In late Spring, I took an outdoor introductory course on Map and Compass Navigation. This is something I have wanted to do for several years and decided to take a course sponsored by REI. I love reading maps and wanted to get better at reading a compass in order to utilize both tools when hiking the outdoors. The compass – truly a metaphor for navigating your life.
The course was about six hours on a Saturday at a forested park within the city limits of Seattle. This venue provided a great learning environment for sharpening one’s skills in map and compass navigation. I loved the day and the experience – being outdoors, being a geek about navigation tools, and being with other like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.
Here are three things I learned that can be applied to one’s own life navigation and help you stay on the path of your own journey.
North
First is North. North is the pivotal direction for compass navigation. In the northern hemisphere, maps are usually aligned with North at the top of the map. Magnetic North (where your needle points on the compass) for the Pacific Northwest is 16.2 degrees from True North (the direction of north according to the earth’s axis). This is called the Declination Adjustment – the difference between True North and Magnetic North. It is important to calibrate your compass for Magnetic North depending on where you are, or your alignment will be off. If not, you could walk in the direction of North and still miss your target.
Where are you headed in life?
What is your target?
Are you calibrated to your true North?
What direction do you want to go?
Bearing
Second is Bearing. I first heard the following phrase during the class – “Put Red Fred in the Shed.” This is a phrase used to help one remember the bearing for North. Most compasses have a red arrow, known as the Magnetized Needle (aka ”Red Fred”) with another dial that has the outline of the red arrow, known as the Orienting Arrow (aka ”The Shed”). Once you take your bearing for North and calibrate for Magnetic North, you then use the red arrow on the compass to help you navigate which direction you want to go. Whatever direction you desire to go, point the compass in that direction, move the dial to put “red Fred in the shed,” (known as dialing in), then take your bearing reading of what the direction arrow says (reading will be in degrees).
Wherever you want to go in life, are all aspects of your life dialed in?
Are you aligned and in sync with the direction you want to go?
Is “Red Fred in the Shed” for you?
Directional Arrow
Third is Directional Arrow. Every compass has one. Always point your compass arrow in the direction you want to go and take your compass reading (bearing) at the direction of the travel line ahead of you. As you hike, check your bearing or compass reading often. Remember, make sure the directional arrow is pointing away from you and in the direction you want to go.
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