Sun Navigation

When to use this

Any sunny day when you need to verify or find a cardinal direction.

• Confirming direction when compass or phone is unavailable
• Quick cardinal check on an open trail
• Teaching kids a tangible navigation skill

See it done

Enlarge

What you need

• A straight stick, 2–3 feet long
• A flat, open patch of ground
• Two small rocks or pegs as markers

Step by step

1. 1.Push the stick vertically into flat ground. Mark the tip of its shadow with a rock. This is your West marker.
2. 2.Wait 15–20 minutes. The shadow will move. Mark the new shadow tip with a second rock. This is your East marker.
3. 3.Draw an imaginary line between the two marks: West is the first mark, East is the second.
4. 4.Stand with West on your left and East on your right. You are now facing North.
5. 5.Verify: in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun moves west across the southern sky. The shadow sweeps east.

Pro tips

• The longer you wait between marks, the more accurate your east-west line.
• Analog watch method (backup): point the hour hand at the sun. The midpoint between the hour hand and 12 is south.
• Works best between 9 AM and 3 PM when shadows are distinct.

Common mistakes

• Rushing the second mark — 5 minutes isn't enough for an accurate line.
• Using a tilted stick. It must be perfectly vertical or the shadow arc skews.

Continue learning

• Orienteering

  Compass Basics

  Read a bearing and walk it — without a phone.

• Orienteering

  Orienting a Map

  Make the map match the world in front of you.