How to Determine Direction

You're about to go hiking or sailing and want to prevent getting lost. Just in case you forget or lose your compass, you're wondering how to determine direction to find north. Luckily, humans have been determining direction without compasses for a long time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Find a stick that is a few feet long and fairly straight. Find a patch of fairly level ground.
2. Place the stick into the ground on a sunny day (to cast a shadow) and note the length of the shadow. Put a rock or a stick at the end of the shadow.
3. Wait ten to fifteen minutes for the shadow to move and mark the new length of the shadow.
4. Draw a straight line between the two marks. This line indicates east/west. You'll know which one is east based on where the sun is rising or setting (sun always rises in the east and sets in the west).
5. Remember that when you face north, east is to your right and west is to your left. South is opposite of north.
6. Look up if you're lost at night. Look for the North Star, also called Polaris. Find the Big Dipper and follow the last two stars in the cup portion to the brightest star in the sky. This is the North Star. Face the North Star and you'll find east is on your right and west is on your left.