Discussion: How to orient your map

The number one mistake I see adult beginners make is not orienting their map. Even the ex-mil, JROTC, and scouts generally skip this step. They do use their compass but they are overly dependent on it. They use it to take a bearing from their map, find the bearing in the terrain, and run off without a further look at the map. So they are navigating on compass bearing alone, ignoring most of the help the map can give them. We could save cartography and printing costs and just give the bearing and distance from one control to the next on the clue card. Argh!

Navigating by compass bearing, many novices do manage to finish a beginner course but on an advanced course they quickly get (even more) disoriented, resort to search mode, and waste precious training hours doing nothing much useful. And even on the beginner courses they waste time; it often takes them 50 to 100 minutes to finish what a trained 9 yo can finish in 10 minutes.

So, how do you break through? How do you explain this key skill?

The problem is that some people can not conceptually understand the map and therefore use the compass almost exclusively. The only way that I have seen to break this is tons of practice and effort on the part of the person that wants to break it. If you find some other easy way to make this transition. I know I would definitely be interested.... As would any group teaching land nav.

Lots of no compass work can help this break but ultimately there has to be some sort of revelation before people understand the map and those "squiggly brown lines".

I had a breakthrough training on contour-only maps. I don't know if it helps everyone, but it certainly teaches you to look at the (map) information you have available to you.

How about taking the compass away?

I find it ironic that many orienteering clubs require everyone to have a compass, but think it is okay to share a map.

I think it helps for everyone involved in running the meet to be alert to this and if they see someone without a map in hand ask "where is your map? Take it out of your pocket, please; you won't be able to do the course without it. Can you orient it for me? Here, put your compass on it..."

My attempt at a web page to introduce and reinforce the importance of using this skill is here.

Interestingly, in a discussion a number of years ago on this topic, it came to light that there were a few particularly skilled orienteers who always carry their maps with north at the top.

Require everyone to have a compass? I've never known of a requirement for anyone to have a compass!

In Sweden we try to start teaching beginners (kids) to orient the map using only a simple compass like this.



You just clasp it to your map, which basically is the only thing it´s good for anyway. Not much use trying to take a bearing with it, but it still helps you to orient the map.

Which clubs require compass usage? Cascade OC doesn't, and this time of year, we have hundreds of beginners and intermediates at each event.

Until a couple of years after I started orienteering I rarely oriented the map. I grew up looking at a map fixed on the wall, north end up, then going out in the terrain with only my memory of the map. Thing was, I didn't have a compass either, so I had to navigate entirely by terrain features. My profession involves a lot of field work, and I can remember only a few times I oriented the map, then only when I need to be sure where I was and I was too tired to be able to perform the mental gymnastics required to use the map without orienting it.

Watching my own children learning to use maps, I see the ability to orient the map by a compass comes long before the ability to orient it by terrain features. Using the compass, the procedure is quite mechanical.

What is that style of clip on compass called? What is the brand name, the model? I don't care if the word is in Swedish; I just need a word to get to a website that sells it...

Hah, I tracked down the compass name using the URL of the photo above. It is a "learner compass" and that particular model is a "Silva Orienteering Learner 19 Compass".

I also use that type of compass for mountain bike and ski navigation, just clipping it onto the map board. I bought mine from GO Orienteering in the U.S.

Even the ex-mil

Ha, your expectations for military-trained people are obviously way too high. ;-)

I agree with all the techniques mentioned - no compass, contours only, simple compass. I've seen some beginners "click" when they have to go through a course "virtually", standing in one place and turning their body for the correct direction each leg. If that doesn't work, I've put the map on the ground, oriented, and the stand on the side of it and turn for each leg. That seems to help seal in the idea that the map doesn't turn.

Of course, that just helps them orient, not actually read the map. But I think people have a much easier time matching map to terrain if they are looking at an oriented map.

people have a much easier time matching map to terrain if they are looking at an oriented map

Yes! Make orienting the map the very first step, and so much else falls into place. So back to my original question. How do you teach people to orient their map?

One demosnstration I do with beginners is after having explained what it means for a map to be oriented (i.e. features line up, map is in synch with the terrain) I then orient the map (either by inspection or using the compass), then put it down on the ground in that oriented position. I then have them stand on the east side of the map, pick up the map (without re-orienting or turning it at all and without turning themselves in any way) and explain this is how they would hold the map if they were heading due west. Then I get them to do the same thing with all 4 cardinal points - over emphasing and making sure that they pick up on the fact that the map's psoition in relation to the ground is always the same -- that there is only 1 possible way for the maps to be oriented and that it is them that changes position relative to it.

The last time I was involved in a beginner's clinic we started with a simple sketch of a basketball court to practice keeping the map oriented. The participants moved just along the painted lines between checkpoints on the ground. The instructor has a good overview and can see that everybody has got it before moving on to a real map. The only problem is that older kids and adults might be hard to motivate to do "stupid" things like that even if it's very beneficial in the long run.

very simple demo: hold a book right side up in front of group and ask someone to read from it. Then hold it upside down and suggest reading from it . Explain that with a book you are trying to read the text so you turn it the right way for the text

Have map of room (or park or wherever you are ) correctly oriented on table in front of the group . Read the map and point out stuff . Contrast how objects line up and how easy it is to see what is where , but the text maybe upside down or sideways etc. . Folks seem to get it that you read a book with the text lined up correctly , and you read a map with the terrain lined up correctly.

If generaly find it quite easy to teach map orientation. I've taught it to probably well over a thousand people now.

First, I make sure they know how to read the map a little. Ask the beginners to point out a hilltop, a creek, a building, etc... Whatever features they are most likely to use on their course. They can normally do this pretty well, with a little coaching on the symbols. (Contours take special instruction) But make sure they are really doing it.

Now, have them find where they are on the map. Registration areas are generally in a distinct spot, so they generally do this very quick.

Now I explain how to orient the map, simply by lining up the needle of the compass with the north lines of the map. Reaction: wow, that's easy. (Still, make sure you also explain that the lines, ticks, numbers, rotating bearings have their uses, but these are advanced skills, unnecessary for beginners. If you don't explain why you can ignore them people will worry that they don't have the whole picture) Explain that you should orient the map before making any decision, and it will make things easier to figure out.

But now, you need to make sure they really understand why orienting the map is useful. Explain that this means all the directions on the map are now lined up with all the directions in the real world. Most will claim to get this, but you need to make sure they really get it. Some older people will need reassurance that it's ok to hold the map upside down, but others will be very relieved to learn this. Kids will take what you say for granted.

Make sure each person in the group succesfully orients their map. Some will have the map upside down - congratulate them on performing the famous 180% error. A few will be off, because they tried to line up the wrong parts of the compass, reassure them that they can do this... it's simpler than they think, and they will get it with some coaching.

Now have them identify where they are on the map again, and then point out a feature on the map. Explain now, that if you draw an imaginary line between where you are on the map to that feature on the map, that this line now points to the feature in real life. Test them - point out a couple featurse on the map, and ask them to point to those feature in real life.

I'd guess 85-90% of people will be able to follow this without much trouble.

Finally, to get across the point that they don't have to walk a straight line, pick a feature with some big obstruction between you and them. Ask them to describe their route to that feature. They quickly see why you can't always just walk a bearing. Now take a chance to describe simple route construction.

I also use an anology with road maps sometimes, and suggest that for example, if you were driving from Vancouver to California down the I-5, if you had the map laid out in front of you "upside down" (with the Vancouver end closest to your chest - the words may be upside down, but the ocean on the map will be on your right, just as it is in reality. Sometimes I even bring along such a road map and have them actually do it.

I believe many if not most sailors with charts tend to view the chart north up regardless. I'm a sailor but have not been on other boats while underway & consulting a chart for years. For as long as I can remember, I have had the pertinent chart in plastic map case in the cockpit, oriented as we do in O. This would be very important in close-by, rocky or coral areas - so it should be intuitive to avoid treachery....

With the GPS/chart plotters, orientation is as with an O map and with a small black boat symbol in center - the deeper, safer water is white background color, shallower water blue. This makes it relatively easy to keep out of trouble...boat over white, no fright; boat over blue, attention due. O colors for similar are white & green...in white, O delight; in green, things unseen. The chart is likely to be more accurate - the map, well that depends on a lot of things, even the fact that green and white change.

When I teach orienteering, I only teach two things: orient the map & attackpoints.

Orienting - start by having them outside and orient it WITHOUT the compass by matching up with the stuff around them (usually buildings). It's a matching game. Then add the compass, explaining that only the red arrow matters.

Attackpoint - look at the map and figure out what the marker will be on. Then find something on the map nearby which will be easier to find. That's your attackpoint. Go to the attackpoint, then find your marker. Have them look at the first three markers on the map and choose 1 or 2 possible attackpoints for each control. This also helps get used to the legend.

I usually make sure that the start is a few hundred meters from the gathering point. As we walk over together, I stop the group 3-6 times and have everyone orient their map. This way, I can see who's getting it and who's not, and help those who are struggling a bit more. And, by the time that I've been annoying and made them do it 6 times or so, everyone starts to joke around about it ... but get that it's important and that they know how to do it.

With these two things, most beginners can feel pretty good and in control on an orange course.

If I'm setting courses for adult beginners, I also like to make them get gradually harder if possible... start in an area with more big handrails (trails, buildings, etc) and then move them into an area that's more forested/subtle. And transition from white to yellow to orange controls.

Do you have them hold the map so their first leg is "up"? Then rotate the map so the next leg is "up"? Orienting your map then involves rotating yourself, not the map.

I think a lot of teaching is finding simple analogies, that generate a picture in the mind without too many words. I've usually said "hold the map so where you are is at your tummy and where you want to be is out the front". In retrospect that sounds yuk. "Hold the map so the leg is up" sounds (to me) much better. Thanks Una.

The next step can be problematic: "now turn so that the compass north agrees with the map". At this stage I find lots of beginners try to twist their wrists while staying rooted to the spot. An elegant, more reliable, way of expressing the need to turn your body would be helpful to me.

I think the fewer words the better, they've got to do it, and do it right, in a simple situation. Then in a series of different situations so it becomes ingrained. But all with a minimum of words. I often cringe when I hear some people describing all the subtleties and nuances of navigation far too early.

How about a simple "now turn your body until the map north lines agree with the compass". Make sure to emphasize the 'your body' portion so they realize that it's them turning in the right direction that makes things line up.

Everybody sing "Turn your body 'round the map, Turn your body 'round the map, Turn your BODY". From the short but very useful video "Orienteering: The first Steps"...

I can parse the phrase "turn around the map" at least two ways: "pivot yourself around the map" or "turn the map around". Neither one is quite what we mean to say. What we mean is "turn yourself around, until the map north arrow points north".

"Turn yourself around" is a line in the hokey pokey. Maybe one of the lyrical folks here can come up with a catchy orienteering hokey pokey!

How about this exercise?

1. Have students turn themselves around, compass in hand. Call out "face north" ... "face east" ... "face west", etc.

2. Give a map with a course on it, the course visible in the immediate vicinity. Have student hold compass and map. Call out "you're on leg 1, from start to control 1. Turn the map so control 1 is up". Wait for the student to rotate the map in hand. Then call "face control 1". Wait for them all to turn to face control 1. Then say "look at your map. The map north arrow is pointing north." They grab their compass to check and sure enough, you're right.

Maybe we can find an REM song for this. Would be a step up from the "hokey pokey."

You put your first leg up,
You put your start point down;
You put your first leg up,
And you move your map about.
You do the Hokey-O-key,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your next leg up,
You put your next point out;
You put your next leg up,
And you move your map about.
You do the Hokey-O-key,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

bubo: we use the clip-on compasses here too, but much less frequently. Someone at Brunton told me that the mold broke so they could not get them any more, but that does not seem to be the case because there are so many overseas.

Silva of Sweden also makes the Microracer compass with no markings.

Once I had some key words to search for, I found both clip and thumb learner compasses for sale online (and apparently in stock) in New Zealand, the UK, and Europe.

@GoOrienteering: Gale, could you maybe contribute photos of these no-markings compasses to Wikimedia Commons?

I spent the weekend taking a course to prepare for working SAR missions as an air operations branch director (AOBD). AOBD is the position that talks to aircraft (fixed wing and helo) from the ground, and prepares requests for temporary flight restrictions to keep other aircraft out of the area. At the course I learned about glass cockpits. Glass cockpits are computer display screens that pilots use to fly an airplane by software alone. The plane also has traditional mechanical dials and controls for backup. One display is a detailed, current topo map for use by the navigator. Some pilots like to navigate on a map that is always "north up"; others like to navigate "leg up", reorienting the map with each change of heading. The display can be set in either mode to suit the individual using it. That is so totally cool. All pilots use magnetic north. Talking to some of the Civil Air Patrol pilots at the course about my hobby, orienteering, suddenly we came to the mutual new understanding that orienteering would be an exceptionally valuable training for CAP personnel.

Suddenly I have JROTC, SAR, and CAP all lining up to request that NMO provide custom training meets for them.

I discussed this with a professional flight instructor developer of flight instruments with 30 years experience. He teaches adults observes how adults use flight information systems. He says some pilots just cannot use a map. Their spatial thinking is deficient. They can be pilots but only as a hobby, only in daylight and fair weather, and only in their local area.

For the rest, the flight instructor he says he would first teach orienting the map to the compass. Only then would he teach the correspondence between map and terrain.