Skip to content
Survival Skillset

Lesson 4 of 14

The compass, the three norths and declination

40 min

A walker takes a careful bearing off a summit in cloud, holds the compass flat at chest height, and sets off. Her phone is in her chest pocket, a few centimetres behind the compass. The needle is pulled 20 degrees off. Every step is perfect, and every step takes her further from the path. She trusted the needle, which is right; she did not think about what was next to…

In this lesson

  • Anatomy of a baseplate compass
  • Common mistakes
  • The three norths
  • Magnetic declination (variation)
  • In Britain now
  • The rule, worked from first principles
  • Worked examples
  • How much does it matter?
  • How to apply it
  • Compass errors: things that pull the needle
  • Needle balance zones and reversed polarity
  • Check yourself

The rest of this lesson is in the full course

Every module, practical and exam, self-paced and private, with a certificate at the end.

Original price was: £149.00.Current price is: £99.00.

Places on the full course open soon. Module 1 is free to try now.

Already have the course? Log in