Knowing how to use the compass is a vital part of staying alive in Escape from Tarkov. Navigating properly is needed to stay alive through raids and extract safely.
We’ll run you through exactly how to get the compass, how to get the most out of it, and how to stop it from disappearing upon death.
How to Get the Compass
Like many vital items in Escape from Tarkov, you don’t actually start off the game with the compass in your inventory. You’ll first have to complete the ‘Search Mission’ quest, given to you by Prapor.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to start Prapor’s Search Mission right away. You’ll first have to complete his first quest, ‘Debut’, as well as hit level 5.
You can easily complete Debut by killing 5 Scavs around Tarkov and handing over two MP-133 12 gauge shotguns. You should be able to find these shotguns while looting dead Scavs.
Once Debut is completed and you’ve hit level 5, Prapor will offer you the Search Mission quest. Accept it and head out to find Prapor’s missing convoy in Woods.
Prapor’s convoy can be hard to find if you have no idea where it is, so be sure to check out this interactive map of Woods to quickly find your destination. Using the map, head to the location marked as ‘Usec Camp’. You’ll find the convoy between the three lakes to the northeast of the Usec Camp.
Once you’ve found the convoy, extract from the map to complete the quest. Prapor will reward you for completing the quest with a map of Woods, some Roubles, and the Eye MK.2 Compass.
Equipping the Compass
Equipping the Compass in Escape from Tarkov is as simple as adding it to your inventory and dragging it over to your hotkey bar to bind it to a hotkey.
If you want to stop the Compass from disappearing when you die, though, you’ll have to place it in one of your special slots. You’ll find the special slots in your main gear menu, next to your pocket slots.
How to Use the Compass
Once the compass has been acquired and equipped, you can finally get to using it. The compass works just like a real-life compass does – it allows you to quickly find out which direction is north.
How to Read the Compass
The compass’s red needle shows the direction of the north, while the green needle shows the south. While the red needle is at the top of the compass, you’re walking directly north.
Unfortunately, Escape from Tarkov’s compass is not a perfect way of navigating the wasteland. Due to Tarkov’s soon-to-be interconnected world map, some levels don’t have north at the top of their map, instead having their northern border on the left or right edge of their map.
This can lead to the compass pointing north when you’re facing the west of the map, giving you an error of 90°. This can be incredibly confusing at first, but with some trial and error, you can figure out which way north actually is on each map, and put the compass to good use.
How to Get the Most Out of The Compass
Since the compass doesn’t give you information on your location or correctly point north 100% of the time, you’ll need some additional tools to navigate Tarkov.
Using a map alongside the compass will give you the best shot at finding your current location, and moving efficiently towards where you want to go.
If you have a second monitor or device, you may want to use some community-made maps to help you navigate through each of Tarkov’s areas.
With the combination of the compass and these community-made maps, you can locate landmarks around you and quickly get moving to your destination.
Compass is a useful tool, but you can’t neglect your other gear as you will need the best to extract alive:
Escape From Tarkov: 7 Best Armor Pieces | Best Ammo in Escape From Tarkov | Escape From Tarkov: 10 Best Weapons
