Compassing 101
Compasses & Terminology
The major parts of an orienteering compass
Compasses come in a wide variety of styles, but we will focus on the orienteering compass. It's a light-weight, economical compass well-suited for letterboxing, and this tutorial assumes you are using one.
The photo at the right shows the major parts of an orienteering compass. The housing is the part of the compass that holds the needle, and it will be liquid-filled and turnable. The edge of the housing is called the dial, where the degree markings are located. The housing is mounted on a clear, rectangular base plate, where the direction-of-travel arrow is located. The index pointer is a line on the base plate (usually the non-arrow end of the direction-of-travel arrow) against which the degree on the housing is read, and the orienting arrow is found on the housing and is used for setting the compass.
Your compass might have other features, but these are the basics and the only features most letterboxers will ever need. A good letterboxing compass that will provide years of reliable service should not cost more than $20, and perhaps as little as $10. The recommended compasses on the side are suitable choices for letterboxing, and the Brunton Nexus Star compass is the actual compass I use and you'll see featured in this tutorial.
- Compassing 101 Intro
- Compasses & Terminology
- Following & Finding Bearings
- Triangulation
- Declination
- Improvised Compasses
- What Now?