If you have read our article "How to use a compass correctly when hiking?" you already have the basic principles for using your compass. The aim of this second piece is to teach you how to carry out a compass triangulation — an operation that should help you locate yourself if you are lost while hiking, or to verify your position. It is a straightforward exercise, but it is worth knowing the principles before finding yourself in a critical situation.
The accuracy will never be perfect, but it will be more than sufficient to locate yourself correctly.
Don't hesitate to practise in familiar terrain! Don't wait until you're in a critical situation to try this exercise. You can even do it from your flat or your garden, or during a hiking route you know well.
One more tip: you've done a compass triangulation and found your position — great, all is well. You reorient yourself and get back on your way. Don't hesitate to take a little extra time and do another triangulation (after 20 minutes of walking, for example), trying to pick a new landmark. It's a great way to confirm your chosen direction and to "consolidate" and verify your previous fix. Do it — even if you're confident in yourself!
Compass triangulation as a method of locating yourself in unfamiliar terrain is a reliable technique if you have a reasonable grasp of it and practise it regularly. Over time, you can even do it fairly quickly in your head, without drawing lines on the map, for a rapid fix. Some people will tell you: "Oh, I don't bother with that — a phone or GPS is enough." True — except that areas without coverage do exist, batteries go flat, and trust me, more often than not, it is precisely when you are lost while hiking, after hours of going round in circles, that you end up with no battery and no signal! It is never too cautious to know how to find your bearings on your own.
When should you use compass triangulation?
To carry out a triangulation, you need to be able to identify prominent landmarks in the landscape (church steeples, summits, etc.), which means you need good visibility. Fog and reduced visibility are therefore out of the question. You will use triangulation to confirm your position or to find out where you are if you are lost while hiking.What tools do you need for triangulation?
You will obviously need a compass, but also a map of the area you are in — and a proper map if at all possible. I recently saw people heading into unfamiliar territory in a foreign country, going on a 5-hour hike with nothing but a tourist leaflet featuring an imprecise map with no scale and small illustrations giving only a vague overall impression! It is absolutely essential to have a proper official map, or at worst a copy of one. Another necessary tool: a pen or a pencil. Personally, I always have a pencil (it never runs out) attached to my compass!How do you carry out a compass triangulation?
First of all, take your time. A good compass triangulation requires a little attention and time. It is not suited to emergency situations where time is of the essence. Start by orienting your map. We have covered how to do this here. Once the map is oriented, do not move it. Next, take the time to observe the landscape and choose clearly identifiable landmarks. You need at least two, but a third will provide greater accuracy. Do not choose landmarks that are all in the same direction, as the measurement will be imprecise and highly uncertain. Select landmarks that are well spread apart. You can choose a church steeple, a peak or summit, a mobile phone mast, a water tower. You must be able to identify these points on the map as well, and not mix them up. Do not confuse one peak with another, for example. Take a bearing towards the first landmark: that is, without moving the map but by pointing the compass towards the landmark, use the straight edge of the compass as a guide to draw the line extending from that landmark. The map and the magnetic arrow of the compass must of course remain oriented to North. Repeat the same operation by sighting the second landmark, then the third if applicable. Then extend the lines drawn on your map. The point or area where these lines intersect is your location!
The accuracy will never be perfect, but it will be more than sufficient to locate yourself correctly.
Don't hesitate to practise in familiar terrain! Don't wait until you're in a critical situation to try this exercise. You can even do it from your flat or your garden, or during a hiking route you know well.
One more tip: you've done a compass triangulation and found your position — great, all is well. You reorient yourself and get back on your way. Don't hesitate to take a little extra time and do another triangulation (after 20 minutes of walking, for example), trying to pick a new landmark. It's a great way to confirm your chosen direction and to "consolidate" and verify your previous fix. Do it — even if you're confident in yourself!
Compass triangulation as a method of locating yourself in unfamiliar terrain is a reliable technique if you have a reasonable grasp of it and practise it regularly. Over time, you can even do it fairly quickly in your head, without drawing lines on the map, for a rapid fix. Some people will tell you: "Oh, I don't bother with that — a phone or GPS is enough." True — except that areas without coverage do exist, batteries go flat, and trust me, more often than not, it is precisely when you are lost while hiking, after hours of going round in circles, that you end up with no battery and no signal! It is never too cautious to know how to find your bearings on your own.
