Things You'll Need:
- Compass
- Map
- Pencil
- Protractor
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Step 1
In order to know where we are you are going to need to orient your map. all this means is you are going to hold the map with north on the map facing the direction you are facing (north). Get out your compass and find north.
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Step 2
Now that you know where north is in relation to you are going to find north in relation to the map. north on a map is always up. place your compass while facing north on the map and make sure it is turned in the appropriate direction. you have now oriented your map.
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Step 3
to find the direction you need to travel to get to your destination you must first find your own location and your destination on the map. once you have located these things take a straight edge (protractor, ruler etc.) and draw a straight line connecting the two points.
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Step 4
with your line plotted (fancy word for drawn) place your protractor on the map on top of your location. align the protractor with the grid lines running north south and east west. you want to make sure the protractor is as straight as possible. record the angle (between 0 and 359) that the line travels as drawn on the map to your destination. you now have your azimuth.
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Step 5
with your direction of travel known (azimuth) you want to find the distance to the destination. get a piece of paper and line it up with the line you drew earlier. record the distance from the start point and the destination as ticks on the paper. refer the tick marks you drew to the distance scale on the bottom of the map.
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Step 6
Take your compass and hold it with both hands steady against your waist. turn your body until the compass reads the direction you found earlier. now start walking. use points of reference on the map such as a hill top or road to make sure your on the right path.
