How to Find True North Without Using a Compass
You’re lost in the woods. That’s bad. You forgot your compass. That’s worse. But it’s not hopeless.
There are several techniques you can use to find true north and get yourself reoriented.
The Watch Trick
If you’ve got a watch, and it’s not digital, you can use it like a compass. First, point the hour hand towards the sun. Then find an imaginary line halfway between the hour hand and the 12 on the watch face. (During daylight savings time, the halfway line is between the hour hand and the 1.) That imaginary line points south. North, of course, is 180 degrees in the other direction.
If you’ll wait awhile, you can watch the sun and see which way it is moving. If it’s rising, that’s east. If it’s setting, that’s west. You’re oriented.
The Needle Trick
If you’re lucky enough to have remembered your first-aid kit, get a needle from it. Rub it on the silk liner of your sleeping bag or other material, and the resulting static electricity magnetizes it.
Lay the needle on a blade of grass and float that in a cup of water. It will orient itself in a north-south axis. You’ll have to guess which way is north, but at least you’ll have a 50-50 change of being right.
The Stick Trick
Find a stick that is about three feet long. Poke it in the ground so that it is standing straight up. Then place a rock at the end of the shadow cast by the stick. Wait about 15 minutes.
Now place another stone at the end of the second shadow. With your back to the stick, stand with your left toe touching the first rock, and your right toe touching the second rock. You’re facing north.
Draw an imaginary line from the first rock marker to the second. West is the direction of the first marker.
The Oldest Trick in the Book
But if you have no watch, no needle and the sun has gone down, stay put. Rescuers look near where you were last; if you wander, you’re less likely to be found.
the answer is a gps
Moss depends on how the sun shines on each tree, so it varies a lot. If you look at several trees that get full sun all day there might be a tendency, but it wouldn’t be precise. Sun motion (a stick method) or the north star can be precise.
Moss on the tree’s the sun don’t shine on the north side !
If what the stick trick is telling us is true, the picture accompanying the article is wrong. Assuming that the scout’s left foot was the first marker (because the stick shadow is behind his right foot), then his left foot should be East if the arrow is pointing to the North….
The picture is not wrong, Sun rise East to West, so 2nd mark is East(as shadow moving the opposite direction), which is his right foot, the arrow point to North all right.
At night you can also find north using the stars.
I guess that would depend if your in the northern or Southern Hemisphere 😉
Great lessons. But I think the NEXT lesson needs to be a SPELLING lesson.
Going into the woods? Be prepared! That includes looking at map before you go and always carring survival gear. For more information, consult the Boy Scouts Handbook
Watch from which direction the sun rises and that will always be roughly east.
i dont find north, north finds me…
the right end of the big diper points to the north star