Hello, I've got a rather basic question to ask.  How do I use a
compass in the city?  I've seen articles explaining it in the woods or
nature, but what about the city?  I guess I can figure it out
eventually, but I'm rather lazy and a short succinct article on the
subject would be useful.  I'm leaving for travel in a couple of days
to London and Tehran, Iran so the sooner the answer the better.

Thanks, 

Ali Rafatjah

Hello Ali,

The use of compass is pretty much same, irrespective of where you use
it - city, jungle, hills or snow!!

Here are a couple of links with detailed usage of Compass. This I hope
would be better then what you have read till now.


1. http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/

OR

http://www.buckskin.org/Resources/Outdoor/compass1.htm

These links give a detailed procedure of how to use a compass alone or
along with a Map.

These pages also throw light on Magnetic Declination - a situation
where the compass is pointing towards the magnetic northpole, and the
map is pointing towards the geographic northpole.

2. http://www.ehow.com/how_2523_compass.html

This link gives a basic step by step procedure of using a compass.

For years, I have used a compass in Mexico City.  I have the Guia Roji
map book, but it is not always easy to tell which street is which when
I come out of the metro (subway), especially when there is a haze. 
So, I flip out the compass, note which way is south or north, then
orient the map book and away I go.

I do not see any special needs for city use compared to country use.