Questions tagged [orienteering]
Finding points in terrain, with help of special maps, in form of competition or training.
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Are there any examples of orienteering (off-trail) route-finding software?
Route-finding software is common nowadays. For example, you can use Google Maps to navigate from one town to another. It's even possible to use apps like Gaia GPS to plan a route between two points ...
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Why am I seeing the sun slightly north instead of slightly south early in the morning in Malta?
I took this picture this morning 8 June 2021 at 5:50 local time (Malta is UTC/GMT +2 hours).
I've identified as best I could the points in the picture on Google Maps.
Also I identified the buildings ...
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How to follow bearings while running?
I'm am amateur orienteer that does a fair chunk of races. I'm reasonably decent at navigating - using attack points, bearings, contours, catching features etc.
But I cannot follow a bearing ...
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What does contouring mean in the context of navigation/orienteering?
One of the techniques while navigating in the outdoors is known as contouring, what does this mean and when would it be useful?
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What is a back bearing when navigating with map and compass?
Sometimes when navigating with map and compass one will take a back bearing, i.e. a bearing taken directly opposite to the direction one is travelling?
When and why would one want to do this?
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In orienteering/navigation, what is an attack point?
Some features in orienteering or navigation are called attack points. What exactly does this refer to?
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What is a catch feature in orienteering?
On of the terms used in orienteering is "catch feature".
What exactly is a catch feature and how would a catch feature help one with navigating in the outdoors?
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In orienteering/navigation, what is a handrail feature?
One of the terms in orienteering/navigation is "handrail feature".
What exactly does this term mean?
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How to take a bearing when the geographic coordinate grid is not aligned with true north on a map?
I am confused by my new map of the Westfjords of Iceland. The geographic coordinate grid is rotated slightly, but the map indicates that true north is still the top of the page.
What's going on? I ...
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Can you find your location using the angle between compass bearings?
Sometimes compasses are less accurate than we would like them to be. They can be thrown off by their surroundings, have their polarity reversed, become demagnetized, develop air bubbles or be taken ...
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Can a compass be thrown off by its surroundings?
Would it be possible for a compass be affected by its surroundings, such as a large iron deposit or other rocks to the point where it is not working correctly?
I am not talking about declination but ...
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Can a compass reverse polarity?
Can a compass have its polarity reversed so that the end marked "north" points south and vice versa?
If so, what could one do to prevent and fix this problem?
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Is it normal for a compass to develop an air bubble at high altitude?
I live in Denver, Colorado. Going above 10,000 ft. (3,000 metre) always results in an air bubble large enough for me to want to tilt the compass to prevent the bubble from interfering with the needle....
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How to triangulate your position with a map and compass?
While navigating or orienteering with a map or compass one of the essential skills is the ability to find your position on the map with the aid of the compass.
This can be important if you need to ...
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Why would one aim off when navigating with a map and compass?
Sometimes while navigating with map and compass, the advice is to aim off i.e. to aim either to the left or right of the intended destination, as opposed to straight for it.
Why and when would one ...