Survival Tips: Using a Compass

There are a few tools that we should have available in the event of a survival scenario. These tools are going to help us to make it from one day to the next and in some cases, they won’t mean life or death.

One simple tool that should always be included in your bug-out bag is a Compass. This is more than just an item that allows us to know North and South, it is a tool that we can use to stay on track when we are heading from one place to another or even if we are trying to get back to where we were earlier.

The problem is, most people understand a little about a Compass but they don’t necessarily understand everything there is to know about it. That is where this video comes in. It allows you to know more than what you may have known about this simple tool. It will also allow you to use the tool to survive.

First of all, when the compass is held level, the needle is always going to be pointing to magnetic north. By holding the Compass level and spinning your body with the Compass in front of you, you can eventually reach the point where you are facing the same direction that the needle is pointing. At that point, you are facing magnetic north.

Most compasses allow you to spin the top dial of the Compass so that you can go in different directions other than North and South. This is an excellent tool to understand because it can help you to get to safety, water, or even to a mountain range that will protect you.

The numbers on the top of the Compass are what is known as an azimuth. North azimuth starts at 0° and spends around 360° to the right until it gets back to North again. If you were to put your Compass on a map and line up magnetic north with the North on the map, you could easily see what direction to go in order to get to a necessary lake or mountain range.

At that point, you can just keep that number in mind and continually align yourself up as you are walking in order to walk straight to where you are going. This is a tool that has amazing benefits and the more you understand about how to use the Compass in your possession, the more likely it is that you will survive.

Watch more for yourself in this video: