The kind that is most useful to prospectors is called a topographic or topo map. Topo maps serve as the base or starting point for most other kinds of maps, including claim maps and geological maps. A topo map depicts the topography or physical features of the map-area by means of contour lines and symbols. B.C. Please read chapter eight in Faulkner's Introduction to Prospecting , then try the online Compass Tutorial . Magnetic Declination and several excellent descriptions of compass usage is provided by Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia .
Prospectors routinely use a compass when doing fieldwork.
The above online tutorials will teach you how to properly use and read directions off a compass. No hand-outs for this class. The Twelve Magic Steps to Enlightenment and a Strike and Dip from a Three Point Problem. Steps One through Four are here . Steps Five through Eight are here .