Orienting a Map

A map represents the real world. By orienting a map, you are positioning it so its North is actually pointing north. When you orient a map and know where you are on the map, you can look in a certain direction and see a real landmark and find it on the map.

Orienting, or aligning, the map is really easy with just 3 steps:

• Lay your map out on a relatively flat, smooth surface.
• Turn your declination-adjusted compass dial so due North is at the index pointer.
• Place your compass on your map with the edge of the baseplate parallel to the north-south meridians on the map. Notice the orienteering lines and direction-of-travel arrow are all parallel with the map lines.
• Turn the map and compass together until the compass needle is "boxed" in the orienting arrow (Red in the Shed).

Now, the map is oriented to the real world. If you know where you are on the map, you should be able to look in any direction and see the objects represented on the map in the same direction.

If you know where you are on your map, you can also orient your map by distant features. If you can see a known mountain in one direction and a lake off another way, then just lay the map out and turn it so the corresponding marks on the map align with the distant features.

Answer from previous page: Denmark, India, Germany. What is the most important thing to bring with you in case you get lost?   A deck of cards - as soon as you start playing solitaire, someone will find you and say "black six on red seven!"

Search Google News for more 'Lost Hiker' news items.

30 Aug 2021 - Search and Rescue responds to lost hiker in Gros Ventre

17 Sep 2021 - A hiker was near death on a 13,000

17 Sep 2021 - Lost Grand Canyon hiker found safe after missing for 3 days

16 Sep 2021 - Emergency crews rescue lost hiker in Granby

10 Sep 2021 - Body Of Lost Hiker Found On Thousand Oaks Trail

26 Aug 2021 - 'Exhaustive search' for lost hiker ends when rescuers learn he made it out of woods on his own

29 Aug 2021 - HCSO releases an update on the hiker that went missing over the weekend

01 Sep 2021 - Hikers search for lost hiker

01 Sep 2021 - How the body of a hiker who disappeared two years ago was found in the North Cascades

18 Sep 2021 - Lost hikers rescued near Bear Canyon

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Comments:
 Aug 22, 2016 - Diego

Thankyou I finally understand what that means

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Oct 26, 2017 - Avery Steak

Now I know what it is used for thanks for the site

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