Tips and Advice

Compass in the Field

Sooner or later, all outdoorsmen are going to find this tip necessary. Getting lost is serious business. To redefine your orientation create a compass in the field. Find two sticks or anything that will stick in the ground. Push the first stick in the ground, which will represent East; the first one will always be east, no matter where you’re at since the sun passes over the planet from the east to the west. A few minutes later follow the cast of the shadow and put the stick at the tip of it. With the two sticks you’ve just established East and West. Draw a line perpendicular to the first one. Now you have points for North and South. The longer you wait for the second stick the better the orientation will be; however, this works in a pinch if the situation is either dire or your in a hurry.
Remember, if west is to your left then north is in front of you. If west is to your right then south is in front of you.
Take the time to practice this one time and you will never get lost in the woods or desert. The reason to practice it one time is because we humans are funny. If we interact with what we do then we have a tendency to recall things better, and you better believe, in a crisis situation this tip becomes invaluable.


© Timothy Kusherets 2005/07