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N A V I G A T I O N
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finding your way without GPS
JUMP TO
day🌞 N O R T H B Y D A Y
THE ROUGH RULE
the sun rises in the east and
sets in the west. at midday it
sits due south (north of the
tropics). good to about 20
degrees - enough to walk out
SHADOW STICK · most accurate
stand a stick upright in flat
open ground
mark the tip of its shadow -
this first mark is WEST
wait 15-20 minutes
mark the new tip - this is EAST
stand with the FIRST mark at
your left foot and the second
at your right.
you are now facing NORTH
ANALOG WATCH · quick
hold the watch flat
point the HOUR hand at the sun
halfway between the hour hand
and 12 points SOUTH
north is behind you
on daylight saving time, use 1
instead of 12
night✨ B Y N I G H T
THE NORTH STAR
find the Big Dipper. the two
stars forming the outer edge of
its bowl are the POINTERS
follow the line they make, out
of the top of the bowl, about
5 times the gap between them
the modest star you land on is
POLARIS - that is true NORTH,
and it barely moves all night
IF THE DIPPER IS HIDDEN
Cassiopeia, the big W, sits on
the opposite side of Polaris.
Polaris is between them
HOW HIGH IT SITS
the angle from horizon up to
Polaris is roughly your
latitude. a fist at arm's
length is about 10 degrees
compass🧭 C O M P A S S
TWO NORTHS
TRUE north is the pole.
MAGNETIC north is where the
needle points. the gap between
them is DECLINATION and it
changes with where you stand
WHY IT MATTERS
ignore it and you walk a wedge.
10 degrees off over 5 miles is
nearly a mile wrong. know the
local declination before you go
TAKE A BEARING
point the direction-of-travel
arrow at the thing you want
turn the dial until the needle
sits in its outlined box
read the number at the index
walk that number, checking often
KEEP METAL AWAY
knives, phones, belt buckles
and car bodies all pull the
needle. step away and re-check
pace👣 P A C E C O U N T
MEASURE YOURSELF ONCE
walk a known 100 metres and
count every time your RIGHT
foot lands. most people land
between 60 and 68
that number is yours. write it
on your compass
USING IT
move a pebble between pockets
each 100m so you cannot lose
count. pace stretches downhill
and shortens uphill and in mud
found📋 S T A Y I N G F O U N D
HANDRAILS
walk alongside a feature that
cannot be missed - a river,
ridge, fence or road
CATCHING FEATURES
pick something long and
obvious BEYOND your target. if
you reach it, you went too far
AIM OFF
heading for a bridge on a
river? aim deliberately
upstream of it. then you know
which way to turn - instead of
guessing at the bank
LOOK BACKWARD
the way home looks completely
different. turn around and
study it as you go
IF YOU ARE LOST · S T O P
STOP walking
THINK - when were you sure?
OBSERVE - map, compass, terrain
PLAN - then act, slowly
most people get truly lost by
hurrying on while unsure
Practise these before you need them.