How to Find a Bearing
Being able to use a map and compass to find a bearing is a valuable skill. It can make the outdoors more accessible, giving you the confidence to go places you might not otherwise go. It can also help you find your way if you become lost.
A bearing measures the direction between two points, usually the point where you are and the point where you want to go. An azimuth bearing is given in 360 degrees, moving clockwise around a compass. A quadrant bearing is given in terms of 90 degrees to the east or west of north or south. For example, north-30-degrees-east gives a northeasterly direction.
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Instructions
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Locate your current position on a topographical map. That is point A. Also establish your destination position, point B. You can use contour lines and obvious landmarks like hilltops to determine your approximate position on the map.
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Lay the map on the ground or on a flat surface like a stump top. Lay the compass on the map so that the flat side of the compass parallels one of the north-south grid lines and the center of the compass is on the imagined line that runs between point A and point B.
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Rotate the map, taking care not to shift the compass from its position. Continue to turn the map until the north arrow of the compass lines up with the 0-degree mark on the graduated circle of the compass.
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Note where on the graduated circle the line between point A and point B now falls. That is your bearing. For example, if the line falls at an azimuth bearing of 135 degrees or a quadrant bearing of south-45-degrees-east, then you will need to travel southeast to reach your destination.
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