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Land Navigation: Finding Your Way Outdoors

To find your way on land you need three things: a direction, a place and a plan. A compass needle always points to magnetic north, and a bearing is the angle you turn clockwise from north (0° to 360°). GPS finds your place by measuring distance to satellites, but it needs open sky. Landmarks such as towers, lakes and bridges do not move, so they are easy guides. Before you use any map outdoors, set it so that its north arrow points the same way as the compass needle.

🎬 Step-by-step story

  1. You are standing on open ground with a compass. The red needle points North. Turn yourself round with the slider: you face different ways, but the needle never moves. It always shows North.
  2. A bearing is how many degrees you turn clockwise from North. North is 0°, East is 90°, South is 180°, West is 270°. Turn until the blue arrow points at the flag. The flag is at 070°.
  3. A phone with GPS listens to four satellites high above. It measures how far each one is, and finds your place on the ground. Walk with the slider and see your position change. Go under a roof: the signal is lost.
  4. Landmarks are things that stay in place: a tower, a lake, a hill, a bridge, a tree. Turn yourself and see which one is ahead, on your left, on your right, or behind you.
  5. Now use a map. First set the map: turn it until its N arrow points the same way as the red needle. Now the map matches the land around you. The lake on the map is on the same side as the real lake.
  6. Free play. Turn yourself to find the hidden flag and read its bearing. Then switch between a tourist map, a contour map and a phone map, and set each one to the land.

Tip: drag the 3D scene to turn it. Use two fingers to zoom.

🤔 Common doubts, cleared

Why does the needle not move when I turn?

The needle is a small magnet that lines up with the Earth's magnetic field. It points north, and you turn around it.

Is a bearing the same as a direction?

Almost. A bearing is a direction written as an angle, clockwise from north, such as 070°.

Why are three digits used for a bearing?

It avoids mistakes when people speak or write. 070° and 700° cannot be mixed up, and every bearing looks the same length.

How does a phone know where I am?

It measures the distance to four satellites from the time their signals take to arrive. Where those distances meet is your position.

Why does GPS stop under a roof?

The satellite signals are weak radio waves. A thick roof or rock blocks them, so the phone cannot measure the distances.

Which side is a landmark when I turn?

It depends on where you face. The landmark stays put; only left, right, ahead and behind change as you turn.

Why must I set the map?

When the map's north matches the real north, the map looks like the land, so left on the map is left on the land.

Which map should I use on a mountain walk?

A contour map. Its height lines show steep and gentle slopes, which a tourist map does not show.

Finding direction with a compass

A compass has a small magnet, the needle. The Earth is like a big magnet, so the needle turns until it points to magnetic north. The red end points north.

The four main directions go clockwise: North (N), East (E), South (S), West (W). Between them are North-east, South-east, South-west and North-west.

To use a compass: hold it flat, away from metal and phones. Wait until the needle stops shaking. Turn the dial until N lines up with the red needle. Now you can read any direction.

A bearing is an angle measured clockwise from north, from 0° to 360°. North is 000°, East 090°, South 180°, West 270°. Always say three digits, such as 070°.

Finding your place with GPS

GPS means Global Positioning System. Many satellites circle the Earth and send signals with the time. A phone or GPS watch measures how long each signal took, so it knows how far away each satellite is. With four satellites it can find your position and height.

GPS tells you where you are. A map or a route app then shows where to go.

GPS has limits. It needs a clear view of the sky. Inside buildings, tunnels, thick forest and deep valleys the signal can get weak or disappear. A phone battery can also die. So always carry a paper map and a compass as a back-up.

Using landmarks

A landmark is something easy to see that stays in the same place: a tall tower, a lake, a hill, a bridge, a temple, a big rock.

A good navigator matches what is on the map with what is on the ground, again and again.

Using different maps outdoors

Different jobs need different maps.

Set the map before you use it: lay it flat and turn it until the north arrow on the map points the same way as the compass needle. Now left and right on the map are left and right on the land. Check the scale to know how far things are, and the key to read the symbols.

Key formulas and definitions

Worked examples

1. You face East. What is your bearing?

East is a quarter turn clockwise from North. A full turn is 360°, so a quarter is 90°. The bearing is 090°.

2. You face South-west. What is your bearing?

South is 180° and West is 270°. South-west is halfway between: (180 + 270) ÷ 2 = 225°. The bearing is 225°.

3. You face a bearing of 090° and then turn 90° to your right. What is your new bearing?

Turning right means turning clockwise, so add: 90 + 90 = 180°. You now face South.

4. A tower is on a bearing of 350° from you. In which direction is it, roughly?

350° is only 10° before 360°, which is North. The tower is almost due North, a little to the left (North-north-west).

5. Your phone shows no GPS position inside a metro tunnel. Why?

The signals from the satellites are radio waves. They cannot pass well through the roof and rock above. With no clear sky view, the phone cannot measure distances to enough satellites.

Common mistakes

Practice quiz

1. The red end of a compass needle points to:
2. A bearing of 180° means you face:
3. GPS works best when the phone has:
4. Which is the best landmark?
5. To set a map, you turn it until:

Practice: answer these yourself

Type or choose your answer, then press Check. Use a hint if you are stuck; the full solution appears after you answer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use a compass?

Hold it flat and away from metal. Wait for the needle to settle. The red end points north. Turn the dial so N matches the needle, then read the direction you face.

What is a bearing?

A bearing is the direction you travel, written as an angle from 0° to 360°, measured clockwise from north. East is 090° and South is 180°.

Can I navigate without GPS?

Yes. Use a map, a compass and landmarks. Set the map to north, find where you are by matching landmarks, then follow a bearing.

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