Navigation stations

A bearing is a way to describe a direction. For example, instead of going ‘northwest’, you follow a bearing of ‘315’. They’re location-specific, so following the same bearing from different locations will take you in different directions.

To find a grid bearing:

1. Find your location and your destination on a map.
2. Place the compass on the map.
3. Place the long edge of the compass between the two points to join them up.
4. Make sure the direction of travel arrow at the top of the compass is pointing in the direction of travel (from the starting location to the destination).
5. Rotate the bezel (large rotating circle on the compass) so that the lines inside it match up with the grid lines on the map. Make sure the north arrow inside it is pointing north on the map.
6. Look at the top of the bezel (closest to the direction of travel arrow) and there will be a number on one of the rings. This is the bearing.

To convert your grid bearing to a magnetic bearing:

1. After getting the bearing, lift the compass off the map
2. You then add the Grid Magnetic Angle (GMA). In practice, this means adding on or subtracting a little to the grid bearing. How much you add or subtract varies, depending on where you are and what year it is, so don’t assume it’ll always be the same. All the information you need to calculate it should be supplied on the map key.

Have a look here for any additional information on bearings and watch this video for help getting a magnetic bearing.

• Walking on a bearing is simple. All you need to do is find the correct grid bearing, turn it into a magnetic bearing and follow it until you reach the destination. It’s important here to remind everyone to always look where they’re going and check the terrain when out walking. To help follow your bearing, think about using ‘tick features’ to help you along the way. These are things to check off as you walk past them on the route.
• Walking on bearings over long distances to a destination that may not always be visible reduces the accuracy of the bearing. To help combat this there’s a technique called ‘Aiming off’. This is where a bearing is set to the left or right of the destination deliberately to miss it. This means that at the end of the first bearing, it’s easy to tell which way to turn and walk to reach the original destination. You might even be able to see it. See the diagram below.
• When aiming off, look for a larger destination or point that’ll be easy to recognise. Things like walls or fences are great for this, as they’re easy to find and when reached they’re easy to follow.
• Back bearings are used to return to the original point, if someone believes they’ve got lost or gone off track. To get a back bearing, turn the original bearing round exactly 180 degrees. The easiest way to do this is by subtracting or adding 180. Follow this new bearing back to the original point, then either try again or redo the original bearing.

When out on a hike, coming across an obstacle in your path happens often. For small obstacles, such as puddles or small blockages, it can be easier to stay on your course and look for a quick way past. However, with large obstacles, such as fallen trees or blocked access to a field, you risk losing the course of your original bearing. To stop this happening, there’s a technique called ‘deviation’. This is the process of using four right-angled turns to stay on track. It doesn’t matter which way around the obstacle everyone goes, but it’s best to look on the map for a clear way. Having someone write down the different turns and bearings as you go is very helpful. Here’s how to do it:

1. Write down the bearing you’re walking on and mark it on the map or note the grid reference.
2. Turn the bezel 90° to the left or right, depending on the direction you’re going.
3. Write down the new bearing number and turn to match the orientation arrow to the needle.
4. Begin walking on the new bearing. Counting paces or measuring the distance on the map will help identify how far you’ve travelled.
5. Once you’ve reached the way around, turn the bezel another 90° to the left or right and write down the new bearing.
6. Redo steps four and five twice more. On the final time the bearing should be the same as the original bearing you started the walk with, before the deviation.
7. If anyone’s unsure about where they’ve ended up or wants to be reassured they’re on the right course, start a new bearing from their current location to the destination.

It’s helpful to have done the A change of pace activity for information on pacing. If needed, add a pacing base to learn about pacing in this activity.

Triangulation is the process of finding a location using features and landmarks to estimate everyone’s current position. This is great if someone feels like they’ve got lost and can be used for training exercises.

1. The first thing to do is find a landmark that can be seen both from your position and on the map.
2. Take a bearing of this landmark. Do this by holding the compass flat on the palm of your hand and point the ‘direction of travel’ arrow directly at the landmark. Rotate the bezel until the needle is inside the orienting arrow. Look at the number on the rings: this is the bearing.
3. Lay the compass on the map and align one of the corners of the long edge with the landmark.
4. Keep one finger on the corner of the compass to hold it in place, then rotate the whole compass until the lines in the bezel match up with the grid lines on the map. Make sure the ‘N’ on the bezel is pointing to north on the map, but don’t rotate the bezel at this point.
5. Draw a line on the map from the landmark down the long side of the compass. This is the first part of the triangulation.
6. Repeat steps two to five twice more, using different landmarks.
7. After drawing all the lines, there should be a small triangle where they join up. This is the approximate location of where you’re standing.
8. If there’s a large triangle, start again or choose a different landmark if possible.