Navigation Without Compass Guide

Find a straight stick ~3ft long and push it into flat, level ground

Mark the tip of the shadow with a rock or peg (Mark 1)

Wait 15-20 minutes

Mark the new shadow tip position (Mark 2)

Draw a line from Mark 1 to Mark 2 — this line runs roughly West to East

Mark 1 is West, Mark 2 is East. Stand with your left foot on Mark 1 — you face North. South is behind you.

First shadow (before noon) points west-ish, shortest shadow at noon points to your celestial pole

This method works ONLY in the Northern Hemisphere

Locate the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) — 7 bright stars forming a ladle

Find the two stars at the end of the "bowl" (pointer stars: Merak and Dubhe)

Follow the line from these pointer stars upward ~5x the distance between them

This leads to Polaris (North Star) — the last star in the Little Dipper handle

Polaris is always within 1° of true north

Your latitude = Polaris altitude angle above horizon

This method works in the Southern Hemisphere

Locate the Southern Cross — 4 bright stars forming a cross, plus a 5th fainter star

Be careful not to confuse with the False Cross (larger, dimmer)

Follow the long axis of the cross downward ~4.5× its length

This point is roughly the South Celestial Pole

Drop a line straight down to the horizon — that is South

For better accuracy: draw a line between the two Pointer stars (Alpha and Beta Centauri), bisect it with the Southern Cross long axis

Hold the watch horizontal. Point the HOUR HAND at the sun

Bisect the angle between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock mark

The bisecting line points SOUTH

If using daylight saving time, use the 1 o'clock mark instead of 12

Current time: 12:00 — hour hand at 12 position

For best results, use around midday. Accuracy decreases near dawn/dusk

⚠️ This is the LEAST reliable method — use only as a last resort

In the Northern Hemisphere, moss TENDS to grow on the North side of trees

This is because that side receives less direct sunlight and stays damper

However, moss grows where conditions are right — it does NOT always follow this rule

Check MULTIPLE trees and rocks for consistency before relying on this

Look for other indicators: tree rings may be wider on the sun-facing side

Never rely on moss alone — always cross-reference with other methods

If the moon rises BEFORE midnight, the illuminated side faces West

If the moon rises AFTER midnight, the illuminated side faces East

A crescent moon: draw a line from tip to tip through the center, continue to horizon

For a crescent moon before midnight, that point on the horizon is roughly South

Full moon: navigates similarly to the sun (opposite path)

The moon is roughly in the south at its highest point