how to orient a map using a lensatic compass

Youre in the right place! Now that were putting compass to map, we need to adjust for it so that we can accurately orient and navigate. At night, however, or in other periods of limited visibility (fog, blizzard, etc) keeping these two luminous bits lined up will be your only remedy. Look at the index line and read the number. NY 10036. He is currently the President of the London Mountaineering Club, training to become a Winter Mountain Leader, looking to finally finish bagging all the Wainwright fells of the Lake District and hoping to scale more Alpine 4000ers when circumstances allow. Go to your map. Turn your compass on its side. 3. How to use an Orienteering Compass - Survival Gear Book Now, hold the compass level and squarely in front of you. This is because it is prepped to point instead to magnetic north once its lined up with your compass needle. . Get your own customized topographical maps, built according to your specifications. This way you can see the object and the bezel at the same time. Before we do that, lets take a closer look at declination. A: In order to orient and read a map, you have to have spatial awareness. Rotate the compass until the north on the bezel points to the top of the map and the compass housing orienting lines are parallel to the maps vertical grid lines, using your position as a pivot. B. Declination is the angle formed by true north and magnetic north. Timetoprepare.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Other Programs, an affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to the Partners. The lensatic compass must always be held level and firm when sighting on an object and reading an azimuth. Look through the lens and sighting line. [10] 4. Start spinning the bezel slowly until the 'magnetized needle' is aligned with the 'orienting arrow.'. This was developed. Some of the best land navigators around are orienteers--those who participate in the cross-country running/map reading sport of orienteering. Now its time to store your compass. Fortunately, orienting your map is simple. Triangulate your position. Corrected the orientations of the map when the G-M angle exceeded 3 degrees (50 mils) using one of the following: a. Finally, read the number on the rim of the compass. pointsnorth, east, south, and westbut some are marked additionally with the. There is no declination, and you do not need to adjust your compass. How can you get your point position then? With a little bit of compass work, you can figure this out. Wrap your middle, ring and pinky finger around your thumb for support. Designate your starting and ending points on the map. Your email address will not be published. So, don't sweat too much the minute details of getting your map finely oriented to the last degree with your compass. Then, slide your compass around so that its edge passes through the landmark on the map, while the orienting arrow continues to point north. Draw a line towards the roadway youre on using the side of your compass. Were going to move that to take into account declination on our compass. A visualization depicting the Soldiers Manual of Common Tasks (STP 21-1-SMCT) task Orient a Map Using a Lensatic Compass (071-COM-1011). We still need to understand where we are in reference to our map how to orient ourselves before we can start really navigating, which well cover in Part III of this series. The narration and imagery may seem old-timey in this era of high-def computer graphics . Get the free how to use a lensatic compass pdf form - pdfFiller But heres where things get tricky: the angle of declination changes depending where you are on the earth. When you face true north, magnetic north is going to be left, or west, of you by about 14. 1 color. (They are oriented to Grid North, which is not necessarily the same as . Next, without changing the orientation of you map, move your compass so that the point you are plotting to/from is under the sighting wire, and the compass dial reading matches your bearing. Pros . Its declination would be written as 14E. So in this episode, well go through the abilities youll need. Thats 130 degrees. Everything on your map will be reversed if youre looking south and holding the map right side up. Most people have never heard of them, but soon enough, youre going to be a master at using them. "}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you orient a map to ground? In actual practice, orienting your map is something you'll often do "on the run" and can be as simple as glancing at your compass needle and turning the map more or less accordingly. Youll want to stick to areas that are cool and dry, and dont offer any immediate threats to technological devices. 1. Assume youre in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. One disadvantage is, unlike the orienteering compass, it's not easy to make it double as a protractor, meaning you'll have to carry a protractor with you. This is because it is prepped to point instead to magnetic north once it's lined up with your compass needle. This is a hard and fast guide on how to use your lensatic compass with a map, which is what it was designed for. You get the picture. A map and compass are useless unless you know how to use them properly. How to Use a Lensatic Military Compass - Beginners Tutorial (Note: Ignore the magnetic compass needle. The U.S. military M-1950 lensatic compass shown in this video is still in use today. SPC Presentation - ORIENTING A MAP USING A LENSATIC COMPASS With the map in a horizontal position, 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 . Orient you compass with the bearing, and draw the bearing line. Take your compass and line up the edges with the north-south gridlines on your map. They both use magnetization to help you find where you are and where youre going, but theres a catch. Orienting the Map with aLensatic Compass. Check the declination of your local location on your map or on a website. All you have to do is shoot a bearing towards the unidentified peak. Using your compass, take a heading to a visible landmark. If we didnt adjust for declination and were getting bearings for our destination from our map, well find ourselves off by 14 or more when we start walking. A power point class to Orient a Map Using a Lensatic Compass or $0.99 - Purchase Checkout Added to cart or $4.99 - Monthly Subscription Checkout Added to cart Billed once per month until cancelled or $14.99 - Annual Subscription Checkout Added to cart Billed once per year until cancelled or $9.99 - Protected: VIP Subscription Checkout Added to cart Billed once per year until cancelled . Used the G-M angle formed by the . Youre somewhere on that line, so you know have a line position. 3. Open the cover completely and pull back the rear sight. Doing this quick visual sense check by examining the surrounding terrain is to triple-check that your readings arent out by 180 degrees and to make sure the map is always aligned with your compasss north-pointing (and usually red) magnetic arrow i.e. ), but youre not sure where. Manual Cammenga Lensatic Compass (page 1 of 16) (English) - Libble.eu It is the bread and butter of navigation and a good habit to get into every time you set off in any given direction. a. Youll notice the north/south symbol on a corner of your map with a straight 90 line going up. Alex is a qualified Mountain Leader, adventure writer and content creator with an insatiable passion for the mountains. relation to a map. Orienting the Map with an Orienteering Compass. When you do know exactly where you are in relation to your map, you have your point position.. We may use the map to identify any landmark we observe in our landscape once we know our point location. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A: In order to orient and read a map, you have to have spatial awareness. 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. Orienteering vs. Lensatic Compass: How do they compare? He climbs when he should be writing, writes when he should be sleeping, has fun always. Lastly, the reading lens also helps cover the compass and folds out; this is where the term lensatic comes from. 1. Thanks so much for sharing! We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Area Position. Put the compass anywhere on top of the map. Hold it square and straight in front of you like you mean business. 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. The compass baseplates edge is now pointed in the direction of the visible landmark you used to get your bearing. Map and Compass Orientation North is always at the topof any map. At this point, your map is almost oriented. There are 2 ways to do this - using landmarks or using a compass. 2 a. Orient the map using the first technique. 4. Open the compass: Let the cover and the base form a 90-degree angle. Because my magnetic declination is 4E, Ill move the black arrow outline to the red hash marks next to E DECL.. To get among the sources, you can discover the fascinating point to acquire. What if you dont have access to a compass that can compensate for declination? There are so many different kinds of compasses, it can be hard to keep up. First, open the compass to its fullest so that the cover forms a straightedge with the base. 3. Now, rotate the map and compass baseplatetogetheruntil the compass needle is boxed in the red orienting arrow (or direction-of-travel lines) on the compass. Youll line up your needle with the tape arrow instead of the arrow on your compass. Declination was taken into account while adjusting the compass. Well, that is, unless you're doing something silly like holding the compass backwards. From point A to point B, thats your bearing. Hold the compass steady and level, and up to your face. Once you've got the bearing you can transfer it to the map. In your case, however, your declination is 004 degrees West, meaning you'll have to add 004 degrees before you set your compass. Were going to use the back bearing of that to plot a line from Saddle Mountain towards our general direction on the map. The lensatic compass is used by the U.S. Military. ENROLL NOW. You are missing your point location. Remember, maps are drafted with north at the top. Your email address will not be published. It's important to hold your compass stable, squarely in front of you, and level. You want to find your position using the technique of partial resection, so you need to know that tower's bearing with a high degree of accuracy. How to use a compass and map: a simple guide | Atlas & Boots My 159-page, fully illustrated book is yours for the asking. 4. Making sure you don't move to change directions, turn the glass compass housing until the short luminous line is directly lined up with the luminous magnetic arrow. Step 1: Find the North Star. Kieran has taught mountaineering, ice climbing, and single-pitch and multi-pitch rock climbing in a variety of contexts over the years and has led trekking and mountaineering expeditions in the Alps, Rockies, and UK. Ensure that the compass bezel is set to 0 degrees i.e. It would be 204 (24+180) in this situation. To figure out precisely where you are on the map, you simply need one more piece of information. Place the compass on your map with the edge along a north-south grid line. 5. Through his hiking, mountaineering, climbing and trail running adventures, Alex aims to inspire others to get outdoors. Simply look for distinguishable landmarks that are marked on the map, and turn so that both you and the map are facing this object. The two basic techniques for using the lensatic compass . Once you master using a lensatic compass, it becomes the only way youll ever navigate around the wilderness moving forward. Take a compass bearing on the peak to your southwest. Lensatic compasses are seasoned or experienced navigator tools. Kierans bookClimbing the Wallsan exploration of the mental health benefits of climbing, mountaineering, and the great outdoorsis scheduled for release by Simon & Schuster in April 2021. The bezel clicks as it moves--three degrees for every click. Throughout this procedure, were not utilizing it at all.). Check the index line to find out the bearing you just have taken. Step 2: line the compass up with the map. Your lens piece will appear just above your thumb loop. Magnetic north is now off the coast of Greenland, but true north is at the very top of the world. If your compass doesnt have a declination adjustment key, simply make the adjustment on the spot. References required related fm 3 2526 land navigation Whenever the luminous magnetic arrow lines up with the luminous short line, you're following your intended azimuth. 1. ), 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. You have your point location when you know precisely where you are in reference to your map. Identify where you are on the map and place the compass edge over this location. Make sure the direction of travel arrow is pointing to the spot that youre trying to get to. 3. 3. Using your location as a pivot, rotate the compass until north on the bezel is pointing to the top of the map and the compass housing orienting lines are parallel with the map's vertical grid lines. 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. Orient a map using a lensatic compass The bezel clicks as it moves--three degrees for every click. Adjustable Declination Compasses. and compass together is to orient the map towards north simply align the map merid, figure 10b while keeping compass edge on landmark pivot compass until magnetized needle is centered within orienting arrow plot bearing on map by drawing line from landmark using the edge of the compass figure 10c 1 how a compass works your compass is a . Your compass is now set. When map reading, there are two ways to orient a mapby eye and with a compass. This is also known as triangulation. Read the number at the index line. Welcome back to the Land Navigation Manual for the Art of Manliness. Use a Compass to Plot Bearings on a Map. So, if youre at Muir Woods and your compass reads 180 degrees, subtract 14 degrees. To make sure you receive a correct bearing, youll have to perform some arithmetic with all of your bearings. (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. Instructions for the US Army Lensatic Compass. Contains - YUMPU In this case, it 15 degrees positive (east). Set Up Your Compass Faster & More Accurately With A Map Protractor When you point your compass towards true north, your compass needle is going to point a little to the west. 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. 3.Rotate the map and compass until the directions of the declination diagram formed by the black index line and the compass needle match the direction shown in the . orient a map to the ground by map-terrain association, Sunday Firesides: Become an Evangelist . So your true bearing would be 166. Place your map in such a way that the terrain features line up with your maps features. Youve got your trusty compass and a map of the area, but you dont know exactly where you are in relation to the map. SMCT: Orient a Map Using a Lensatic Compass - YouTube Orient your map so that its lined up with magnetic north (see above). This step comes after aligning our map and compass needle to magnetic north if using a compass that doesnt have a declination adjustment key. Knowing how to orientate a map is just one facet of the wider skill of knowing how to read a map. Turn the little screw using a small screwdriver or the little metal piece that comes with your compass lanyard. Basically, in areas west of the agonic line, the compass needle will point somewhere to the east of true north; in areas east of the agonic line, the compass needle will point somewhere west of true north. Ethan Allan thats the peak you saw. Improve your reading skills with the KWL Method Compass 101 - How to Use a Baseplate Compass Buying a Compass for Land Naviga-tion Basic Navigation with a Compass and a Map How to orient a map and take a . But it isnt just magnets there are other culprits at play, here. Isnt that a little black arrow outline? If youre facing south, but are holding the map right side up, everything on your map is going to be ass-backwards. How To Use a Compass with a USGS Topographic 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. The term "lensatic" comes from the fact that there is a lens on the rear side of the compass that aids in the orienteering process. Take a bearing to a visible landmark using your compass. One advantage is it's probably more accurate when it comes to "shooting azimuths," meaning the act of determining the specific compass direction to a spot on the earth. navigation and combat. Next, without changing the orientation of you map, move your compass so that its edge is touching the point you are plotting to/from and the compass dial reading matches your bearing. The United States military needs to know how to navigate on land when all digital systems fail. You don't want to hold it crooked, cockeyed, or off level. The how to orient a map using a compass is a skill that can be used in the outdoors. Travel to that landmark. Want a free ebook on Land Navigation? Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, PDF Lensatic Compass or Military Compass Basic Use. - Survival Primer There was a problem. Line up your map with what you see around you. Open the compass all the way so that the cover locks into position against the base, forming a straightedge along the left side. Timetoprepare.net. With the thumb loop all the way down under the compass, put the thumb of one hand all the way inside the loop, and place the index finger of that same hand along one side of the compass. Shows how to use the USGI issue lensatic compass to orient the map, plot a course based on two well-defined. Your action from here depends on the value and direction of your declinationeast or west. Though GPS and smartphonesare reliable, its still vital to carry a compass, and know how to use it, as a backup or lifesaving form of navigation. Lets say youve hiked the peak of Camels Hump in Vermont. The big bang. How to Use a Lensatic Compass - Brunton Mt. If you take just one thing from this guide, let it be the appreciation that contours are the most important navigational feature on the map, especially where hills and mountains are concerned. Imagine that you want to hold it as if it were firmly mounted in that position. Line it up with that. . Click heretolearn about the three different types of compasses. 1. Youll see that it shows two arrows when you turn your headset or controllers around to show the new orientation of a map. As mentioned in Part I, true north and magnetic north arent the same. You then see where the line you drew intersects with the protractor's numbers, in this case 062 degrees.