Experts from REI do a great job of explaining the basic parts of a compass and how to use them, but here is the breakdown: ...

The needle will turn and then come to a complete stop. It will be facing magnetic north. You can check this by placing the compass next to the bowl. The needle is being affected by the Earth’s ...

If your compass features an adjustable declination, start by finding your declination value, the deviation between magnetic north and true north. The best way? Enter your location into the ...