In my opinion, if a person starts learning how to navigate with a compass and has a map in front of them, they will never really learn how to use a compass.

This is what I call the QuickNav test.

The goal is to navigate to a bearing and a distance about a half mile away and back to the starting point without using a map. Navigate back by a different route than the one taken out.

The SNOT (Simply Navigate Off Trails) candidate will log a bearing and a distance each after hundred feet of travel. They will draw the map as they move. When they draw the map, they will estimate the direction for each arrow. No fair using a protractor. The error will be the difference between where the map shows they are at the end and the starting point.

This test should be done in a wooded area without bad underbrush. It should be safely bounded by roads or other features so the candidate can't get lost.

Passing score is the map shows the candidate within 200 feet of the starting point when they return to the starting point. An accurately drawn map must end within 50 feet of the starting point.

If using a compass to navigate, it is a simple problem of summing vectors. Connect each vector to the head of the vector behind it, and you have a map. A vector is a bearing and a distance. I always use 100 feet because it's easy. It's also SLOW.

These are the results of one of my tests while bushwhacking in a wooded area without bad underbrush. I was right at 200 feet with my estimated map. My accurate map drawn with carefully drawn vectors was only 24 feet off after almost 5,000 feet of travel.

A person can stay oriented pretty well if they draw the map as they travel off trail. Whether this is necessary or not depends on the situation.

I used a Cammenga Lensatic compass for this test.