If you are going on a trip, hiking in the mountains or on a regular trip to the forest for mushrooms, do not forget to bring a compass. This small and inexpensive device will greatly facilitate your orientation on the terrain, help you to plan your route correctly and not get lost in an unfamiliar place.
More than a thousand years ago, the compass was invented by resourceful residents of China in order to navigate the desert without much difficulty. The invention turned out to be so good that it has survived to this day, having undergone the most minor changes. At the same time, working with a compass is absolutely not difficult, and compass orientation is much simpler than orienting by stars or moss on trees.
The compass device is quite simple. It is a rounded box with a moving lid and a transparent top, under which a scale and a moving arrow are visible. The ends of the arrows are most often painted in different colors - red and blue. One end (most often blue) points to the north, and the second to the south. Four main directions are identified on the scale - north, east, south, and west. The cardinal points are indicated most often by the initial letters of their names in Russian or English (C, B, U, Z or N, E, S, W). The scale is drawn with smaller strokes. Compasses most often use the scale developed by Andrianov. It has 120 divisions, each of which has a magnitude of 3 degrees.
In order to begin compass orientation, it is necessary to combine the moving arrow pointing north with the position “north” on the scale, and then follow the necessary route.
So, if you know the azimuth (value in degrees), you need to postpone the set value on the scale from the value of "north" clockwise. If you have a specific reference point (elevation, road, tree), go to it, having previously determined the azimuth so that you have no difficulties when returning back. Each time, changing the direction of movement, mark for yourself on the map (or write on paper) the reference point and azimuth of movement.
When mastering compass orientation, it is imperative to know that each locality has its own magnetic declination. This is the amount by which the compass reading deviates in a given area. Deviations are considered significant if they are already more than three degrees. The magnitude of the magnetic declination varies with time and is indicated in topographic maps in the "legends" section. And if the azimuth is given to you as the initial route data, specify whether it is true (in accordance with the readings without errors) or magnetic.
In addition, some of the objects around you may complicate your compass orientation or make it impossible at all. These are large accumulations of iron, railways, places with natural magnetic anomalies,
power lines. It is not advised to use a compass during a thunderstorm.
It is best to use the compass by laying it on a horizontal surface or holding it horizontally in your hands at shoulder level. When walking, use the brake. This is a latch that locks the compass needle when not in use. The brake protects the hand from loosening and demagnetization.
Using a compass for orientation develops observation and attentiveness, just like walking helps to improve the overall health of the body and strengthens the heart.
Travel on foot, and the compass will help you stay on track.