Hobbies And Interests
Orienteering
Orienteering involves participants navigating their way from point to point in a rural landscape, using only their skills with a map and compass. Many people enjoy orienteering as a simple leisure activity, while others participate in it as a competitive sport. Typically, a course will involve a start and finish point, with a number of control points in between. Those taking part have to use their map and compass to chart a course around these in the correct order, with the control points identified by a flag. Punching a hole in a card at each control point indicates that a participant was there.
Wilderness Hiking/Camping
Getting out of the city and back to nature can provide an enjoyable experience. While many will use developed trail systems in areas such as state parks, more adventurous types prefer hiking and camping off the beaten track in wilderness areas. Common sense equipment to carry in back-country areas includes a compass. Having a compass and knowing how to use it, with and without a map, should ensure that anyone enjoying a wilderness experience can find their way around and avoid getting lost.
Ghost Hunting
One of the more unusual hobbies that use a compass is ghost hunting. Those involved in this activity believe that paranormal entities can produce their own electromagnetic energy fields, which may affect a compass by making the needle move away from north or by causing the needle to spin. Many ghost hunters carry a compass to help identify the presence of unusual and ghostly entities.
Astronomy
Astronomy involves the observation of the celestial bodies in the night sky, and using a telescope with a polar axis enables tracking of the stars or planets as they move across the sky. To do this requires setting the polar axis in a north/south alignment. While Polaris, the North Star, provides a means of doing this, many astronomers will use a simple compass to find north and align the polar axis on a telescope.
Sailing
Whether for leisure or sport, spending a day on the water in a sailboat can be a fun experience. Sailing out of sight of land typically will require the use of a compass for navigation, and those involved in the hobby should have a basic understanding of compass use. This helps keep a vessel on the correct heading for a course charted from starting point to destination.