Using Your Map

and Compass

Troop 175
Foster City
Topographical Maps
Topographical Map Info
Map Contour Lines
Contour Lines
Determine Land Shape
More About Contours
Map Symbols
Symbols and Colors
Black - man-made features such as roads, buildings, etc.
Blue - water, lakes, rivers, streams, etc.
Brown - contour lines
Green - areas with substantial vegetation (could be forest,
scrub, etc.)
White - areas with little or no vegetation; white is also used
to depict permanent snowfields and glaciers
Red - major highways; boundaries of public land areas
Purple - features added to the map since the original survey.
These features are based on aerial photographs but have not
been checked on land.
Topographical Map Symbols
Railroad

Large Falls/Rapids

Mine

Woods
Topographical Map Symbols
Trail

Campground / Picnic Area

Small Falls/Rapids

Glacier
Topographical Map Symbols
Scrub

Highway

Lake

Sand
What Can YOU Tell
From a Map?
Your Compass
The Basics! The first thing you
need to learn are the
directions.
North
South
East
West
Look at the figure and
learn where they are.
North is the most
important.
Parts of the Compass

The compass needle. On some compasses it might be

red and white for instance, but the point is, the red part
of it is always pointing towards the earth's magnetic
north pole.
Parts of the Compass

The Compass Housing. On the edge of the compass

housing, you will probably have a scale. From 0 to 360
degrees. And you should have the letters N, S, W and E
for North, South, West and East.
Example “I want to go northwest”

You find out where on the compass housing

northwest is.
Then you turn the compass housing so that
northwest on the housing comes exactly there
where the large direction of travel-arrow meets
the housing.
Example “I want to go northwest”

Hold the compass flat in your hand so that the

compass needle can turn.
Turn yourself, your hand, the entire compass, just
make sure the compass housing doesn't turn.
Turn it until the compass needle is aligned with the
lines inside the compass housing.
Let’s Do It!
Stand up
Using your compass as an aid,
move five paces to the southwest
Go 3 paces to the east
Travel 5 paces to the northeast
Now go 3 paces to the west.
Sit down
Let’s Do It!
It is extremely important that the red, north part of
the compass needle points at north in the
compass housing. If south points at north, you
would walk off in the exact opposite direction of
what you want! And it's a very common mistake
among beginners. So always take a second look
to make sure you did it right

A second problem might be local magnetic

attractions. If you are carrying something of iron
or something like that, it might disturb the
arrow. Make sure there is nothing of the sort
around.
Using Your Map AND
Compass Together
Using the compass with a map
Align the edge of
the compass with
the starting and
finishing point
Using the compass with a map
• Rotate the compass
housing until the
orienting arrow and lines
point N on the map.

• Rotate the map and

compass together until
the red end of the
compass needle points
north.

• Follow the direction of

travel arrow on the
compass, keeping the
needle aligned with the
Keeping a Bearing
Hold the compass in your
hand, with the needle well
aligned with the orienting
arrow.
Then aim in the direction the
direction of travel-arrow is
pointing.
Fix your eye on some special
feature in the terrain as far
as you can see in the
direction. Then go there. Be
sure as you go that the
compass housing doesn't
Keeping a Bearing
Winter conditions can make
things a lot worse, when there is
snow on the ground. The fog is
white (or grey), the snow is also
white.
Then aim in the direction the
direction of travel-arrow is
pointing.
Fix your eye on some special
feature in the terrain as far as
you can see in the direction.
Then go there. Be sure as you
go that the compass housing
Measuring the Height of a Tree
Extend your
arm holding a
pencil until it is
appears to be
the same height
as the tree
Measuring the Height of a Tree
Rotate the
pencil 90
degrees
Pick out an
object on the
ground
Measuring the Height of a Tree
Have a friend
“pace out” the
distance.
Measuring the Distance Across a River
Take a bearing across
B the river (AB)

Add 90 degrees to it
(AB+90) (AC)

Subtract 45 degrees
(CB)
A C
Walk AC until you
reach C (Bearing CB)

Count paces back to A

Magnetic Declination
Align
Compass Links
http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/lesson1.html
http://www.trailsillustrated.com/skills/
http://www.cis.ksu.edu/~dha5446/topoweb/guide.htm
http://www.ghosttowns.com/topotmaps.html