What’s the point? (compass pun intended).
You own a compass, GPS, sat nav etc. what’s the point in learning to navigate using other methods? When we have so much technology at our disposal why bother learning extra skills?
The answer is simple… to connect with nature.
It’s not just using natures tools to determine what direction you are heading, it’s about understanding what you are looking at on a deeper level. Once you dive into the depths of nature it opens up a whole new way of looking at everything.
The Sun
Sunrise and sunset
Rises in the east sets in the west. Well, sort of, mostly all of the time. The sun only rises due east and sets due west twice a year. That is on the spring and autumn equinoxes. An equinox is the time of year when day and night are the same duration. Each day the rising and setting point changes a little.
On summer solstice, when the day is the longest (June 20th 2020) the sun will rise at 49 degrees and will set at 311 degrees. At winter solstice, when the day is its shortest (December 21st 2020) the sun will rise at 128 degrees and set at 232 degrees. So throughout the year that is a difference in rise of 79 degrees and set of 104 degrees respectively.
Southern facing
As we are in the northern hemisphere the sun will always be in the southern half of the sky. And will be due south in the middle of the astronomical day (not midday 12:00). Looking at the compass in the picture you can see that the margin for error in winter is a lot less than in the summer in winter the sun only moves 104 degrees across the sky, in comparison to the summer where it can move 262 degrees, so adjust accordingly.
Using your watch to find south
Not totally natural but a neat trick so ill include it. If you point your hour hand of your watch at the sun, then bisect the difference between the hour hand and the 12 o’clock position and it will point you roughly south.
Stars
The best way to find north in the night sky is to find the location of the north star, Polaris.
You will first need to familiarise yourself with the constellation of Ursa Major or as i know it, the Plough, it is also known as the great bear and the big dipper. Once you have found this constellation you need to find it’s two stars named Dubhe and Merak (Stars 1 and 2 in the diagram). These stars are going to be used as navigational pointers to find Polaris. Measure the distance between star 2 and star 1 and then follow an imaginary line 5 times that distance from star 1. That will take you directly to the north star which, as you quite rightly assumed, gives the location of north.