Compass Bearings are one of the most basic forms of navigation. Compass bearings give reference of one location to another. Combined with distance, compass bearings provide a means moving from one point to another. To take compass bearings, you will need 2 things. You will need a compass (a sighting compass is better, but not exclusively required). You should also know your pacing, so that when you are given a distance to travel, you are able to measure how far you have traveled.

Steps to find a compass bearing

	Step 1: Face the object you wish to get a bearing of from your location. Lets say the object is the crane on the left.
	Step 2: Face the direction of travel arrow to the object.
	Step 3: Rotate the compass housing. What you aim to do is to align the magnetic needle and the orienteering arrow. Once you have done so, read the bearing that is inline with the direction of travel arrow. The bearing of the crane is around 220 degrees from your present location.

Steps to follow a compass bearing

Step 1:

Turn the compass housing so that the direction of travel arrow is inline with the bearing you are given. In this example, the bearing given is 220 degrees. Now physically move the whole compass and yourself so that the orienteering arrow is inline with the magnetic needle.

Step 2:

Follow the direction of travel arrow. You should also be given a distance. Pace yourself so that you stop at the correct point. Read more about how to do pacing here.

Step 3:

While you could stop at Step 2, it is not really practical to keep referring to your compass to ensure you are walking in a straight line. What you should do is to pick out a prominent object in the distance. In this example, it will be the crane. Once you have done so, keep the crane always directly facing you, thus you are walking in a straight line and you need not refer to your compass. It is possible to use a series of objects that are inline with your bearing to navigate instead of just relying on a single object. Once you reach an object but still need to travel further to reach your objective, pick another prominent object to take reference from until you reach your objective.