Answer

By Country Walking magazine

The first thing to check is you've got a good compass - one with a baseplate is essential for accurate navigation, but it can take a while to work out what's what -  DOT arrows, index lines, orienting arrows. So spend a happy half-hour with the instruction manual before you start or click here for a video about compass features from LFTO's instructor-in-residence Stuart Johnston. Then head out walking...

1. Rotate the dial so the index line on the housing (often marked with glow-in-the-dark to make it clearer) reads 240 degrees - or whatever bearing you have been given.

2. Hold your compass in front of you, with the direction of travel arrow (big arrow on baseplate) pointing away from you (see pic above). Keep the compass level so the needle can swing freely.

3. Keep the compass still and rotate your whole body until the red end of the needle lines up with the red orienting arrow (the red arrow within the dial). Always make sure red matches red and the needle has stopped moving, otherwise you’ll end up heading off in the wrong direction. 

4. The direction of travel arrow in front of you will now be pointing in the direction you should walk...and off you go.

If you've been given a distance as well, then you'll need a way of measuring how far you've walked. For a short distance like 200 metres pacing is your best option - but you need to do some research before you head out. Find a sports track or mark out 100 metres, then walk it, counting how many double paces you take to cover the distance or how many times your left foot strikes the ground. Repeat a couple of times and take an average - around 65 paces is standard. Then when you're out and about you can count the relevant number of paces and know you've walked 100 metres. Keep counting for 200 metres, 300 metres....