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Course Outline

A good orienteering compass is a critical piece of equipment. Make sure it has these features:

  • Clear base plate that allows you to see the map underneath
  • Straight sides for aligning two points or for drawing lines
  • Liquid-filled needle housing that keeps the magnetic needle relatively steady when taking readings
  • Two arrows:
    • A direction-of-travel arrow, painted on the base plate, is used to point the compass at your destination.
    • An orienting arrow, located in the needle housing, is used to orient your compass to your map.
Compass parts—Labeled
  • Unit 5 of 6
  • Topic 2 of 4
  • Page 2 of 5