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Track the Sun to Find NorthIf you suspect you're off-track use the sun to help orient you and determine which direction is true north.Text: Ryan Pinkard Photos: Andrew Bydlon
For this technique to determine north, you will need a stick (or pole), two stones, a visible sun, and about three hours of time. Find a sunny location.
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READERS COMMENTS
Page 1
I'm pretty sure the sun actually sets in the west, not east. :)
— Danial H
This hiking book teaches how to orient yourself using the sun and the stars, a compass, a compass and a map, a map and no compass, no compass and no map! Look for it on Amazon: "Felix the Sugar Glider Be Safe Hike Smart." Anyone wanting to know direction and especially for adults who want teach these skills to children might enjoy learning from this book. To feel more confident about orienting ourselves outdoors, we read thru this book before every hike - it's only about 34 pages and illustrated. Felix! teaches the reader what to pack, trail ethics, what to do if you get lost or scared, how to get rescued, and survival packing (for the car and for the trail) incase you end up unexpectedly spending the night outdoors.
— AZ Hiker
Though the picture may be accurate, it could also be misleading. The drawing has the north-south line going straight through the stick. That will only happen if the time period was centered on local noon (i.e. from approximately 10:30 to 1:30). If you were to do this from 7am to 10am, the N-S line would not go through the stick. So people need to remember the 90 degree idea and forget the illustration that might make them think they need to line up on the stick.
— Don Crownover
Good brief tutorial with one point to make. The final diagram should pointedly not include the stick in the 90 degree line, to avoid confusion, as this will only occur if mid-day was precisely between your three hour start and stop times. So: 90 degrees from the east-west line will correctly point north, but this will RARELY intersect with the stick, itself. Stay safe!
— LeftHandElias
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