Topographical Maps & Compass

Powerful Tools Used Together

When a compass and topographical map are used together, they become a powerful navigation aid.

Topographic maps teach outdoor enthusiasts to note landmarks as they hike;  to accurately judge the distances between those landmarks in order to track their progress, and always know where they are!

Topographical map makers use universal symbols to provide a printed representation of the terrain. This information allows the  outdoor enthusiasts to plan accordingly for their intended activity; or while outdoors, find the fastest way back to camp, home-base, or civilization at the end of the day.

The basic skills for using a compass with a topographical map are easy to learn and put to practical use. These skills may save your life some day!

Orienteering

An Outdoor Sport

Participants receive identical metric course maps and compasses. The object is to compute the best route between checkpoints, report in, and be first to the finish line. Orienteering is not about speed; it’s about “smarts”! A short distance over steep terrain may take twice the time as traversing level ground. Read your map. Think it through. Plan each move. Orienteering builds survival skills, and life skills, too.

About 2500 BC, a Chinese scientist discovered that lodestone on a piece of floating wood always pointed in the same direction. This first compass needle made worldwide exploration possible.