The base plate has a printed arrow on it indicating your direction of travel. You want to point this in the direction you want to go. There is also a measurement scale printed on it in inches and millimeters. Compasses work very well, until you put them near metal, says Knowles. Don't ever have metal near the compass when you're trying to get a reading.
Chances are it'll be wrong.
There are two different kinds of compasses, azimuth and quadrant. They work in much the same way but look a little different on the circumference of the housing. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble if you know this before you go out and buy a compass. In addition to using your compass, knowing your pace can help you determine how far you've traveled. A pace is a rough estimate of measure to determine your length of travel.