The simplest way of using a map to figure out where you are is simply to look at these contour lines to create a 3D image in your head, then compare that to what you see.

With the right app (try Digital Field Compass for Android, or for a more full-featured experience, Gaia GPS for iPhone and Android), you can use your phone as a navigation device, no GPS required.

Using a compass to find your location involves a technique called triangulation. For this to work, you need your map, compass, and at least two visible landmarks, three if you want to be extra ...

The compass dictates your direction or heading, and a map shows you where you are on that heading by giving you points of reference. You use the two together to determine where you are, where you ...

iOS ships with a basic compass that you can use to find your basic heading when driving or hiking. It's not as robust as some third-party orienteering apps, but it will work in a pinch when these ...

This is why basic compass and map skills are so important. "Using a map with a compass is a skill that a lot of most people probably don't possess anymore," Bieri said.

At the center of that push is land navigation, which tasks soldiers with plotting points on a map with a protractor and finding spots in the woods using a compass during both day and night.