PARK NAVIGATION

With the basics perfected close to home, it’s time to move further afield as Lyle Brotherton shares more key skills in Part 4 of our series...

This issue we are working with bearings, the backbone of all navigation. Even for experienced navigators it’s good to refresh your knowledge and test exactly how accurate you are. An error of just 5° over one kilometre will result in you missing your target by more than 87m; and in poor visibility or at night, this is a real game-changer!

There are two ways of taking a bearing: one is by looking directly at the object and using a compass to walk to it; the other is by using a map. Buy an OS 1:25,000 (Explorer) map of your local area and take this with your compass to your local park, where you can perfect both methods.

To minimise error, make sure that you are always working on as stable and level a surface as possible, ideally adopting the ‘brace’ position (above) – and try to make this standard practice.

Facing the identifiable feature to which you wish to take a bearing, assume the brace position to create a solid and stable platform (see the photos). Place the compass on your knee and point the direction-of-travel arrow on the compass baseplate towards your identifiable feature. Let the compass needle float freely, and it will point to magnetic north.

Move your head directly over the compass housing to avoid creating parallax – an error whereby your line of sight and the compass

needle are not aligned.

With one hand, hold the compass still on your knee and rotate the bezel until the red orientating arrow is exactly underneath the red north of your needle. The north on your bezel will match the north of your needle.

Check again that the compass baseplate arrow is pointing exactly towards your identifiable feature, and that the housing arrow and needle are in perfect alignment.

The reading at the compass index is your magnetic bearing to this target. Do not move the bezel again.

Taking a bearing to a visible object using your compass