Orienteering
How Do I Use a Compass?
There are 360 degrees in a full circle; this works the same as your compass, which also has 360 degrees. On your compass 0 degrees indicates North(180 degrees indicating south). The compass works on the magnetic pull of the earth; this is why the arrow on your compass always points in the same direction. By using the magnetic pull of the earth and the dial on your compass we can take a bearing and travel in a straight line.
TO START: Turn the dial on your compass to the direction( bearing ) you would like to travel. Then by moving your compass in a 360 degrees circle, place the north arrow over the arrow on the dial plate. Place the mirror on a 45 degree angle from the compass. Then hold the compass level at arms length and at eye level. Looking in the mirror, place the arrow over the arrow on the dial plate line up the white lines on the compass, close your less dominate eye and site through the peep site with your dominate eye to find a landmark in the same line as your peep site. Make a mental note of the landmark; close your compass and orienteer yourself to that landmark. This process will occur many times throughtout the orienteering course due to trees, hills and other obstacles along the way.
HINT: The further away the landmark, the more precise and accurate your orienteering will be.
Finding Your Pacing Factor
Your pacing factor is used to determine the distance you have travelled. To do this, get a measuring tool and mark out a distance of 100 meters. Then by walking along the 100-meter distance, count the number of steps your right foot takes. EXAMPLE: if your first step begins with your left foot, then the step you you count is your right foot, or visa versa. Take the distance and divide by the number of steps taken over that distance. EXAMPLE: 100 meters divided by 60 steps equals 1.666 pacing factor. Therefore for every second step you take the distance is 1.666 meters. To find the distance travelled, multiply your pacing factor by the number of steps.
Offsetting Around an Obstacle
To get around an obstacle, in which you can't take a landmark, turn your compass setting 90 degree from the bearing ( direction ) you are traveling, find a landmark by using your compassing skills. Then travel in that direction and count the number of steps you take with your right foot. Example: if your first step begins with your left foot, then the step you count is your right foot, or visa versa.
Once you have cleared the obstacle turn your compass setting back to your original bearing ( direction ) and find a landmark using your compassing skills, travel in that direction again until you have cleared the obstacle from that side. Now turn your compass setting 90 degrees in the opposite direction from the first offset. Once again, pick a landmark and count the number of steps your right foot takes. Once you have reached the same number of steps you took in the first offset STOP and turn your compass setting. You are now on the same line of travel which you started and can continue on your orienteering course.
Markers can be found: along Front Road near the second parking lot; south of the Sugar Bush parking lot located along Wildlife Line; and on the " White Trail" between Conservation Road and the "Green Trail".
Course Guidelines
Before you venture out to test your compassing skills on the Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area
