How to Find the Right North without a Compass

If you’re finding your way in the wilderness without a compass, don’t worry! There are many ways for you to guess which direction is north during the day and at night. By observing the sun, shadows, and stars, you will find north and stay on track.

Table of Contents

Use the shading method during the day

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Find a stick about 60 cm long. If you’re out in nature, you’re probably surrounded by branches. A straight stick that’s at least 60cm long will cast neat and well-defined shadows to help you find the right direction. In general, the longer the stick, the longer its shadow and the more conspicuous it will be.

The diameter of the rod can vary, but about 1.3 cm is usually appropriate in almost any situation. If the sky is cloudy, the rod with a larger diameter can cast a more visible shadow.

Note: This method requires the rod to win. The crooked stick will distract you because its shadow is not straight.

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Insert the stick into the flat and empty ground. Insert the stick so that it is straight. If the soil is hard, you can use a knife or other tool you have to poke a hole in the soil. Observe the shadow of the pole you just plugged in – that’s the shadow you’ll use to find direction. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Fill with soil or rocks to keep the pile upright.
It is important that the shadow falls on flat ground free of vegetation. If the ground is full of grass or uneven, the shadow of the stake will be distorted. Clear the ground if necessary.

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Place a stone at the top of the ball of the stake. This stone marks the original position of the shadow. You need to mark the initial position because the sun will move across the sky, and the shadow will move too. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Since the sun moves from east to west, it will cause the shadow to move in the opposite direction. This means that the initial position of the stake shadow will be the westernmost point.

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Wait 20 minutes. This step is to give the sun enough time to move across the sky. If the shadow has not moved significantly after 20 minutes, wait another 10 minutes. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If there’s no way to tell the time, just keep an eye on the shadow. When you see it move, you can mark a new location and continue progressing.

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Mark the new position of the pile ball. As the sun moves, its shadow will move east. Place a rock or stick at the top of the shadow to mark its new position. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Remember to use an object that will not be blown away by the wind to mark. If both positions of the shadow are lost, you will have to start over.

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Draw a straight line connecting the stones. As the sun moves west through the sky, the new position of the shadow will go further east. The line connecting the two stones will create the east-west axis, the first step to finding the north direction.

To connect 2 stones, you can draw a line on the ground or put a stick to connect 2 points.

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Mark the letter “T” in the original position and the letter “D” in the new position. This step creates a compass so you don’t forget which direction is where. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Remember that the directions indicated on the compass are north, east, south and west clockwise respectively. If you have forgotten the order of the directions on the compass, remember that the phrase “Caught the Moose” reminds of the first letters of the directions north, east, south-west.

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Place your left foot on the letter “T” and the right foot on the letter “D” to find north. When in this position, in front of you will be north and behind you will be south. This pose forms a compass. The north you are facing is true north, because you are using the sun to determine it instead of the earth’s magnetic field. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

If you want to keep track of these directions, you can mark the “B” point in front and the letter “N” on the back.
This method works equally well in both the southern and northern hemispheres. The only difference is that, in the northern hemisphere, the sun will be behind; In the southern hemisphere, the sun will be in front of you.

Use analog and sundial

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Remove the watch and hold it in front of you. Observe the watch face and where the hour and minute hands are pointing.

With this method, you need to use a watch that shows the hours with the hour and minute hands. Electronic clocks do not work.

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Point the hour hand towards the sun if you are in the northern hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere, the sun will point south. Turning the clock so that the hour hand faces the sun is the first step to finding the north-south axis. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Find the midpoint of the hour hand and the 12 o’clock mark. In the northern hemisphere, this midpoint marks the north-south axis. True north will be the direction that points away from the sun.

Some analog watches have an adjustable bezel for direction finding. If you have this type of meter, you can adjust it so that the arrow is at this midpoint.
Note that this method is not ideal, as world time zones are not always consistent. You may not be able to determine the exact north direction, but it will also give you a rough idea of the location.

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Point the 12-inch mark on the watch towards the sun if you are in the southern hemisphere. The next step is to find the midpoint of the hour hand and the 12 o’clock mark to determine the north-south axis. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

In the southern hemisphere, true north is the direction that points towards the sun.

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Use the 1 o’clock mark instead of the 12 o’clock mark in daylight saving time. Depending on the time of year and the region of the world, daylight saving time may be practical. This method is similar to the above, but the time will be 1 hour different, so you need to use the 1 o’clock mark on the watch instead of the 12 o’clock mark. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Remember that daylight saving time in some regions is from March to October.

Find the North Star in the Northern Hemisphere

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Locate the constellation Ursa Major. Also known as Ursa Major, this constellation is the key to finding the North Star, which will tell you true north in the northern hemisphere. This is a large constellation and is easy to find in the clear sky. ^{[10] X Research Source}

The constellation Dai Hung is shaped like a large ladle or ladle, hence the name Big Dipper in English, consisting of some of the brightest stars in the sky. Look for a constellation that looks like this.
Contrary to popular belief, the North Star is not the brightest star. Look for these constellations to locate it.

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Find the outer edge of the constellation Dai Hung. The outer edge of the constellation will be the tip of the ladle, made up of 2 stars. These two stars are called “pointing stars” because they point to the North Star.

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Draw an imaginary line from the outward “pointing stars”. This line will extend over the top of the dipper. The North Star will be at the end of this line.

The North Star forms the end of the dipper in the constellation Little Dipper and is the brightest star in this constellation. When you believe you’ve found the North Star, look around to see if it belongs to a small dipper-shaped constellation. If yes, then you have identified the North Star.

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Stand facing the North Star. When you return to the North Star, you are facing true north. Now you can use this knowledge to find other directions. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Remember that if you turn north, the remaining directions from right to left will be east, south, and west, respectively.

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Estimate the distance if the sky is full of clouds. Sometimes the weather is not favorable for you to apply this method, but you can still find the Big Dipper and estimate the distance to the North Star.

The distance to the North Star is approximately 6 times the distance between the two “pointing stars”. Look at the distance between these two stars, then multiply by 6. This will help you estimate the position of the North Star.

Find the stars in the southern hemisphere

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Locate the constellation of the Southern Cross. If you are in the southern hemisphere, the North Star will not help you find direction. Instead, look for true north using the constellation Southern Cross. This constellation is always seen in the southern hemisphere. ^{[12] X Research Source}

This constellation consists of four creative stars that form the shape of a kite if you trace the outline around them.

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Look for the “pointing stars”. Outside the constellation Southern Cross there are two brighter stars, called “pointing stars.” These two stars are roughly parallel to the two closest stars in the constellation of the Southern Cross. ^{[13] X Research Source}

These two only stars are among the brightest in the southern hemisphere sky. If you’re having a hard time finding the Southern Cross, finding the “pointing stars” is a good place to start.

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Draw an imaginary line connecting the longest distance of the Southern Cross. Two stars in the constellation of the Southern Cross, Gacrux and Acrux, are located at the farthest point of the constellation. Starting at the top of the cross, imagine a line between these 2 stars, then continue pulling outward at the same angle.

You can hold a straight stick in front of you to make it easier to visualize the line.
Depending on the time of year, this line may touch the ground, as this constellation rotates with the earth.

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Draw an imaginary line starting at the midpoint of the line connecting the two “pointing stars”. Similar to drawing an imaginary line from the Southern Cross, you will now find the midpoint connecting the two “pointing stars” and extending the line outward. This line will cross the line you drew from the Southern Cross. The intersection of these two lines will be true south.

Use natural landmarks as reference points. For example, a tall tree in the distance can help you mark the intersection of two lines and tell you the true south.

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Turn back 180 degrees so your back is facing south to find true north. Once you’ve found true south, simply turn around to find true north. Remember to rotate exactly 180 degrees, or you will get off track and not turn right north.

Advice

Don’t forget that when you get lost in the wilderness, the best advice for survival is to stay put. This will help rescuers locate you and keep you safe. If you move, they will have to track you and the rescue will be delayed.

Steps

Use the shading method during the day

Use analog and sundial

Find the North Star in the Northern Hemisphere

Find the stars in the southern hemisphere

Advice

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