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Course Outline

Compass parts—Labeled

The orienteering compass is a critical piece of equipment for outdoor travel. A good orienteering compass 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 arrow painted on the base plate (or you may use the edge of the compass) is used to point the compass from your starting point to your destination; an orienting arrow, located in the needle housing, is used to orient your compass to your map
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  • Topic 2 of 5
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