Lost? No compass or GPS?
09/10/14 09:46 Filed in: navigation
Don’t have a map or compass and it’s nighttime? GPS batteries dead? Sounds like you’re in big trouble, right? Well there are some things you can do.
If you can see a crescent moon, take the two points and draw an imaginary line toward the horizon and it will generally point to the south if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, and just the opposite if you’re down under.
If you’re above the equator in the Northern Hemisphere you can also locate the Big Dipper (Ursa Major)—it of course looks like a big cup with seven stars creating a long handle. The two outer stars of the cup are the pointers—think of it as that part of the “cup” you’d clink if toasting someone. If you drew an imaginary line between them roughly five times their combined distance from each other, you’d be right on the North Star (Polaris). Once you find it, stretch out your arms to find east and west, and south will be directly behind you.
Then, if you can see the horizon, stick your fist out in front of you and count how many fists are between it and the North Star. Each fist is roughly 10 degrees, so if you counted four you’d be at about 40 degrees latitude, about the same latitude as Denver, Colorado.
If you’re south of the equator, you look for the Southern Cross; it’s a bit more complicated, but doable. In an urban area?
Most television satellites orbit around the equator, so check roof-tops for satellite TV dishes to tell north or south.
If it’s daytime you can take two sticks and use the sun to find direction. Stick one in the ground and mark the tip of the shadow with a small object, such as a pebble, or a distinct scratch in the ground. Try to make the mark as small as possible so as to pinpoint the shadow's tip, but make sure you can identify the mark later. Wait 10-15 minutes. The shadow tip will move mostly from west to east in a curved line.
Mark the new position of the shadow's tip with another small object or scratch. It will likely move only a short distance. Draw a straight line in the ground between the two marks. This is an approximate east-west line. Stand with the first mark (west) on your left, and the other (east) on your right. You are now facing mostly toward true north, regardless of where you are in the world.
You can even an analog wristwatch—aim the hour hand at the sun, find the center point of the angle between the hour hand and the number 12 on the watch—that’s the north–south line.
If you’re above the equator in the Northern Hemisphere you can also locate the Big Dipper (Ursa Major)—it of course looks like a big cup with seven stars creating a long handle. The two outer stars of the cup are the pointers—think of it as that part of the “cup” you’d clink if toasting someone. If you drew an imaginary line between them roughly five times their combined distance from each other, you’d be right on the North Star (Polaris). Once you find it, stretch out your arms to find east and west, and south will be directly behind you.
Then, if you can see the horizon, stick your fist out in front of you and count how many fists are between it and the North Star. Each fist is roughly 10 degrees, so if you counted four you’d be at about 40 degrees latitude, about the same latitude as Denver, Colorado.
If you’re south of the equator, you look for the Southern Cross; it’s a bit more complicated, but doable. In an urban area?
Most television satellites orbit around the equator, so check roof-tops for satellite TV dishes to tell north or south.
If it’s daytime you can take two sticks and use the sun to find direction. Stick one in the ground and mark the tip of the shadow with a small object, such as a pebble, or a distinct scratch in the ground. Try to make the mark as small as possible so as to pinpoint the shadow's tip, but make sure you can identify the mark later. Wait 10-15 minutes. The shadow tip will move mostly from west to east in a curved line.
Mark the new position of the shadow's tip with another small object or scratch. It will likely move only a short distance. Draw a straight line in the ground between the two marks. This is an approximate east-west line. Stand with the first mark (west) on your left, and the other (east) on your right. You are now facing mostly toward true north, regardless of where you are in the world.
You can even an analog wristwatch—aim the hour hand at the sun, find the center point of the angle between the hour hand and the number 12 on the watch—that’s the north–south line.