How to find NORTH without a compass

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At night find the two pointer stars at the far end of the bucket of the Big Dipper. Follow a line from these two stars to the brightest star and that is the North Star.

Our friends Down Under with have to tell us how to use the Southern Cross.
 
I put the best book on the subject I've ever found in the library "How to find your way without map or compass" by Harold Gatty. This book is a must own. Mr. Gatty was the navigator for the first plane to circumnavigate the globe in 1931. Wiley Post was the pilot.

Mr. Gatty also wrote the survival pamphlets given to Allied flight crews during WW2. And the one put in life boats of allied shipping.

Examples... One rainy night I found my way out of a subdivision after delivering firewood. I knew to look for mildew on the eves of the houses. Here it is predominately on the SW corner of a house because the prevailing winds. Once I knew which direction was SW, the rest was easy.

I use fire ant beds from fall until spring. They always point to the strongest source of sun light. Year round I use the eastern red cedar. They stand like beacons all over the southeast pointing the way south.

“Finding your way without Map or Compass” by Harold Gatty

Harold Gatty.jpg
 
Magus said:
Didn't he used to write for Survive magazine or ASG?
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Google it... He died in 1957. His book went to print in 1958.

The important part is the book. All his techniques rely on nature, the wind, seas, birds, insects, critters of all types, not a compass or anything more modern. He spent much of his life at sea as a ships officer. There is plenty on navigating oceans and forests or how fly a plane around the world in 8 days when no one had done it before.
 
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I live in a deep valley that lays North-South all the deciduous trees have 50% more limbs on the South facing side, and they are much longer than the limbs on the North side.

The exception is trees will grow towards a road because there is more light.
 
Most trees and plants around here have more foliage reaching toward the strongest source of light. It's just really easy to see it in small red cedars. They often grow on fences lines in open ground. But, any tree that's alone and away from other trees is good. With no sunlight being blocked is easy to get a reading from the limbs.

It's amazing how often grey squirrel nests clearly indicate north and south. They like shade in summer and use the tree trunk in winter to block north winds. I sometimes find 2 nests in one tree, one north of the trunk, the other south.
 
Peanut said:
Google it... He died in 1957. His book went to print in 1958.

The important part is the book. All his techniques rely on nature, the wind, seas, birds, insects, critters of all types, not a compass or anything more modern. He spent much of his life at sea as a ships officer. There is plenty on navigating oceans and forests or how fly a plane around the world in 8 days when no one had done it before.
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And so I did. free book anyone?
I R go0oogle ninja! whee-o0o0!
 

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Peanut said:
Google it... He died in 1957. His book went to print in 1958.

The important part is the book. All his techniques rely on nature, the wind, seas, birds, insects, critters of all types, not a compass or anything more modern. He spent much of his life at sea as a ships officer. There is plenty on navigating oceans and forests or how fly a plane around the world in 8 days when no one had done it before.
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Blond girl here…will any of this be affected by pole shifts I’ve read about?
 
Tommyice said:
Blond girl here…will any of this be affected by pole shifts I’ve read about?
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ALL of it, but we'll likely all be freezing under a glacier, so it won't matter.
 
Magus said:
Hint, if its in the library of congress, it is your right to DL it free and legal.

Guess what else is in there? LOLOL If Joey only knew!
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Is there a web portal for library oc? A way to search tittles? Heck, even browse titles? (asking a lot of a gov entity there). Do you use the site often?

I took me years to get used to searching the NIH (national inst o health). They are all pretty bad... lowest bidder after the big guy gets his cut.
 
Magus said:
I'm an idiot, I just wait until the sun comes up. If its winter, leans south, head the other way, if its summer, it leans north.
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The Moon also comes up approximately in the East-to-Southeast. You really ought to carry a compass if you are boonie-bound. And, if you are above 50 degrees or so of latitude, know how much magnetic North and True North differ in your general area.
 
I guess it's somewhat related so I'll add this.
You can get an app on your phone that has a compass, coupled with other navigation goodies like a level, lat & long of your current location, directions to another location...
IMHO, if you're going in the woods or unfamiliar locations, you should have your phone with you anyway.
 
Zoomzoom,
Hike in to Bear Lake in the Cascades Alpine Wilderness Area and try to get a signal... ANY Signal!
Your phone won't give you any help at all.
 
SheepDog said:
Zoomzoom,
Hike in to Bear Lake in the Cascades Alpine Wilderness Area and try to get a signal... ANY Signal!
Your phone won't give you any help at all.
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Agreed when you're going deep. The compass and it's features will mostly work without a cell phone signal.

Around here (like within 100 miles), you can almost always find a signal.
 
havasu said:
You would benefit us greatly here is you were to download everything related and add it into our library here on our site. There is some really great reading for all us members.
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Good idea! I'm on it once I get a new HD in my swarm.
Anybody want to help?

Anybody got any titles? I have a few already that are too big to upload.
Looks like about half of desert publications stuff is in there but IDK how the admin would feel about the anarchist cookbook 2000? or Bo Gritz stuff. got some William Cooper somewhere here on "F" drive..
 
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