Get to grips with a compass and map to elevate your navigating skills and become a more intrepid explorer.

Navigation of the world’s wild places using a compass and paper map is a must-have skill. With it, you’ll always find your way home.

Silva has posted the directions for using their Starter model compass on line. Boy Scout Handbooks, Fieldbooks, and some Merit Badge manuals contain instructions for their use.

Direction-of-travel arrow: This shows you where to point your compass when taking a bearing. Index line: An extension of the direction-of-travel arrow that indicates where to read bearings.

Having a GPS-enabled device with a built-in digital compass in your pocket is nothing special these days, but there's still room for improvement when it comes to the usability of these functions ...