How to Find Position Using Map and Compass

You should know where you are anytime you are hiking in unfamiliar territory, even if you're not deep into an area off the beaten path. GPS units are a marvelous invention to help you determine your location, but there are circumstances where they won't work, or in some wilderness competitions they aren't allowed. Sometimes the best way to find your position is using a map and a compass. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

    • 1

      Box the needle. Put the compass on the map, and move the map so that magnetic needle lines up with north on the map. The magnetic needle now will align, or be boxed, with the orienting arrow.

    • 2

      Look for features you can identify on your map. It can be a hilltop, or a man-made structure like a building or the intersection of roads. Recognizing those landmarks allow you to triangulate your position using your map and a compass.

    • 3

      Sight an identifiable feature and get a reading off your compass. Draw that line on your map. Sight a second feature and draw a second line. Do the same with another landmark. Your position will be the intersection of those lines.

    • 4

      Measure your steps. When you know your pace, you can determine your position from your starting point. Keep track of the azimuth (degrees off north) of your travel and mark your progress on the map from the place you began. This is especially helpful in bad weather or where landmarks aren't easily visible.

    • 5

      Know your declination. There is a difference between true north and where it shows up on your compass. Consult a topographical map for the variation in your area, and take that number into account when trying to find your position using a map and a compass.