SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/scout-compass-points-magnetic

A regular hiking compass needle points toward which north?

Magnetic north, not true north.

  1. True north, the North Pole
  2. Magnetic north ✔
  3. Grid north on the map

Why: A compass follows Earth's magnetic field, so it points to magnetic north. Maps are drawn to true north, which is why you need the declination to line them up.

Huh, didn't know that: NOAA notes the needle follows the local magnetic field, not one exact point on the planet.

The dad joke
Why are compasses so honest? They always point you in the right direction.
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Sources

  1. NOAA NCEI: Magnetic Declination https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/magnetic-declination

Test yourself in the game

Outdoors & CampingOn a map and compass, what is magnetic declination?Outdoors & CampingWhat does it mean to orient a map?Outdoors & CampingWhy might the declination printed on an old topo map be wrong today?

That's stuff everyone should know.