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Taking a bearing

You use an orienteering compass to find a precise compass direction to move in.

Have a look at the parts of the compass, and see what they are called. It is important to know the difference between the orienting arrow, the compass needle and the direction of travel arrow. You line the orienting arrow up with the compass needle to set your course. The direction of travel arrow shows you which way to go.

Let's say you want to go northwest (which is 315º on your compass). See where on the compass housing northwest is (remember it is 315º). 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. Hold the compass in your hand. And you'll have to hold it quite flat, so that the compass needle can turn. Then turn yourself, your hand, the entire compass, just make sure the compass housing doesn't turn, and turn it until the compass needle is aligned with the lines inside the compass housing.

Now, time to be careful! 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!

Now you can move off in the direction shown by the direction of travel arrow, holding the compass firmly against your chest and keeping it level.

Don't keep looking down at the compass as you walk - look up and find something you can see in the exact direction you want to move, and head for that. Look down and check your compass every now and then.