![]() ![]() This difference between True North and Magnetic North is known as magnetic declination. The North Pole (true north) is the point where all the lines converge in the upper right of the picture. The picture below shows how the magnetic north (blue line) has moved since the 1590, and since 1904 it has been steadily moving in a northwesterly direction. Today, 40 years later, it points 11.63 degrees east of True North. ![]() For example, when I moved to Palm Springs in 1977 my compass pointed 14 degrees east of True North. Instead, they point to Magnetic North, which is constantly changing. There are very few locations in the US that a compass will point to True North. Your Compass Probably Doesn’t Point North Since my blog doesn’t have the ability to post comments and only handful of people have my email address, there won’t be the typical debate on my blog this subject might generate.īut first, let’s talk about the North Pole, magnetic declination and then look at some common compasses and how they might be used. In this post the protractor will be presented as a serious tool that backpackers may want to consider, and for those who have used and then abandoned a map protractor, perhaps a re-visit might be worthwhile. One piece of navigation equipment I rarely see in use by backpackers is a map protractor. Most backpackers bring a map and compass whether or not they know how to really use it. Of course, with practice you can use a map and compass to figure out your location if you do get lost. We need to keep in mind that the goal of using a map and compass is to always know where you are, not figure out your location because you are lost. Some of the backup maps and compasses in use are less than optimal and in a no-shit-need-to-have situation might be poor options (think button sized compass and a large scale general map). Many of the electronic persuasion carry and map and compass as a backup, which means duplicate items to do the same task, meaning unnecessary weight. Then there is the fact electronic solutions (GPS and smart phones) can fail or end up with a dead battery. ![]() Nowadays the subject includes GPS units, smart phones, base plate compass vs. I am going to show you how to navigate quicker and more accurately with a map and any compass, by using a map protractor.įew subjects elicit more debates among hikers and backpackers than the subject of map and compass. ![]()
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