2 EASY WAYS to FIND NORTH in the WILDERNESS!!!

[@brucebannerman6848]

As a Forest Ranger for over 50 years I always carry a compass, works at night and when rain and overcast is occurring ,like when searching for a lost hunter, I remember, as a 12 year old,my Dad telling me ,if confused, to go down hill until you find a stream and follow the water,it will lead to a road or the ocean and you can drink out of the stream!

[@terryparker1694]

A compass is totally inaccurate in almost every instance and will get you hopelessly lost.

[@brucebannerman6848]

@@terryparker1694 My guess is you don't know how to use a compass, I never got loss but I confess to being confused a few times!

[@terryparker1694]

@@brucebannerman6848 I was a navigator in the military numps. You're outing yourself.

[@terryparker1694]

@@brucebannerman6848 You don't know how to use a compass. Obviously. Compasses hardly ever indicate true North and are off many degrees. ALL compasses are inaccurate.

[@brucebannerman6848]

@@terryparker1694 Through my career I spent considerably time in small aircraft,

[@kcm069]

Of course, in Australia, we would call this excellent video, "2 Easy Ways to find SOUTH"

[@williamf3988]

In Australia, for environmental reasons, the government does not allow humans to travel let alone stick objects in the soil

[@kcm069]

@@williamf3988 unless you are Qantas or Rio Tinto

[@cnone3785]

Up side down there where toilet water spins backwards

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

@@cnone3785does your pee spin the opposite direction then?

[@cnone3785]

@@MarkSmith-js2pu sure does after a few to many room spins 1 way & pee the other

[@alexbowman7582]

Another thing is humans not used to being lost somewhere tend to panic and end up travelling in circles. If lost in the wilderness it’s a good idea to sit down for 10 minutes and contemplate your predicament and rationally think of the best solutions.

[@ronfox5519]

This is absolutely true. Has helped me many times out in the woods and became a great life lesson that helped me in other circumstances. And in the same vein, I was taught to always look behind me as I was traveling because thevsame route looks completely different on the way back than it did on the way out.

[@brentbraten6680]

My dad always told us that the easiest way to find north is to remember that the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west, All you really have to do is sit down and watch the sun for a few minutes Due to the rotation of the Earth the sun will track from east to west. After that a litle common sense should tell you which way is north.

[@mellocello187]

On an overcast day?

[@brentbraten6680]

@@mellocello187 , Yeah, even on an overcast day. You can usually see an “imprint” of the sun (a circular spot that is lighter than the rest of the sky) on all but the cloudiest of days.

[@brucepoole8552]

@@brentbraten6680fog

[@scotty3114]

The watch method only works in the northern hemisphere.

[@tominmo8865]

@@scotty3114 What nonsense. The only difference between the two is that in the southern hemisphere, you would be detecting true north with the watch, not true south.

[@tearlach61]

I once had to figure out which direction was north when I had gotten separated from my group while hunting and then wounded a deer which I pursued all day. It was near nightfall when I decided to abandon my search and find my way back. I was 14. It was November in northern New Mexico and the night temperatures were into the single digits so it was clear I was in for a cold night if I could not find my way back. I remembered from looking at a map that a road running east west was located to the north of me and that if I could travel north long enough I would cross that road. So I placed the setting sun on my left and traveled trying to hold the sun on my left. The thing was that after going around obstacles, several times I would find that the setting sun had moved over onto my right. So I re-oriented the sun back to my left and continued. It was disconcerting to be sure but I kept re-orienting the sun onto my left until I eventually found the road that I remembered seeing on the map.

[@johnstorton]

The sun confuses me in winter. It tracks along the southern sky.

[@lyrebird9749]

Both good strategies to know. However, they both rely on you being able to see the sun and/or shadows. If you're in a dense forest or jungle, or if it is very foggy, cloudy or getting dark, it's a different story.

[@fightforjustice3744]

If I was lost and it was getting dark, I wouldn't be going anywhere till the next day.

[@nealgill3023]

You can also stop and take a deep breath. If you smell shit, that is the direction of NJ. If you smell tacos, that direction is south. You take those 2 LOP’s, lines of positions, and plot them on the ground and where they cross is your location. Looking at that point, you will find your foot prints. Follow the round edge of the shoe print back to your car. At this point, it is fairly easy to find a DQ and enjoy a heath bar blizzard.

[@daveoldham3121]

too funny

[@TheQueensWish]

Not so fast my dear … DQ sells a taco basket.

[@theguywithone]

Can confirm. Born and raised in NJ

[@kimberlymyers2083]

Guess you have never been to any of the beautiful places in NJ like Sussex or Cape May, or a hundred others. Too bad.

[@theguywithone]

@@kimberlymyers2083 Exit 19 Rt 80 NJ.

[@rshoe1023]

Pretty good stuff! I knew about the sticks and shadowing, but the watch trick is new to me ty!

[@snapcutter9596]

My father taught me that one when I was but a child. I remember all I needed was that timex to get back to camp. Harder to tell from 10 am to 2 pm. They dropped me off different spots on a pine island two cypress heads north of camp. And knowing the center link on each of the swamp buggy tire chains had their own sign to read. W - for ours ,the Weezee. F- for the Frog. G - for the Gould. You could tell who's buggy and what direction it last traveled, for a10 year old to return to camp. Mid to late 60's deep in the Everglades south of the Miccosukee Indian reservation south of alligator alley. For a week every year. Trying to shoot Bambis big brother. Or a turkey or two. Got that 8 point at 13. Thankful. For all I learned from a father that loved to fish and hunt our once plentiful state.

[@backwoodstrails]

The watch instruction you gave works in the northern hemisphere. The way you use your watch is slightly different in the southern hemisphere. South of the equator point the watch 12:00 mark (not the hour hand) at the sun. Half way between the 12:00 mark and the hour hand will be approximately North. Also, spiders tend to make their webs on the leeward side of trees, so if you know the direction of your prevailing winds, you can use spider webs to help determine direction. The shadow stick method you used is a very accurate method. On bright nights far away from light pollution, you can do the same with the moon.

[@tomfloyd8282]

what is the leeward side

[@ZenWithKen]

We have lots of poplar trees where I live. The south side of the tree will have a white powder on it. It's crude, but it works in a pinch.

[@rwhut5048]

One caveat to using the wristwatch to find north: Daylight Savings time! If it's set for DST, you have to use the "1" instead of the "12". Otherwise, you're introducing an error of 15 degrees, and that can add up over distance. The video didn't mention that.

[@craiganderson5556]

And the noon according to standard time may be a little off from true local solar noon.

[@alexbowman7582]

Inuit have always used their knowledge of the shapes of ice to work out directions. The younger Inuit have partly disowned their folklore relying on GPS to find their way and there’s been a few close shaves where young Inuit became lost and nearly died after GPS devices stopped working.

[@kulturfreund6631]

Thanks. Really interesting. The first tip is completely new to me.

[@pinslayer4579]

In the northern hemisphere the sun rise and set is only directly east and west during equinox other times of the year its N.E or S.E sunrise depending if it's summer or fall same applies to sunset. But you can sill rely on it for general direction.......or use the compass that you should have with your knife and fire starter ANYTIME you're in the bush

[@tominmo8865]

During the two equinoxes every year, the sun is rising and setting at the equator. Unless you are on the equator yourself, the sun is not due east of you when it rises. At 45 degrees north, for example in Minneapolis, the sun is exactly southeast when it rises on the equinox. At the North Pole (90 degrees north), the sun is due south of you because every direction away from the pole is due south.

[@nicolemmer7681]

​@@tominmo8865Yeah, thousands die annually because they got lost at tha north pole. Probably trying to find Santa ... Draw a diagram and you'll see why the sticks will work everywhere. On land I trust them more than a compass, too much magnetic interference sometimes. And I say this as one who has actually done night marches using a compass, so I know how to use one properly.

[@bonjovi7120]

Bha ha you clown😂😂😂

[@joegarcia2354]

Very great info. and you got right to the point, i didn't have to watch it for about an hour.

[@davidaaaa4611]

I did not know that. I learned something today. Thanks for the video.

[@VTPSTTU]

Thanks for the video. These are interesting tips, but they have caveats. As another person has already commented, you didn't specifically say that the first shadow tip location will be further to the west, but because the sun moves from east to west, the shadow tip is going to move from west to east. A simple point is to write a "W" next to the first shadow tip location and then an "E" next to the second shadow tip location. One doesn't need an analog watch to use the watch trick. If one's digital watch shows three o'clock, one can stand with one's right shoulder pointing at the sun. The twelve o'clock position would be directly ahead. If one needed to go south, one could turn forty-five degrees to the right to go south. If one needs to go north, one can look at where south is and just turn around. Of course, none of this is useful on a cloudy day when one can't see the sun and a stick poked into the ground doesn't cast a distinct shadow. None of this does any good at night. These are still great tips for sunny days, but if I don't have a compass, I'm absolutely certain that I'll be lost at night or on a cloudy day. If I remember correctly, finding north at night in the northern hemisphere can be done by finding the North Star. I'm not horrible but not great at finding the North Star. To be honest, I'm usually in a place where I know where north is, so I look north to find the North Star. Again, I fully expect the night to be too cloudy to see stars if I ever get lost.

[@robedmund9948]

That stick is called a gnomon. Native Puebloan people have been using those in the US Southwest for centuries to align their buildings with the movements of the sun and moon.

[@robertjosan]

Why did the native people want to align their building according to the sun and moon?

[@robedmund9948]

@@robertjosan To track time. Especially the time if year. See if you can find "The Mystery of Chaco Canyon" narrated by Robert Redford. Amazing the technology these people developed.

[@irenerosenberg3609]

What stick is "that" stick?

[@robedmund9948]

@@irenerosenberg3609 The one he sharpened and stuck in the ground.

[@hokeypokeyalso1783]

Thanks, I knew the stick method but did not know about the watch! 👍

[@William180]

That’s awesome thank you for watching.

[@fortesfortunajuvat6782]

It is amazing how many "outdoor" people still don't know how to get unbewildered.

[@LarryGarcia-p3j]

Then Why call them outdoors people?

[@fortesfortunajuvat6782]

@@LarryGarcia-p3j Notice the word is in quotes.

[@richardwarren7492]

No kidding

[@fortesfortunajuvat6782]

@@richardwarren7492 English and reading comprehension aren't your strong suits. Got it

[@jamestaylor2976]

I remember the analog watch thing from Lloyd Bridges on Sea Hunt!

[@richardwarren7492]

Now you're aging yourself, yep remember that episode.

[@jamestaylor2976]

@@richardwarren7492 Lloyd Bridges (aka Mike Nelson) would give various tips on the show.

[@davidbrown7932]

Wow tremendous thankyou 🙏🇺🇸

[@robertonavarro7713]

Just bring a compass when hiking in the woods.

[@franksullivan1873]

Lol

[@franksullivan1873]

Just bring your phone.

[@Phil-y8c]

@@franksullivan1873....and if the battery craps out?

[@erniea4424]

Or a wristwatch...

[@janetpattison8474]

Or driving in a city where you want to stay safe, (Phone forgotten at home).

[@csjrogerson2377]

There is a more mathematically complicated method for those with a digital watch, but knowing the approx time of sunrise, the time, which hemisphere you are in and the fact that the sun moves 15 degrees per hour, you can get rough compass bearings and south or north as required. An outstretched arm with fingers spread is 15 degrees or 1 hour and a closed fist is 5 degrees or 20 mins.

[@JamieKeefer]

For the first measurement the shadow moved to the left which would imply the sun casting the shadow moved to the right, and if the sun sets in the west, in this case the right, wouldn’t what you drew as true north actually be the south? You never really mentioned how to determine which point was east or west.

[@kamnovak5268]

i also noticed that he failed to explain method one properly

[@williamsheetz2085]

@@kamnovak5268 The Camera View on the final view is from the opposite direction, judging by the marks in the sand. He did not explain it well.

[@HenryFabian-sy2zw]

That's right, you pulled the original stick out before you marked N in the sand. If you had left it in, we could have figured it out.

[@emanuel-m8i5c]

informative nice job

[@William180]

Thank you, my brother

[@Gregory-fl6io]

Dam them cloudy days and a snow storm 😢. The sun is to simply but as you know common since is not common!

[@cyrusalivox]

The watch trick only works if your time zone is solar. Here in Spain, we're on Central European summer time, 2 hours east of where we should be.

[@rfiskillingussoftly6568]

In Canada, you can tell by bent trees...the consistency of the West wind actually can be seen in the trees!😉

[@tammyjoma]

I'll have to check that out here in Ontario.

[@Se7enmax9]

“Us” old school army dudes refer to the 1st example as the “shadow tip method”. If you are lost at night in the woods, start by finding a clearing so you can observe the night sky, next locate the Big Dipper use your right thumb to cover the last star in the cup, next extend your right pinkie finger outward, next slightly moving your hand your right pinkie finger will cover “Polaris”(North Star)this star does not move and the Big Dipper rotates around it) once you have located this star drop your hand straight down with your arm extended from your body and now you are pointed north. Note using your right thumb to cover the last star in the cup is going to change as the dipper moves.

[@memeMFjones]

Thank you Cap Obvious, any tips to when its over cast or maybe sun is not available?

[@tinytree100]

great tips, thanks. I subscribed !!

[@William180]

Thanks for the sub!

[@pirsensor1186]

I only look at the time if its 06.00 the sun is in the east is it 09.00 then the sun is east,south and 12.00 its in the south and if its 15.00 its in the south west and is it 18.00 its in the west if you are in the north side of the eart.Its not precise but you going in the right direction.

[@SteveCondron]

Lost my compass at 3000ft. No trees but lots of stones covered in lichen green on the north side purple on the south. It was blowing a blizzard and visibility was very poor but the stones got me home.

[@midwestmatthew9752]

What I've never understood is what to do once I know where North is. Surely I need to know something about my own position in relation to my destination and my (presumably unrecognized) surroundings before knowing the directions would be of any use, right?

[@William180]

Correct my friend

[@FredeseaChris]

When you draw the line between the short sticks, you say east and west. Is it not west and east as you draw the line

[@Llydrwydd]

Good tips, concisely explained, but I live in the UK. Yes, we do have sunny days but cloud cover can be a common feature in our weather patterns so a compass is a must, especially in the changeable conditions of the mountains.

[@Phil-y8c]

Mountains? i am not being a smart ass and unfortunately, I have never visited the UK. Are your mountains in the Northern UK? Best wishes from Central Arkansas.

[@Llydrwydd]

​@@Phil-y8cYes, there are several mountainous areas in the UK in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland and although they're not as high as the Alps (for example) they are known for their beauty, variety and in many cases the challenges they can pose. Often conditions are very changeable and mountain rescue teams are kept busy. Most are in the more Northern areas. Scotland has the Cairngorms, Grampian, Central Highlands and on the isle of Skye (a beautiful place) the Cuillins amongst others. In Wales there is Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons, Black mountains etc. Incidentally Sir Edmund Hillary's team used Snowdonia as a training ground before the first successful ascent of Everest. England includes the Lake District with it's 'fells', the Pennines and the Peak District. Northern Ireland has the Mourne Mountains. Hope you get the chance to visit.

[@starcorpvncj]

Concisely explained? Surely you jest. It doesn't start until 2.15 in the video and then he completely forgets that it's the opposite for those viewers in the southern hemisphere and also to adjust for daylight saving time etc it that is applicable.

[@garypeterson3628]

The watch thing can be done with a digital watch too. Just draw the watch face in the dirt, and draw in the numbers and hour hand.

[@robertmckinley2030]

The sun comes up in the East and goes down in the West. North is on your right side when facing West. It is best to always bring a compass.

[@KNKLHEAD]

I must be dumb .. on the stick test, you had three sticks. Then you had two sticks and drew and east/west line. I assume you ONLY used the sticks -- first was west and second tip (after lunch) was due east?

[@jonathantepairi2664]

Unless it's pissing down raining and you can't see the sun, you might use that time to reflect on your situation like this,,,,,, if you can remember where the sun came up you know that is east you can work out the suns tracectory tracking west and given the direction of the incoming rain you can find out that its established position will be either north or south ,another way of finding your position is by following a water course rivers ,creeks and streams flow downhill following this course of action does two things it provides food and water for nourishment and two it allows search parties visibility of your awareness ,,,,,easy peasy

[@Theo-io5np]

Good tips…thank you

[@William180]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks

[@tammyjoma]

Thank you! One problem is when it's not sunny. I got lost in the woods one time when it was snowing, overcast and getting dark. Scary for a little while there! Fortunately, I wasn't that far from known landmarks (not far away) in all directions, so I walked. If I got truly lost, I'd probably look around me for a clearing visible to aircraft, or stay put as long as I could and stay awake. Suggestions for an affordable, reliable gps if cell service fails?

[@johnnylingle9314]

NESW!! North east south & west 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@HoldTheLine1990]

If the sun is out ya can use the stick and shadow method or if you run with an analog watch ya can use the hour method.

[@martywebb1487]

Polaris Lyra Arcturus..Polaris is north Arcturus is west and Lyra is east at dark until midnight then u have pleadies in east before sunrise ..now that changes on season .but they give u a general direction at night day time u do what was shown I the video ...I was always told mushrooms grow on west side and ginseng on east side In more

[@richardwarren7492]

Yep, armature astronomer here for over 60 years.

[@johannakamstra-schickendan7380]

Whow that’s very well explained thank you. But if there is no sunlight?

[@richardwarren7492]

OR - - you can simply always carry a small compass in your pocket that costs a rousing 1.50 or 15 slip on wrist compasses for 6.99. or - on your cellphone for nothing. However, your method is correct.

[@donkenmuir9504]

Thank you for info

[@maxjek2374]

Where I am the part on tree trunks where lichen (fungus) grows is South. The parts of the tree trunk facing N, E and W are bare.

[@StellaSwiers]

Interesting. I live in Australia, can I use your method here? Thanks.

[@starcorpvncj]

Yes mate, but you need to reverse the North and South directions because we are in the southern hemisphere.

[@yellard6785]

I didn't get it but I will rewatch a few times 😊..

[@billtate5693]

Branches of trees, especially deciduous trees standing alone, tend to be more horizontal on the south side and more vertical on the north side

[@tominmo8865]

For the second method, you don't even need an analog watch. As long as you know the time from a digital watch, radio, phone etc, you can set up two sticks to act as the watch hands. You could even get a good guesstimate by doing it in your head. At 6am the minute hand would face 180 degrees directly away from the sun, so due south would be found by looking at the sun and turning 90 degrees right.

[@PasqualeDeRosa-n1v]

I was always taught that if I got lost I should ask a policeman for directions.

[@richardwarren7492]

LOL

[@Rick-nc3hm]

I am okay if it is sunny. Cloudy in the woods is tough.

[@Joseph-o3g4r]

Very informative

[@FernandoRamirez-sg9ll]

Good advises ! 😊

[@skydiverclassc2031]

I went on a boat tour of a bayou in Louisiana, and quickly found out that there are NO identifying landmarks out there, unless you're close enough to I-10 (east-west). It was really disorienting, although obviously you could get a general idea from the sun's path, or the watch trick.

[@pickwickkennedy9550]

Clever. Thank you.

[@iviewthetube]

Oftentimes, before I go on a trip, I look up what time solar noon will be for my location. Solar noon is the time the Sun is precisely due South.

[@budpierson]

Pretty slick..

[@miketrissel5494]

When you say to take the watch and place it horizontal, you need to be a little more specific here ... do you mean the face of the watch?

[@Ist_Geheim]

Sorry, I have to correct you: Moss does not grow "on the south side" of a tree, and it also does not grow "on the north side" of a tree! It always grows - generally speaking - on the side of a tree depending of the region where these trees are standing. It has to do with weather and general(!) wind directions. But in one point you are right: You cannot rely on that. Regional wind where I live comes from south west, but locally winds can have other directions.

[@TonyM540]

Any method of finding true north using the sun will only work on two days in the year in Ireland.

[@jameskerry3826]

Are one or both...only for the Northern Hemisphere, or not? Thank you.

[@stanjohnson7849]

In the northern hemisphere you should be able to figure out south by knowing the appropriate time and where the sun is…. And the moss on trees will be less on the southern side 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@erikrichardgregory]

Using the stick method, is the first stick east and the second stick west? Or is the first stick west and the other east? Still confused…

[@LIK64]

Use it just like a compass if north is in front of you the 1st stick ( left foot) is WEST, 2nd stick ( right foot) EAST. hope that helps

[@erikrichardgregory]

@@LIK64 thx, but what if you don’t know where north is? Assuming the sticks follow an east to west trajectory, could you say the first stick is easy and the second west?

[@stevenjohnson1143]

One way in the Northern hemisphere is during the day shadows fall on the North side of trees and move East to West

[@highlander5170]

nice

[@emmanuelgoldstein4371]

1. Build a sun compass. 2. At night find Polaris (North Star).

[@glenbateman5960]

Face west, turn right. Face east, turn left. Most easily pulled off at dawn or dusk.

[@davidbaxter9864]

Not great methods in the UK where we spend so much time under a blanket of grey cloud wondering where the sun is....

[@juliobertoldi9629]

What he is explaining is true, if you find yourself in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere it's the opposite. Am I wrong?

[@bobsmoot2392]

The main branches of trees, in an open area, will be massed on the South of the trunk (northen hemisphere). Trees grow toward sunlight.

[@PhillipStewart-k7f]

Watch the sun. Wind. Sun shade. Sun raise from east to west.

[@gordonstagg6907]

Wind changes, if you notice clearings or slews

[@sandersjones1577]

I didn’t know that, I’m a city boy too

[@TAKHSGR]

If heavy rain or cloudy then what ? Is any trick to do ?

[@ray-ew7tp]

All very good but what if the sun is covered by clouds,fog trees etc.🇬🇧

[@oov55]

On your example - what if your watch has the time as 12 minutes past 3 ?

[@7890klop]

A rainy or cloudy day might be a problem.

[@commandernoodles2367]

I still don't understand the watch method. I appreciate the stick method.

[@tominmo8865]

Gets to the point at 2:05

[@DJL0455]

Thank you. Jesus....

[@starcorpvncj]

@@DJL0455 My sentiments exactly.

[@markrademaker5875]

If we see the shadow from the first stick when it is shortest then the shadow of the stick is pointing due north?

[@Psychiatrick]

Tree foliage will be fuller, facing south, while the north facing branches would be less full due to less sun ...

[@allensmith9312]

Even simpler, in Australia, the sun tracks from east to west and is always in the north...

[@mikejustice1196]

So Cub Scout, which stick was East?

[@ZenWithKen]

The sun tracks east to west. You should be able to figure it out from there.

[@wolfmantroy6601]

Here in Alaska for much of the year the sun does not go from east to west.

[@rdburbridgesr]

I have 2 other ways. First know where north is before you go, then second don't get lost in the first place.

[@johnskyfrancis4768]

Do not get lost with this guy.

[@starcorpvncj]

Especially in the southern hemisphere where all is the exact reverse of what he said.

[@billwilson6670]

Especially on a day when the sun isn't shining.

[@bertrandmcdonald1428]

things i didnt know thank you

[@gradywilson9213]

I am a city guy, I love the city my wife & I went to a great jazz club tonight listened to the Dave Tull group, had a great time. Before we had dinner at a Jamaican restaurant. Do something different every week, lots of choices. Yes the wild is nice, but I rather the city, nice clothes, good food, good music, good sex afterwards.

[@twinheatingairconditioning135]

I couldn't find my way out of this video

[@Romft17]

What do you do if it is overcast and cloudy with no sun?

[@observenotify8604]

In the morning sunrise 🌄 Facing to the east, your left hand side is always the north.

[@charleshamilton6555]

Well I do have one question on using the watch hands method... Do the Daylight Savings Shifts affect this method in any way ???

[@William180]

Yes, just use the 1:00 position

[@ljsmooth69]

People the watch has to be working and on the correct time and for whatever place you're at

[@tony-lx6cz]

At noon shadows point north , that is in the summertime . The sticks in the sand makes a sundial and that is for telling what time it is, This is good when you want to know what time it was when you got lost! And if you see some cows in the field, you will notice they all face the same direction so this will tell you which way the wind is blowing , yes the wind will be blowing up there asses. another thing you can do is yell and scream , someone might here you. If that does not sing , someone will come along and tell too to shut the f----- up.

[@joe-hp4nk]

Without watching the video, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west so now you know north and south.

[@pizizhangsg1319]

The second way has a problem in the mid noon when thecsun is directly over your head.