Navigation

Finding your way using the sun, stars, terrain, and common sense.

1. Deciding to Move

Review the "Stay or Go" section in the Critical First Steps guide. If you decide to move:

• Travel during daylight only unless you have a clear trail to follow.
• Set a goal: "I will walk toward that ridgeline" or "I will follow this stream downhill." Having a concrete destination prevents circling.
• If you reach your goal and find nothing, reassess before continuing.
• Take your shelter materials with you — you may need to stop and build again.
• Mark your trail as you go (see section 8).

2. Navigation by Sun

Basic direction from the sun:

• Northern Hemisphere: The sun rises roughly east, passes through the south, and sets roughly west. At midday, the sun is due south. Your shadow points north.
• Southern Hemisphere: At midday, the sun is due north. Your shadow points south.
• These are approximate — the sun's exact position varies by season and latitude.

Shadow stick method (more precise):

1. Place a straight stick upright in the ground (about 1 meter tall) on flat, clear ground.
2. Mark the tip of the shadow with a stone or scratch. This is your first mark (west).
3. Wait 15–30 minutes. The shadow tip will move. Mark the new position. This is your second mark (east).
4. Draw a line between the two marks. This is your approximate east-west line.
5. Stand with the first mark (west) to your left and the second mark (east) to your right. You are now facing approximately north (in the Northern Hemisphere) or south (in the Southern Hemisphere).

Watch method:

Northern Hemisphere: Point the hour hand of an analog watch at the sun. The line halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock points roughly south.

Southern Hemisphere: Point 12 o'clock at the sun. The line halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock points roughly north.

For digital watches: draw a clock face on the ground or paper with the current time.

3. Navigation by Stars

Northern Hemisphere — finding Polaris (North Star):

1. Find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) — seven bright stars shaped like a ladle.
2. The two stars on the outer edge of the "cup" (farthest from the handle) are the pointer stars.
3. Follow their line upward from the cup approximately 5× the distance between the two pointer stars.
4. You'll reach Polaris — a moderately bright star that sits almost exactly above true north.
5. Face Polaris. You are facing north. Behind you is south. Right is east. Left is west.

Polaris doesn't move during the night. All other stars rotate around it. This makes it the most reliable nighttime reference.

Southern Hemisphere — using the Southern Cross:

1. Find the Southern Cross (Crux) — four bright stars forming a cross shape.
2. Extend the long axis of the cross 4.5× its length downward (away from the top of the cross).
3. That imaginary point is approximately above the South Celestial Pole (true south on the ground).
4. Mark the point on the horizon below it. That's south.

General star navigation:

• Stars rise in the east and set in the west, just like the sun.
• If you watch a star for 15 minutes: if it moves up, you're facing east. Down = west. Right = south. Left = north (Northern Hemisphere).

4. Reading Terrain

• Go to high ground first. A ridgeline or hilltop gives you line-of-sight for roads, towns, water, smoke, or other signs of civilization. The effort of climbing is almost always worth the information gained.
• Valleys and drainages lead to rivers. Rivers lead to settlements — most human development follows waterways.
• Follow the path of least resistance. Game trails, ridgelines, and streambeds are easier to walk than dense brush. Save energy.
• Listen. Roads, trains, aircraft approaches, barking dogs, chainsaws, generators — sound carries far in wilderness, especially at dawn and dusk.
• Smell. Smoke, exhaust, manure, cooking food — all indicate human presence.

5. Walking in a Straight Line

Without a compass or visible landmark, people walk in circles. Studies show that within hours, people return to within 100 meters of their starting point without realizing it. To prevent this:

Landmark leapfrogging:

1. Pick a distant, visible landmark in your desired direction (a distinctive tree, rock formation, hilltop).
2. Walk to it.
3. From that point, line yourself up with where you came from, and pick a new landmark in the same direction ahead of you.
4. Repeat. This maintains a straight line.

Back-sighting:

Periodically turn around and check that landmarks behind you are still in a straight line. If they're drifting to one side, you're curving.

Three-point method:

Place two sticks in a line behind you. Walk forward until you can look back and see them aligned. Place a third stick at your current position. Walk forward and sighting backward, checking all three sticks stay in line. Remove the farthest stick and repeat.

6. Following Water

Following water downstream is one of the most reliable methods to find civilization.

• Small streams join larger streams. Larger streams become rivers. Rivers have bridges, roads, settlements.
• Walk along the bank, not in the water (saves energy, stays drier).
• If the terrain along the bank becomes impassable (cliffs, dense brush), move away from the water to find a way around, then return to it.
• At stream junctions, follow the larger flow.

7. Signs of Civilization

Watch for these — some are subtle:

• Cut stumps or saw marks on trees — logging means roads nearby
• Fence posts or wire — follow fencing; it leads to property and roads
• Trail markers, cairns, blazes on trees — you're on a maintained trail
• Trash and litter — paradoxically, litter means people are near
• Aircraft flight paths — repeated low-altitude patterns may indicate a nearby airport
• Straight lines in nature — nature doesn't make straight lines. Power lines, roads, fence lines, and plowed fields are all human
• Light glow at night — even a small town creates sky glow visible from ridgelines
• Sound — dogs barking, vehicles, trains, church bells, machinery
• Cleared land or fields — agriculture means roads and buildings

8. Marking Your Trail

If you're moving, mark your trail so rescuers can follow and so you can retrace your steps if needed.

• Build rock cairns (stacked stones) at regular intervals
• Break branches on the side you passed, at eye level
• Scratch arrows on trees or rocks indicating your direction
• Drag a stick to leave a visible line on soft ground
• Leave bright items (pieces of cloth, tape, packaging) tied to branches
• Write notes — if you have paper/a marker, leave messages at prominent points with your name, date, direction, and condition