1. Lesson 14 Charting a Course

2. What is orienteering
Using a map and compass to find a way through a wilderness or trial
Pathfinding
The are of finding your way through an unknown territory using a map, compass or GPS

3. Who should be interested in orienteering
Hunters and anglers
Outdoor sports activities – campers, hikers
Equipment needs: topical map and silva compass

4. What is a map
A reduced representation of a portion of the surface of the earth
Contains representative signs called map symbols
Represents all distances in the same proportion as are in the normal landscape

5. What map features should be considered?
Type of map
Topographic map – topos means “place” graphein means “t o write or draw”.
Each topographic map is a drawn or photographed in a specific scale.
Scale refers to the proportion between a distance on the map and actual distance

6. Common Scales 1 unit to 250,000 units is a scale of 1:250,000
Mapped area in 3 scales
1 unit to 250,000 units is a scale of 1:250,000
1 unit to 100,000 unitsis a scale of 1:100,000
1 unit to 62,500 units is a scale of 1:62,500
1 unit to 24,000 units is a scale of 1:24,000

7. What information may a map tell a hunter?
5 D’s - Description, Details, Directions, Distance, Designations
Description – descriptive information about the map
Towns, lakes, mountains, prominent locations
Longitude degrees, latitude degree, cross marks, intersect
Year the map was developed

8. Details Map symbols color indicate various features
Black – human made features
Blue – water features
Green – vegetation features
Brown – elevation features
Human made features include such things as: roads, tracks, houses, buildings, railroads, power lines, dams, bridges, boundaries

9. Magnetic North

10. Map symbols for human-made features (black)

11. Map symbols

12. Contour intervals are printed at the bottom of the map

13. Directions Must know north and south on map
Left margin is west, right margin is east, top is north, bottom south

14. Other methods of determining direction
0-360 degrees – north
90 degrees = east
180 degrees = south
270 degrees = west
Other methods of determining direction
Noon the sun is due south
Trees have thicker foliage on south side
Sticks shadow in photo at noon

15. Distances Located on the scales on bottom margin of the map
A base plate on a orienteering compass may be used to measure distance between points
Grid refers to lines drawn on a map for each degree of longitude and latitude. The grids formed all over the map represent 1 square mile on a 1:62,500 scale map

16. Two ways to determine distance
Pacing – every time left foot hits ground is called a double step, 1,000 double steps = 1 mile
Time to walk one mile, 15 minutes on a highway

17. Designations
Places and map features are designated in various lettering styles
Regular roman type is used for places, boundary lines and area names
Hydrographic names are water features, usually italics are used
Hygroscopic names are elevation features, they are usually block letters

18. What are the features of an orienteering compass?
Three main parts to the Silva compass
Magnetic needle
Compass Housing
Base Plate

19. Magnetic needle – north end is painted red
Magnetic needle – north end is painted red. The needle always points north.

20. Compass housing – revolving marked with “4 cardinal points” – north, south, east, west. Is divided into degree points. Every 20 points are marked, from Orienteering arrow points directly north toward magnetic north. Orienteering lines – parallel the orienteering arrow

21. Rectangular, transparent, can be turned
Contains an arrow referred to as a direction-of-travel arrow.
Edges are marked inches and millimeters for use in measuring on a map

22. The Silva system fives direction without having to figure out degrees numbers. A protractor and compass are provided in one tool so that it may be used with a map

23. Depends on ones location
The true north is the north pole
Magnet north is the compass held direction toward magnetic north pole
Magnetic force of the earth pulls the compass needle out of line with true north. The angle between the two directions is called declination
You can be taken off course if you depend on your compass and forget about declination
If your declination is west, set your compass, then add the number of declination degrees to your reading
If you get a compass reading of 282 degrees and your declination is 9 degrees west, then add = 291 degrees and move your compass dial to 291 degree
If your declination is east set your compass to subtract the number of declination degrees from your reading.