how to orient a map using a lensatic compass how to orient a map using a lensatic compass

It. Make sure the direction of travel arrow is pointing to the spot that youre trying to get to. First, open the compass to its fullest so that the cover forms a straightedge with the base. Flip your compass upside down. (1) Take the straightedge on the left side of the compass and place it alongside the north-south grid line with the cover of the compass pointing toward the top of the map. UK readers, youre in luck. Orient you compass with the bearing, and draw the bearing line. You can look through a small window of the top (thats the lens), and navigate smoothly from there. What are 2 ways to orient a map? To figure out precisely where you are on the map, you simply need one more piece of information. You can, however, see the two points on your map. You should be able to turn the map so that if you were to imagine jumping into it, the features would lie in the same direction both on the map and in your surroundings. Title: USING THE MILITARY LENSATIC COMPASS 1 USING THE MILITARY LENSATIC COMPASS PART 2 Intermediate Land Navigation Module 14 Travel Distance Estimation 2 . If you dont start out using your lensatic compass with a map, then its just a regular compass. The lensatic compass is comprised of different parts compared to a baseplate compass. 3. Casio's latest G-Shock watch could be a serious Garmin rival. Now that were putting compass to map, we need to adjust for it so that we can accurately orient and navigate. Leave your orientating arrow in line with the index line and the direction of travel arrow, as it will already be primed to point magnetic north. Here's an example from an older map of the Grand Canyon. When it comes to how to orientate a map, there are two main ways to do it. Let's say you see a water tower off in the distance. Open it up using the cloud-based editor and begin editing. to orient the map to find your position. 4. A visualization depicting the Soldiers Manual of Common Tasks (STP 21-1-SMCT) task Orient a Map Using a Lensatic Compass (071-COM-1011). The narration and imagery may seem old-timey in this era of high-def computer graphics . 1. Turn the compass and the map as a unit until you box the needlei.e., Put Red Fred in the shed. Put that hand up to the compass, steadying the compass by placing your index finger along the compass's side, and wrapping your thumb between the bezel ring and the rear sight. Turn the compass cover more or less perpendicular to the base. Where can these symbols be found. We can find out easily enough, though. Step 1 Orient the map. This makes it easier to relate what you see on the map with what you see on the ground. Also known as setting the map, orientating helps to relate your position and the landscape around you to the map, therefore making onward navigation more straightforward. What if youre not on a trail, but you just know the general area youre in? Looking at the map is an easy way of finding which direction north or east are relative to your current position. The North-seeking arrow of the compass must fall within 3 degrees (50 mils) of the angle shown in the grid-magnetic (G-M) angle on the map's declination diagram. Magnetic north lines up exactly when youre on this line and facing true north. It will be clearer why we need to compensate for declination in the first place. To find the tower's bearing with your lensatic compass: 1. Take a bearing on the mountain thats southwest from you. Program, Strengthen Your Tribe: A Report on the Atomic Athlete Vanguard, The Best Riddles for Kids (With Answers! If your map already has a line to show magnetic declination, you can take your compass and line its edges up along this. ), Podcast #858: The Affectionate, Ambiguous, and Surprisingly Ambivalent Relationship Between Siblings, How to Fight Entitlement and Develop Gratitude in Your Kids, How and Why to Hold a Weekly Marriage Meeting, You Dont Have to Be Your Dad: How to Become Your Familys Transitional Character, Podcast #810: How to Turn a Boy Into a Man, Sunday Firesides: Climb the Ladder of Love, Podcast #865: How to Win Friends and Influence People in the 21st Century, Podcast #863: Key Insights From the Longest Study on Happiness, Podcast #875: Authority Is More Important Than Social Skills, Podcast #874: Throw a 2-Hour Cocktail Party That Can Change Your Life, 9 Mental Distortions That Are Sabotaging Your Social Life, How to Make the Perfect Snowball: An Illustrated Guide, Podcast #869: The Survival Myths That Can Get You Killed, Skill of the Week: Survive Falling Through Ice, Podcast #848: The 5 Priorities of Short-Term Survival, we covered how to properly use a compass, how to shootyour bearings, and the best map for navigating: the topo map, Land Navigation Manual: How to Use the Military Grid Reference System, Land Navigation Manual: Finding Your Bearings & Topo Maps, More Than Just Finding North: Understanding the Compass, Podcast #534: How Navigation Makes Us Human. First things first. "}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you do map orientation? 3. Step 3 Use one of two techniques to orientate the map. Announcement: My online Land Navigation course includes four hours of video instruction, and two downloadable PDF books, all for about the same price as a typical paperback book. Thats right Contours are king. Turn the map and compass until the needle on the compass aligns with the north-south grid lines on the map. The orient a map to the ground by map-terrain association is one of the most basic skills that you will need in order to survive. 1. ENROLL NOW. Shoot a bearing with your compass at the peak of Saddle Mountain. Most lensatic compasses are designed to withstand moisture to a certain extent, but nobody makes them perfect. Look at which way the red needle is pointing. A lensatic compass features a small pop-out area for your thumb, and a lid on top of the main compass body. (Note: The magnetic compass needle should be ignored.) These other objects can interfere with compasses, and no matter how miniscule the differences may seem, it can leave an impact. Looking at the photo below, let's say you're at the north end of Sheeler Lake, where the penciled X is. The cover is used to protect the compass and also incorporates the sighting wirewhich helps you determine direction. Preferred by military for its precision and. Adjust the compass bezel so that north on the compass corresponds to north on the map. It is the bread and butter of navigation and a good habit to get into every time you set off in any given direction. Pull the lens holder up so that it is at a 90-degree angle to the base of the compass. On the other hand, wrap the fingers around the three fingers below the compass. It has its advantages and disadvantages over the orienteering compass. Brett May 23, 2016 Last updated: June 2, 2021. So your true bearing would be 166. Using a little screwdriver or the metal piece that came with your compass lanyard, turn the small screw. Orienting the Map with an Orienteering Compass. This was developed. (Be sure you understand magnetic declination. As mentioned in Part I, true north and magnetic north arent the same. Youll want to turn it until that black arrow outline is lined up with the 4E hash mark. Click heretolearn about the three different types of compasses. Because this method of orienting your map requires having visuals on features or landmarks in the terrain, good visibility is a must. Ensure that the compass bezel is set to 0 degrees i.e. Compass (For Dummies) Beginner guide to map and compass - Survival Saturday Ep. With our compass adjusted for local declination, were now ready to start orienting ourselves. Sight an azimuth to any visible terrain feature that appears on the map. 2. Used the G-M angle formed by the . Reserve! Next, turn the compass housing so that the index pointer corresponds to the number of degrees of the magnetic declination. My magnetic declination is 4E, so Ill be moving the black arrow outline towards the red hash marks that are going towards E DECL.. The first step of orienting with our map and compass is to make sure north on the map lines up with north in our terrain. The Lensatic compass also has a large number of drawbacks, including the use of a large case that can make this a cumbersome and heavy option. 3. 2. NB. The reason contours are king is that they are fixed, at least in the timescales were talking about here. Line your lensatic compasss base plate up with the maps north-south lines. So in this installment, well go over the skills you need to do just that. Before we do that, lets take a closer look at declination. 1. Easy-to-Read Thermometer - Cushion-mounted thermometer provides an "at-a-glance . Youll see that it shows two arrows when you turn your headset or controllers around to show the new orientation of a map."}}]}. But not to you, I trust. The mils are in black, and are the outer measurements on the ring. You will receive a verification email shortly. 3. I guess the military needs the extra accuracy now and then say, for example, to precisely place artillery fire. When youre on this line and are facing true north, magnetic north lines up perfectly, too. The needle on your compass dial will always be pointing north, so when placing the compass on the map, the needle on the compass should match the map's north in order to orient yourself. 5. With solid land-navigation skills, you'll be more confident and "at home" in the wilderness. Using your compass, take a heading to a visible landmark. (Note: Ignore the magnetic compass needle. Place the compass on the map with one long edge of the baseplate running between the two points of interest. The edge of the compass baseplate is now pointing in the direction of the visible landmark from which you took your bearing. $7.20. But heres the catch: depending on where you are on the planet, the angle of declination varies. Orient the map to the terrain. When this happens, its time to orientate using a compass. The first step is to always take a compass bearing. Double-check by making sure the map title or legend text is the correct way up, or find the maps north arrow. Well say the declination value is 10 degrees. Well use the rear bearing of it to draw a line on the map from Saddle Mountain to our approximate direction. Above: For this example in the Grand Canyon, grid north ("GN") differs from true . 2. Place your compass on your map with the edge of the baseplate parallel to the north-south meridians on the map. If your compass doesnt have a declination adjustment key, simply make the adjustment on the spot. For sighting purposes, we recommend using the compass-to-cheek method for better accuracy. number of degrees in a circle (360: north is 0 or 360, east is 90, south is 180, and. You can use it to find your bearings in any direction you need to go. We may use the map to identify any landmark we observe in our landscape once we know our point location. Enroll in my personalized step-by-step video-based online course. Oncein pre-GPS dayswhile on a canoe trip through the chain of lakes in Canadas Quetico Provincial park, our professional guide expertly got us through about 100 miles of wilderness, without ever using a compass. That would be 130. Look at the red needle to see which direction it is pointing. Some of the best land navigators around are orienteers--those who participate in the cross-country running/map reading sport of orienteering. Want to start taking action on the content you read on AoM? Hold it square and straight in front of you like you mean business. When orienting a map, our aim is to position it so that the north-south grid lines on the map (eastings) are aligned north-south. Another trick for declination when your compass cant adjust for it is to create your own declination arrow out of masking tape and tape it beneath your compass under the correct declination degree hash (This will only work if your compass has a clear base). Whenever the luminous magnetic arrow lines up with the luminous short line, you're following your intended azimuth. The basics of orienting yourself with a map and compass. Youre somewhere on that line, so you know have a line position. Identify where you are on the map and place the compass edge over this location. Lay your compass on the map and line up its edge with a known landmark. If you want to learn Land Navigation in detail, either buy a book; or get someone, who has the knowledge and skills, to teach you in person. To make sure you receive a correct bearing, youll have to perform some arithmetic with all of your bearings. Then, you place your protractor on the map with its center point at your current position, making sure the north-south lines on the protractor line up with the north-south lines on the map. Suunto M-3 Compass. Photo: Wikipedia. 9-4. Come to think of it, I dont even know if he had a compass. Well say the declination value is 10 degrees. Shoot the reverse bearing you got with your compass from the top of Saddle Mountain on your map. Customize the template with smart fillable areas. Return from Lensatic Compass to How to Use a Compass. This is why you should never take a bearing off a sheep. This visualization has been approved for public release.Storyboard developed from the STP 21-1 Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks Warrior Skills Level 1, September 2017Approved by the Center for Initial Military Training (CIMT) G-3/5/7, Initial Entry Training, Fort Eustis Virginia. When orienting a map, our aim is to position it so that the north-south grid lines on the map (eastings) are aligned north-south. The easiest way to orientate a map is to relate the features in front of you to the features on the map. (They are oriented to Grid North, which is not necessarily the same as . 4. Your compass is now set. Read the azimuth: Lastly, ensuring the dial is floating, look down on it and read the azimuth. Put your compass on your map. There is nothing better than being at the heart of your navigation as a prepper, and truly knowing where youre headed without the need for technological input. A: You can use the arrow keys, or you can hold down shift and move in any direction to rotate a map around its axis.