Please join us February 20th from 6-8pm to learn how to use a compass! This is an entry level, low commitment course to teach the fundamentals of compass work that will include an hour of classroom instruction followed by an hour of navigating a "dead reckoning" course on the athletic fields.

Objectives: 1. Learn to orient yourself using a compass. 2. Determine a distance and direction between two points on a map using a protractor, ruler, and websites. 3. Use a compass and pace count to navigate between two points on an open field. 4. Use identifiable landmarks to triangulate your location. 5. Learn the uses and limitations of compasses in applicable environments.

Caltopo https://caltopo.com/m/23TSK4K

Logistics: The course will begin at at in building 3 room 333 at 6.00pm, then move to the west campus athletic fields at 7.00pm.

Gear: Indoors: smartphone, computer and writing utensils will be required for the indoor portion.

Outdoors: headlamp, winter boots (shoes that can be worn in 2-3 inches of snow for 1 hour and not be a problem), gloves and insulative layers will be required for the outdoors portion of the course. Please bring any personal navigation devices you own.

Stringent layering systems similar to the MITOC trips going into the White Mountains will not be required, but full body insulation will be necessary for the outside portion of the course.

Jacobs' answer to the getting lost question: most recently on Mt Washington. Got disoriented in ~30m of visibility and missed the cairns for the intended route. Ended up navigating to the cog railway and handrailed that until it intersected the intended route.