How to navigate the compass in an unfamiliar area

Summer is a season of vacations, this is the time of year when most of the townspeople go on vacation outside the city, closer to nature. When going for a walk in an unfamiliar area, you should first think about your safety. An integral companion of any tourist, regardless of whether he decided to go on vacation by car or prefers a walk, is an ordinary compass. Moreover, the orientation on the terrain on the compass is not difficult when it is correctly applied.

So, to buy a simple device, invented once by the Chinese, you can in any store of tourist goods. When buying it is necessary to pay special attention to its serviceability, primarily on the magnetization of the arrow. The arrow of a working compass when the metal object is brought to it will be deflected towards it. If you are going to determine the direction of motion on the go, you should think about the liquid compass. They more accurately show the correct direction when moving, because their flask is filled with a special liquid, which prevents the oscillations of the arrow.

Now let's talk about how to use the compass correctly. The arrow of the device is always in the "north-south" position. If you stand face to the north, then the east will be on the right, the west on the left. Before you ask yourself how to navigate the compass, it is advisable to learn the sides of the world. The part of the arrow pointing to the north is usually highlighted in color, shape, or a special notation.

So, we choose an object or reference point, to which we will return. The object can become a river, road, power line, or a clearing, that is, any extended line. To correctly navigate, you should move away from the object in the right direction and stand facing the road. The compass should be kept so that its arrow coincides with the line "south-north". Then mentally it is necessary to draw a line through the center of the device in the direction of its return. At the edge of the compass flask there are numbers counting degrees in the direction of the north. It is necessary to remember the figure through which the imaginary line passes. The second digit required for memorization is located on the opposite side of the limb. It will show the direction that should be followed throughout the journey. Some compasses are equipped with a special swivel part with marks, with which you can fix both directions. When deepening into an unfamiliar area, one should at least occasionally look at the hands of the device. Going back, you need to check the compass, mentally draw a line through the second digit you memorized, and center the device, then slowly, without moving the compass, rotate around its axis until the north end of the arrow points to the letter N or C, or the digit 0. When the pointer stops at zero, you should start moving in the direction in which the view is turned. If everything is done correctly, some time later you can go to the landmark. Unfortunately, how to navigate the compass is not taught in any school, but everyone is able to master this independently. Remember that using a compass, it should be kept as far from any electronic devices and metal objects as they can have a negative effect on its operation.

If you are not sure beforehand when you are on the road that you know exactly how to navigate the compass, practice in advance at home, thoroughly study its work, since in case of an extreme situation of time, this will not happen. Together with the compass, grab a map that will greatly simplify the search for the right path, and the journey will not be spoiled by endless wanderings in an unfamiliar terrain. If you know how to navigate the compass, and have a clear map of the terrain with you, the chances of getting lost are reduced to a minimum.