Using Your GPS and Compass In The Field
Here’s how to take a bearing from your GPS app and transfer it to your compass. This is especially important if you’re trying to get to a location on your map that requires lots of dense bushwacking with limited visibility. Make sure you watch this compass tutorial video first.
Setting up your GPS APP
Go into your app display preferences and setup the following:
• Set the screen orientation to portrait. You should also turn off any auto-rotation settings on your phone.
• Set the Auto rotate map function to “Map always points North”.
Setting up your Compass
Go to this website and find the declination for the area you’re going to be exploring. Once you have your declination, adjust your compass so that the ‘red shed’ lines up with the declination. Every compass is different so you’ll have to look up how to do this for your own compass.
Now for the fun stuff. Grab your compass, pick a location close to wherever you are now, and follow along.
1) Line up the baseplate
• Scroll and zoom in/out on your GPS app until you can see both your present location, and your destination.
• Put your phone down on something stable, take out your compass and place it on top of your phone.
• Line up the bottom of either the left or right edge of the compass baseplate with your current position. Then, with the same side of the baseplate, line up the baseplate with your destination.
2) Rotate the dial
• Rotate the dial until N (north) is close to the top edge of the phone. An easy mistake to make is to rotate the dial and place N at the bottom. If you do this you’re bearing will be 180º off.
• Roughly line up the backplate lines (the lines below the dial/behind the needle) so that they are parallel with the edge of your phone.
3) Fine tuning
• Fine tune your compass alignment. The N should be at the top of your phone, and the backplate lines should be exactly parallel with the side of your phone.
• The more precise you are, the better your bearing.
4) Find your bearing
• Take the compass off your phone. If you check the top of your compass, there’s going to be a bearing indicator (usually a little line).
• Read that number. Congratulations, that’s your bearing!
• In the example here, our bearing is 42º.
5) Orient the compass
• Hold the compass level and away from your body and any metal.
• Rotate your whole body until “Red is in the shed”. In other words, the magnetic needle is lined up inside the hollow red box on the baseplate.
• Follow the compass. If you look at the bottom of the compass in the picture, you’ll see a directional arrow. That’s the direction you want to walk in.
Following a bearing while bushwacking
A GPS is very useful showing you where you are and where you’ve been. However they start becoming annoyingly difficult when trying to figure out where you are going. That is because a GPS needs a bunch of location pings with a satellite to figure out what direction you’re heading in. If you stop moving, it will stop showing you your orientation.
This is when a compass comes in handy. Once you’ve figured out your bearing, use your compass to sight a landmark 20-50m away in line with your bearing. Put the compass in your pocket and walk up to the landmark any way you have to. Once there, re-sight a new landmark in line with your bearing and repeat the process until you’ve arrived at your destination.
Paring the GPS unit with a compass will speed up your off trail navigation considerably and allow you to move faster and more precisely towards a destination. It takes lots of practice to get these skills down and it’s recommend going out and trying it out at your local municipal park before heading off big tree hunting.