Outdoor Skills

Map & Compass Navigation

Never Be Lost in the Backcountry Again

12 lessons4 modules9h 0m durationbeginner level

Instructor: StretchLearn Faculty

About this course

Map and compass navigation is the foundational skill that makes every other outdoor activity safer. This course moves from decoding contour lines and map symbols through declination correction, bearing calculation, and field triangulation, to full route planning and terrain association. Every concept is grounded in real tools — 1:50 000 NTS topo sheets, Silva or Suunto baseplate compasses — with worked examples you can repeat in your own backyard before heading into the field.

Curriculum

Module 1: Topographic Maps — Reading the Landscape on Paper3 lessons

Scale, Grids, and Map AnatomyPreview45m
Contour Lines and Reading Relief🔒45m
Map Symbols, Datum, and Printing Your Own Topo🔒45m

Module 2: The Compass — Principles, Declination, and Bearing3 lessons

Compass Anatomy and Magnetic vs True North🔒45m
Taking a Map Bearing and Following It in the Field🔒45m
Back Bearings, Handrails, and Pace Counting🔒45m

Module 3: Position Finding — Triangulation and Resection3 lessons

Resection — Finding Yourself on the Map🔒45m
Intersection — Locating an Unknown Feature🔒45m
Terrain Association — Navigate by Reading the Ground🔒45m

Module 4: Route Planning and GPS Integration3 lessons

Route Planning on the Topo Map🔒45m
GPS — Capabilities, Limitations, and Field Use🔒45m
Building a Navigation Kit and Going into the Field🔒45m