours mean more level ground. In blackwater country, wide spacing can still hide a low rise or bank.
How do you use a compass?
Hold a baseplate compass level and away from metal. To take a bearing, point the direction-of-travel arrow at a landmark, turn the bezel until the red end of the needle sits in the orienting arrow, called the shed, and read the index line. To walk it, pick a far landmark, walk to it, then stop and realign. Do not stare at the compass while walking.
How do you find where you are with a compass (triangulation)?
Stop first. Take compass bearings from the same spot to two or three landmarks that are clearly on your map, and convert each to a map bearing. Plot the back azimuth, the bearing turned around 180 degrees, from each landmark. The lines cross near your position. It is an estimate, so check it against the ground.
Can you navigate without GPS?
Yes. A paper map and a baseplate compass need no battery, and the book teaches both. If you have neither, the no-tech methods give approximate direction only: a shadow-tip line by day, an analog watch, and Polaris at night. None of them gives your exact location or replaces a map, compass or rescue plan.
What should I do first when I realize I am lost?
Say it aloud: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. Stop moving and secure the boat or sit down. Think back to the last place you knew for sure. Observe the bank, current and compass direction. Then choose one deliberate action: retrace to the last known point, stay put, or call for help. If you cannot safely retrace, call 911 when service permits.
How do I use a GPS app safely and offline?
Build the offline map at home. Save the map area to the phone, not only to an account, include your route and layers, then test it in airplane mode by panning through the put-in, route, landings and take-out. Charge the phone and a backup power source, and carry the paper map and compass. The blue dot is one piece of evidence, so compare it with the ground.
How do I prepare a route before a paddling trip?
Open a mapping program and follow the river bend by bend, marking the put-in, take-out, bridges, camps, portages and bail-outs with clear names. Treat historical imagery as evidence, not proof, and note what still needs a ground check. Confirm access and rules with the land manager. Export the route, reopen it to check it, and carry a paper copy.
How do I find north without a compass?
By day, mark the tip of a stick's shadow, wait 10 to 15 minutes, and mark it again. A line through the marks is approximately east to west. An analog watch can give a rough north-south line. At night, extend the line through the Big Dipper's two pointer stars about five times their distance to reach Polaris, which marks true north. All of these are approximate.
