FM 3-25

MAP READING TIPS AND TRICKS

MEME
MEME

JUNE 2023
DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION:
Approved for public release; distribution is encouraged.
This publication supersedes nothing because it’s not real.
HEADQUARTERS, MAP PEN GANG @fire_meme_alpha
 Good Stuff To Know About Maps
TC 3-25.26 (2013) Map Reading and Land Navigation has a distribution restriction, so here’s some information
taken from Task 071-COM-1001 (Identify Terrain Features on a Map) (it’s not restricted) and the Fort Moore
Hunting and Fishing Map. The fundamentals of map reading can help you have a much better time in the woods!

This information is at the bottom of almost every MGRS map!

(I copied and pasted it)

east/west and the 2nd letter representing north/south

alphabetical with the 1st letter representing
Fun Fact: 100000m square identifiers are
How to Plot MGRS Grids

Northings are the grid lines that run east/west (indicating north/south location)
Eastings are the grid lines that run north/south (indicating east/west location)

10km

100m

10km

100m
Putting Grids On The Map

1km

10m

1km

10m
Level of

1m

1m
__precision

16SGA1300069000

Example Grids and What They Represent:

16SGA1369  4 Digit Grid
Size: 1km x 1km
This is the size of the
6-digit grid. NOTE: This isn’t the same thing as
16SGA1300069000 even though most of
The boxes below the numbers are zeroes! (See below!)
represent 6, 8, and 10.

They’re all plotted on

Northings the map to the left!

16SGA140689  6 Digit Grid

Size: 100m x 100m

16SGA12956898  8 Digit Grid

Size: 10m x 10m
Eastings
16SGA1300069000  10 Digit Grid
Size: 1m x 1m Its very small

Information on this page is taken from the Fort Moore Hunting and Fishing Map which can be found at
https://www.moore.army.mil/garrison/dpw/emd/Content/PDF/Georeferenced_Hunting_Fishing.pdf?May2021
 Understanding Error
There will always be error when you navigate with a map and compass. If you can understand
some common sources of error, you’ll be better equipped to get to your destination! Understanding
error also lets you decide how precise you want to be throughout the process of navigation.

Errors magnified over Distance

Azimuth Error Meters from intended target at...
Mils Degrees 100m 250m 500m 1000m 5000m
1 0.06 0.10 0.25 0.49 0.98 4.91
17.78 1 1.75 3.05 8.73 17.45 87.27
88.89 5 8.72 15.21 43.62 87.24 436.19
177.78 10 17.43 30.31 87.16 174.31 871.56
266.67 15 26.11 45.17 130.53 261.05 1305.26
If you’re dead reckoning on an azimuth for 5km and your azimuth is off by 5 degrees, you’ll be
almost 450m away from your intended target! However, if you can start from a known point 250m
away, you’ll still be within about 30m of the target point even if your azimuth is off by 10 degrees.

How big is that dot on a map?

Have you ever marked a point on a 1:50000 map with a big circle? If you’re not careful, you might
be shooting an azimuth to the wrong place because you drew the dot too big! Some ways to
minimize issues of a “too big” mark include using an X or a circle around a small dot to easily
identify the location.
Width on map (meters)
Item Width (mm)
(of the tip) 1:25000 1:50000 1:100000
Staedtler Permanent Marker, Superfine 0.4 10 20 40
Mechanical Pencil, .5mm 0.5 12.5 25 50
Staedtler Permanent Marker, Fine 0.6 15 30 60
Mechanical Pencil, .7mm 0.7 17.5 35 70
Ballpoint Pen 0.8 20 40 80
Sharpie Permanent Marker, Medium 0.8 20 40 80
Staedtler Permanent Marker, Medium 1 25 50 100
Dull #2 Pencil 1.2 30 60 120
Expo Dry Erase Marker 6 150 300 600
Average Male Index Fingertip 18 450 900 1800
On a 1:50000 map, the dot of a medium map marker is the length of an Olympic Swimming Pool!
Remember, this chart only shows the size of the tip, not the size of the dot you draw.

NOTES: NATO standard mil: 17.7 (repeating, of course) mils per degree
Mark sizes are an estimate don’t be a jerk.
 Images and text are stolen and
Major Terrain Features abridged from task 071-COM-1001
(Identify Terrain Features on a Map)

HILL
A hill is an area of high ground. A hill is shown on
a map by contour lines forming concentric circles.
The inside of the smallest closed circle is the
hilltop

SADDLE
A saddle is a dip or low point between two areas
of higher ground. A saddle is not necessarily the
lower ground between two hilltops; it may be
simply a dip or break along a level ridge crest. A
saddle is normally represented as an hourglass.

VALLEY
A valley is a stretched-out groove in the land,
usually formed by streams or rivers. Depending
on its size and where a person is standing, it may
not be obvious that there is high ground in the
third direction, but water flows from higher to
lower ground. To determine the direction water is
flowing, look at the contour lines. The closed end
of the contour line (U or V) always points
upstream or toward high ground.

RIDGE
A ridge is a sloping line of high ground. If you
cross a ridge at right angles, you will climb steeply
to the crest and then descend steeply to the base.
When you move along the path of the ridge,
depending on the geographic location, there may
be either an almost unnoticeable slope or a very
obvious incline.

DEPRESSION
A depression is a low point in the ground or a
sinkhole. It could be described as an area of low
ground surrounded by higher ground in all
directions, or simply a hole in the ground.
 Images and text are stolen and
Minor Terrain Features abridged from task 071-COM-1001
(Identify Terrain Features on a Map)

DRAW
A draw is a stream course that is less developed th
essentially no level ground and, therefore, little or n
confines. If you are standing in a draw, the ground
directions and downward in the other direction. The
are U-shaped or V-shaped, pointing toward high gr

SPUR
A spur is a short, continuous sloping line of higher
the side of a ridge. The ground will slope down in t
Contour lines on a map depict a spur with the U or
ground.

CLIFF
A cliff is a vertical or near vertical feature; it is an a
a slope is so steep that the contour lines converge
pointing toward low ground. Cliffs are also shown b
together and, in some instances, touching each oth

Supplementary Terrain Features

CUT
A cut is a man-made feature resulting from cutting
to form a level bed for a road or railroad track. Cuts
they are at least 10 feet high, and they are drawn w
line.

FILL
A fill is a man-made feature resulting from filling a l
bed for a road or railroad track. Fills are shown on
feet high, and they are drawn with a contour line al