How to make your own map with a compass while hiking

What you need

• Baseplate compass with a rotating bezel and protractor scale
• Small notepad or clipboard
• Pencil
• Local magnetic declination for your area
• A known starting point such as a trailhead

Steps

1. Stand at a spot you can find again, such as a trailhead sign or road junction. Draw a dot on a blank notepad page and label it as your start point.

2. Look up the magnetic declination for your area and set it on the compass if it has an adjustable declination scale. Write the number on the page.

3. Hold the compass flat in front of you. Turn the bezel until the red needle sits inside the orienting arrow, then read the bearing at the index line.

4. Work out your pace count by walking 100 metres and counting every second step. Write the number down so you can turn steps into distance later.

5. Walk the bearing with the needle kept inside the orienting arrow. Count your paces as you go so you know how far you have travelled.

6. Stop at each feature worth marking, like a stream, junction, ridge or big tree. Note the bearing, the pace count and a few words about what you see.

7. Draw each leg on the page. Line the protractor edge of the baseplate up on your last point, mark the bearing, then draw a line scaled to the distance walked.

8. Add a north arrow, a scale bar and the names of the landmarks you recorded. Use the finished sketch to take a back bearing and walk home.

Tips and common mistakes

Questions

What is magnetic declination?

It is the angle between true north and magnetic north at your location. If you ignore it, every bearing you draw can be several degrees off, which adds up over a long walk.

How do I measure distance without a rangefinder?

Use your pace count. Count every second step over a measured 100 metres, then divide your total steps on a leg by that number to get the distance.

Can I use the compass on my phone instead?

You can, but phone compasses drift and the battery can die. A baseplate compass and paper notes keep working in cold, wet and remote places.

This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.