No compass navigation made simple

[@Temp0raryName]

Genius at inventing, genius at keeping advice simple enough to remember in a panic. I take my hat off to you.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks Mark! Sometimes simple is the best way to go

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Well, Use this method when in the wild. When on a dance floor, stand on her feet. LOL. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@jameshutto3047]

I cant see the original comment but your reply is hillariuos

[@lynderherberts2828]

Hey, Dave. I've known you for about 7 years now. Your navigation videos are my favorites. Kudos for all of them.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thank you Lyn!

[@stevew1996]

I have used this method to find my bearings in the woods and it usually takes me a minute to work out which stick is which direction. I like your method. I am going to use this method when I teach the kids I work with.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks Steve!

[@igitahimsa5871]

This is a real relief to know, thank you Dave. I did not know about this. I once got lost in the PNW in a thick forest of Lodgepole Pines, was less than 50 feet from my vehicle and could neither see nor find it, nor the road shoulder it was on, in a very rural mountain area of Washington State. Panic was instantaneous when I realized I had lost sight of the car, and dusk was falling. All I could see was a solid wall of vertical tree trunks, similar sized, on all sides of me with no break. I was aware it could happen, but not so close to where I started! What I did to get out was marked my starting point and the way I was facing when I realized I was lost, then with my starting place as the center, I started walking in circles in a bigger and bigger radius out from the center, until I eventually spotted the car. IIRC that rental was red. WHAT a relief that was! SO much better to learn this stuff in advance, before you need to know it!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Sorry to hear you got lost but, that experience stayed with you and made you aware! I like the calm method you used to get out. Thanks for sharing that and thanks for watching Linda

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I usually carry two compasses too. Ive seen how folks use watches for finding direction but I never wear a watch. I dont even own one, lol. So I havent made a video on that one. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@BethNitch]

You are such a smarty pants. Thank you for making it so i can understand without being confused and scratching my head and thinking I'm screwed if i have to do the east west thing or the using your watch thing. I like camping and i can do most of that type of thing ... building shelters...lighting fires...etc. but i could never get the gist of where North, South etc...is. you made it so simple that now i can do this too. THANK you! I'll be sharing this with my son too.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it and found it easy to understand.

[@dcompiler]

Seen this done the "official" way and I always forget. The way you showed is a way I will never forget! It is forever etched in my brain now. Thanks David!

[@goofeymaloofey]

My dad used to take us kids into the family woods to get us 'lost' and learn how to find our way home. Hed stand back and just ask questions till rwe remembered what he had taught us. But id sometimes have to climb a tree and find a land mark cause i just couldnt master the compassless navigation. I LOVE HOW EASY THIS IS! This is too easy! I did it in my back yard a few times and looked like a nut for sure since i was just chuckling at its simplicity! Wish dad had thought to rxplaun it like that. My brother introduced me to your videos a year or two ago. Ive learned something with each one. But this one i felt a lttle sense of triump. I really hate when i just dont 'get' it. Im good now. Cant wait to teach the kids! You are my favorite outdoor dude! (Besides my brothers and dear ol dad.)

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

goofeymaloofey Thats cool! sounds like you had a very smart Dad that thought ahead and wanted you to learn. Im very happy this helped out. The compass can become very very confusing if someone explains it wrong. Its a simple device but you often have to use the terrain and features around you to help it work. Teach it to your kids, make sure they understand and trust a compass. Take care and Thanks for watching

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Sounds good. It is quite an easy method to use. And its pretty easy to remember. Im glad you like it, thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@SuperFreeamerican Cool, I do like the simple, easy to understand ways of doing stuff. No reason to make any process complicated. I'm glad you liked it. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

With no sun, the only other way I know of, is to take a needle from a sewing kit, or the tip of a syringe broken off, or a straightened fish hook and rub it in one direction on silk, a magnet, anything that builds up static elec then lay it on a leaf floating in water. It should point North. Do not trust the moss growing on a tree. I have seen it growing all around trees before. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@riccouchman5604]

Very instructive, Dave. Thank you. I decided to start watching your videos from when you first started to the most current. In that way I get to see the evolution of your thinking and your own learning. I end each of my day, before I retire for the night, watching your videos, often more than once.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks Ric, man that's awesome you're watching every night!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Youre very welcome. I have always been taught that if you were actually lost and in a state of panic that its hard to think. This seems like a very simple method to remember to me. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Yep, the more simple it is, the more the chance of you remembering it. Im glad you liked it, Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I'm glad you liked it Brother! Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! Im glad you liked it and found it helpful. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! Man that would be awesome if I knew this would have saved a life one day. I tried to make it as simple as possible so it would be easy to remember. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Very very good advice! I had heard of the 911 thing before but never even thought about the flashlight app. Good tip. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks Bro. Thats one of my favorite set ups. Makes me feel like a kid at times.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

cool! Im glad you liked it, the easier it is to remember, the better it will be when you really need it. Thanks for watching.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Yep, you never know when it might come in handy. Thanks for watching.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thank you, Im glad you like the videos, and Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks, Im glad you liked it, and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@TheWaggaBloke No changes bro. Your east is my east and my true north is your true north. The only difference in you and me is magnetic north. My country has from neg.20 deg. to pos. 20 deg. declination. Youre country is below the equator, further from the north pole so, you have less declination, between neg. 2 deg. and pos. 12 deg. That only matters during map orienteering. The shadow method is the same. Hope this helps. Take care and thanks for watching brother.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@spareaxe Useful and kids really get a kick out of learning this. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@ahmadiarismaharto9897]

This was one of the best videos on navigation I've seen yet.. Thanks for making this. Can't wait to try it out.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Fantastic to hear that my friend!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Cool! This is a fantastic method to keep in back of the ole mind. Its fairly easy to learn and quite interesting to most just to test out and see how close it is to a compass. Your scouts are gonna love it. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@HBC258 Cool, I have always thought that the more simple it is, the more youll remember it when you weak,tired cold or hungry. Which you may be because if you have no compass, you also may not have food or a pack or anything else. Thanks for the comments and thank you for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks Brother! That means a lot coming from you man. I have not had anywhere near the training you have had. I only know the basic stuff. I'm glad you liked it, Thanks for watching my friend.

[@ewancameron2064]

That's a great and simple technique! I navigate by the sun a lot, but I just use rough reckoning. I know I'll often be off a bit, but not far off. It helps to have an idea what time it is, but if you stay at the same latitude you'll also know about what time it is from the sun. You need to know the plane of the ecliptic, which you can determine from the stars and planets and the north star. Because the earth's axis is tilted, it shifts through the year. Take an angle measurement due south to the plane of the ecliptic at night pointing to it with your arm and remember the angle. Due south will be the highest point in the plane. In the day, hold your arm at the same angle and the sun should cross it at noon. You can swing your arm across the arc and roughly tell the time before and after the noon peak. It's a good method to get your mind around the fact that you're navigating a spinning sphere orbiting a star. I can usually tell the time to within 15 to 30 minutes and the direction to within a few degrees. Sometimes I surprise myself by being only a minute or two off. The tricky business is when it is extremely cloudy. You can sometimes tell roughly where the sun is, but often you can't. The vikings used polarized stones to find the sun in such situations, but how likely is anyone to have on of those? The south side of trees and rocks will normally be drier than the north sides. Lichens and mosses are more likely to form on the north sides of trees. Examining a lot of trees and rocks should give you a fair idea of where south is.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I'm glad you liked it. Thats all very interesting what you have stated. Its often cloudy all winter here so I normally stick with a compass. The moss is usually pretty reliable round here but in some places it grows all around trees. Thanks for watching

[@ewancameron2064]

I think the moss theory is fairly reliable if your moss is in a spot which often gets direct sunlight.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@eltenda Thanks man, I love that jacket. fits well and tons of pockets. thanks for watching bro.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

No problem, I understood you fine. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@TheOverlord2010 Thanks man, the cool part is that this works in the northern hemisphere and the southern as well.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@citys4 Those are Rocky Alpha Force boots. Waterproof and very warm and comfortable. Not too good for summer time tho.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! The cool part is its fairly easy to remember. Even if youre freaked out alittle and lost. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@bashcombatives Theres a few different versions on this but, this is the easiest one for me to remember. Thanks for the comments and thank you for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! Im glad you liked it, I figured that if you didnt have a compass and was in a bad situation, it would be much easier to remember a simple method. I practice this from time to time to keep from forgetting it. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I tried to make it easy because if one is actually lost, I bet they wont be thinking clearly and in need of simple solutions. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

cool! Man thats always good to hear. I have used a map with a compass many times but most of the time I just use a compass to find my way in and out. Its good to know this method in case anything happens to your compass. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@romeodelta1178 The cool part is that it always works. I love a fool proof method. Take care and thanks for watching Brother.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I tried my best to just make it simple and show what works for me. Nothing too technical here. Its too hard to remember that stuff when you lost cold hungry or panicy. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Im glad you liked it. Yes, this is pretty simple, thats what makes it fairly easy to remember and quite accurate. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Sounds good. Yes, this one is an easy one to remember with practice. Its kinda fun to do this early in the morning then late in the evening. Its so cool how no matter what time of day, it always works. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@todddguillory You are missing the fact that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. No matter what time of day, the earth is rotating the same way. Its the half to one hour that makes it accurate. North will always be 180 degrees from south no matter what time of day. You can not take a shadow then take another shadow 8 to 12 hours later. That would be way off. It has to be half to one hour. hope that clears it up, if not, let me know. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@thaiguysabu And it works every time. Good for when you have nothing, just the sun and some sticks. Thank you for watching my friend.

[@davehoward6573]

Brilliantly simple David, thanks for sharing. much easier without needing to think about the East or West. :-D

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it Dave. Sometimes simple is the best way to go!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Yes, anything straight can be stuck in the ground. I like for it to be at least 2 feet tall if I can tho. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Well, I figure if anyone was really lost, they might not be thinking straight so methods need to be as simple as possible. No need to complicate. Plenty more videos where this one came from! Thanks for watching my friend.

[@nlesiak3]

great video! I have a quick tip to pass along, i'm an emergency responder, and I hike often, one of the best tip is that a cell phone, EVEN IF IT IS NOT CONNECTED TO A PHONE PLAN, can still dial 911. when u renew a contract and get a new phone download a free flashlight app & put the old phone in a backpack or with emergency gear, this paired with any crank radio/flashlight that has cell phone charging adapters can be charged and can dial 911 OR can simply be used as a flashlight with the app

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

ha Ha, how true how true. In some cases being lost away from everyday life is a vacation. Yes, it is good to every once in awhile to practice these skills to make sure you can remember them. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks "Wrong Way" LOL. Im glad you liked it. Before youre too hard on yourself it truly is very very easy to get lost in the woods or to walk in circles. Im glad you think Im cool and a good teacher, I show lots on unseen and useful stuff in all of my 75 videos. If I find the Bat Cave I'll film it for ya, LOL. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Cool, I tried to keep this one as simple as it could be. Nothing is more important than keeping in the right direction. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@alindastar]

Thanks David for not making that overly complicated. I believe I might be able to remember that and teach it to my son. Thanks again and keep the video's coming.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Im glad you liked it. Yes, the more simple it is, the easier it will be to remember in a dire situation. Thanks for watching.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! for me, the cool part is it always works and it easy to remember. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@The.positive.pessimist.]

Man that is so freakin cool, I've seen the one where you use three or four sticks to find east and west, but this is so much easier. Your awesome man, and I'm sure this information will save someone's life some day.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

All I can say is I have tried it and it always works in the Northern Hemisphere. I have never personally tried it in the southern hemisphere but I have read where it works all over the world because the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. You are looking for a East West line so it should work. I have gotten numerous comments about all kinds of high tech stuff I have never heard of but I honestly like to keep it as simple as possible. Give it a try and check it. Thanks for watching.

[@Woodenarrows]

Thanks David, this is the simplest two stick method I’ve seen and it’ll be easy to remember. Great video…

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@VanishingNomad Thanks for sending it. I havent seen that one. I have alot of respect for Ron Hood. Thanks for watching man.

[@dgano]

I'm 67 years old. I was two merit badges short of Eagle Scout. I'm a recreational sailor with basic knowledge of navigation. How am I just now hearing about this??? I just tested in my backyard and it works perfectly. THANK YOU!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Fantastic to hear that my friend!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Cool bro. Im glad you liked it. I like to have a very simple to remember method because honestly, if youre lost and panicy, its better to have something easy to remember. the cub scouts loved learning this one. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks man! When ever you get started, just let me know if you need any advice or help with getting started on the filming. Take care bro!

[@DuckNGoose]

Thanks David, your videos are very informative. I am new in bushcrafting and your videos are very easy and well explained. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! And Im always happy to share my friend

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@joaquin698 Some people wait just 15 mins. The shadow doesnt move very far doing it that way. Waiting longer than one hour can be a big waste of time. To me, between 30 and 45 mins is perfect. Sometimes when Nick and I stop somewhere to cook, we play a game. We try to guess direction, then do the sun shadow method, then check with compasses to see who wins. The loser does the dishes, Ha Ha. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

From what I have been told and read, the sun rises in the East and sets in the West no matter where you are in the world. Therefore it should work the same way everywhere. Folks need to test it where they live and see. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks bro! I'd like to think that this is helpful, easy to remember and may just save someone some day. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Oh man, thats something i really didnt talk much about in this and I should have. thats the magnetic declination. It may not matter with this one tho because you looking at true north and traveling true north. Thats o.k unless you have a destination in your head that you saw on a map and didnt even think about declination. It wouldnt be too bad for me here in Georgia because we only have about 2 deg. correction right now, remember, it changes every few years. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@wildimogen80]

This is awesome! I have a really bad memory due to a head injury yrs ago so this is perfect for me! :-D A lot of the survival channels make things so difficult :-( If all your vids are like this I'm set! Me thinks you might be my new favorite ;-) You are the man! :-) * Big Huggs *

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@TheSonofthunder7 Ha Ha, well let me lay this on ya. I was in the 7th grade in 1980. That will either make you feel young, or make you feel old. Ha Ha. Take care and thanks for watching my friend.

[@Lydirius]

Great tip! Easy and simple. The way it should be. Good job!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! Im glad you liked it. That navigation trick is a good one because its always accurate. I have whats called an "Appalachia Accent" Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

No, I havent heard of that method. Pretty cool man! I'll have to look at that one and give it a go. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@g.e.t.managementllc6115]

Hey David; we used to do something similar to this when I was a kid in South Jersey and confirm north by the moss on the trees (always on the north face of the tree). This may also sound odd, but the overwhelming number of downed trees near a creek tend to fall from north to south because they tend to lean out south over the water to take advantage of the space above the creek to grab sunlight. At least this is what we noticed. The woods will give you clues, including the direction of water flow.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I've heard of the moss thing before but the tree notion is amazing!

[@g.e.t.managementllc6115]

I know it sounds strange, but it was our observation and it sort of makes sense. To illustrate this, I just got done watching another of your videos on an improvised hammock made from cordage where you were next to a running creek. The scan of the creek and the first tree that you cinched to showed moss on the trunk which faced the creek (north face) and the downed trees were all on the other bank (the ones facing south). The creek was flowing south-east. Most of the trees on the side where you were on were straight as an arrow, while the other side were tilted over the water. We used these as clues for general direction, though they can usually get you to civilization, if pressed. BTW, I saw another one of your videos dealing with no cordage camp set-ups and an memory came to me about something my father once made for mortise and tenon and sliding dovetail joints. He took a two-inch wide wood chisel and beveled an edge along the top (he was right-handed) starting about a half-inch from the chisel's bevel and ending about a quarter-inch from the handle, which he switched out for a knife handle. He had, in effect, fabricated a knife, draw-knife, chisel combination tool to fine-tune the joints. If you've got an hour or so, I think you might find this an interesting and useful shop project. (I don't recall him making a sheath for it, though).

[@PaulSheils]

Hi David, I really like you twist on the stick method of navigation. I use this method myself from time to time, not that I actually needed to use it but because I enjoy traveling across a wilderness area using nature to find my way. I believe there is so much to learn when you take in what's going on around you .....weather, stars, the sun even the animals....it's fun navigating like this, but of course I always carry a topo map and protractor compass as my main tools. They way you explained this method really simplified it ...thanks for sharing....Paul

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Paul Sheils Cool, I'm glad you liked it Paul. I myself use this from time to time just to remember how but I personally ALWAYS carry two compasses. I rarely use trails so I have to know where I go in and I always follow one direction in so I can find my way out. Getting lost really sucks. lol. Take care and Thanks for watching.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

I know it may not make sense for it to work always but, remember this. The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. Meaning it always rises the same, casting a shadow in that direction, over your head meaning facing forward will always be North. Or, think of it this way, the sun always moves from your right to left no matter what time of day. Therfore looking straight ahead is your North, always. Hope that makes sense, Thanks for watching my friend.

[@nazmabristy2218]

After 12 years . Thank you . Love from Bangladesh 🇧🇩 ❤️

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Someone showed me a little trick once just to see how well you can navigate with nothing. Stand in front of the forest, Hold out a compass and see how you are facing. Lets say east. Put the compass away and with looking forward only, try to walk a straight line for 5 mins. never looking backwards. Stop, pull out your compass and see how far off youre facing. Thats a real eye opener. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching my friend.

[@davidhaupt1]

Great video. Simplistic explanation that made this method of determining your direction of travel easy to understand. Thanks for creating this useful video.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thank you David!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks bro, I'm glad you like the videos. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Ha Ha, yep, its an older one. This is a good method and is quite easy to remember. Thanks for watching Bro.

[@keithcronk7980]

THAT'S SO COOL BROTHER. I DON'T KNOW WHO TAUGHT YOU THIS I HIGHLY RESPECT YOU & THEM FOR IT & TEACHING ALL OF US. YOU KEEP IT SIMPLE. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH. I'VE BEEN LOST IN THE WOODS AND U ARE DAM RIGHT. PEACE TO YALL.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks Keith! My old mentors showed me how this works

[@yggdrasil2243]

Excellent stuff Dave. The simplest way is always the best to remember. Cheers Noel

[@davidstarr6604]

I never knew that David. TYVM about finding north with your feet. I knew about using a watch (as long as it's not digital) but not that. Finding north is easy as long as the stars are out. Just find the north star. I wouldn't wanna be traveling at night anyway, unless I was in the desert.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

You are very welcome my friend. Yep, the North star is always a sure bet but I aint traveling at night either unless its a life or death situation. Thanks for watching David

[@petergibson4539]

Simple and easy to remember. Thanks Dave!

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Cool, Thanks for watching Peter!

[@juliusgonzo7527]

Great, simple and smart advice. I'll remember this. Thanks Dave.

[@HBC258]

Thanks man, this was the easiest and best explination I have ever watched.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

@1620416204 Thank you tom, I was a cub scout leader so I believe in making things as simple as possible. That way, people can remember things easier when its most important, Thanks for watching!

[@welshray1]

Excellent, well i just learned a new trick, and i have been reading maps and using a compass on and off since i was 12 years old (20yrs) thanks bro.

[@JohnLauritzen]

I believe, my friend, you may have just saved my life or at least an unplanned extended stay in the woods because I will always remember this survival tip.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

LOL, dude, you are the only one Ive heard of that could make a fun trip out of being lost, I think more people would be getting lost if they knew it was fun, Ha Ha. I have found some cool stuff when I was lost too. I once found the ruins of an old dairy farm when I was lost. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@lesliehunt2117]

Thanks David, I didn't know any of this. Leslie

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

+Leslie Hunt Cool, You never know when this may just come in handy. Thanks for watching Leslie

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Thanks! I always say, the more simple it is, the easier it is to remember when you have to. Thanks for watching my friend.

[@WayOfTheWoods]

Also, in the northern hemisphere, the clock method of north, actually points south... And depending what time of year, you need to add or minus 1 hour....

[@mrjoeyb]

I was watching Tree Shelter Tree Kitchen yesterday. That was impressive dude!

[@yoyoglock4]

Wow! great information and very easy to remember! I will be doing some practice this weekend. Thank You.

[@stanl.5248]

Thanks for showing how to do it in less than ideal conditions. I wish more people would do it. I thought the left foot tip was clever!

[@lifeofxyco7633]

Now that is something even I can do! Thanks a lot for sharing, buddy.

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

Sounds great my friend

[@Reallybigmonkey1]

You can not use this method if its cloudy. You have to have the sun out to produce shadows.