Direction finding is an important but often overlooked skill, both in real life and scouting life. The ability to know where you are and where you are going can be potentially lifesaving. This section aims to address part of the 'where you are going' problem. If you want to find related material then check out the Map and Compass sections of Scouting.

There are many methods of direction finding, perhaps the most commonly known being the magnetic compass. However, there are methods that are easier and quicker than this (for rough direction finding) and methods that do not rely upon you having any special materials at all (other than the use of your eyesight).

The Earth's revolution on its axis produces the changes from light to darkness and its orbit around the sun produces the seasons (Note: NOT because of the distance to the sun. In actual fact, the earth is closest to the sun during the winter months). The earth is tilted at an angle to the sun and first the north and then the south becomes nearer to it, the closest point traversing from the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N) to the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S), the sun being above Cancer on 22 June and above Capricorn on 22 December. It is above the Equator on 21 March and 21 September.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west - but not EXACTLY in the east and west. Indeed there is a seasonal variation. In the Northern Hemisphere, when at its highest point in the sky, the sun will be due south; in the Southern Hemisphere this noonday point will mark due north. The hemisphere will be indicated by the way that shadows move; clockwise in the north, anticlockwise in the south. Shadows can be a guide to both direction and time of day.

Method 1

On a patch of flat, clear ground place a metre-long (3ft) stick as upright as possible. Note where ites shadow falls and mark the tip with a pebble or stick (a). Wait at least 15 minutes and mark the new shadow tip (b). Join the two and you have the directions of east and west. The first mark is west. North-South will be at right angles to this line. This method works at any time of the day when there is sunshine and at any latitude.

Method 2

Another, more accurate, method (if you have the time) is to mark the first shadow tip in the morning. Draw a clean arc at exactly this distance from the stick, using the stick as a centre point. As midday approaches the shadow will shrink and move. In the afternoon, as the shadow lengthens again, mark the EXACT spot where it touches the arc. Join the two points to give east and west. West is the morning mark.

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A traditional watch with two hands can be used to find direction, provided it is set to true local time (without variation for summer daylight saving and ignoring conventional time zones which do not match real time). The nearer the Equator you are the less accurate this method will be, for with the sun almost directly overhead it is very difficult to determine its direction.

Northern Hemisphere

Hold the watch horizontal. Point the hour hand at the sun. Bisect the angle between the hour hand and the 12 mark to give a north- south line.

Southern Hemisphere

Hold the watch horizontal. Point 12 towards the sun. A mid-point between 12 and the hour hand will give you the north-south line.

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