TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
OK, most of us know how to find true north at night using the Big Dipper and Polaris, but if you needed to find true north during the day, how would you do it?
My daughter sent me this information... think it would work? For survival skills, it might be a good trick in your bag...
The Shadow-Tip Method
1. Place a straight stick straight upright in the ground so that you can see its shadow. Alternatively, you can use the shadow of a fixed object that is perpendicular to the ground. Nearly any object will work, but the taller the object is, the easier it will be to see the movement of its shadow, and the narrower the tip of the object is, the more accurate the reading will be. Make sure the shadow is cast on a level, brush-free spot.
2. Mark the tip of the shadow with a small object, such as a pebble, or a distinct scratch in the ground. Try to make the mark as small as possible so as to pinpoint the shadow's tip, but make sure you can identify the mark later.
3. Wait 10-15 minutes. The shadow will move approximately from west to east in an arc which depends on your latitude and the season.
4. Mark the new position of the shadow's tip with another small object or scratch. It will likely move only a short distance.
5. Draw a straight line in the ground between the two marks. This is an east-west line.
6. Stand with the first mark (west) on your left, and the other (east) on your right. You are now facing approximately toward true north. (Accuracy improves as your location approaches the equator, and as the time of year approaches either equinox.)
My daughter sent me this information... think it would work? For survival skills, it might be a good trick in your bag...
The Shadow-Tip Method
1. Place a straight stick straight upright in the ground so that you can see its shadow. Alternatively, you can use the shadow of a fixed object that is perpendicular to the ground. Nearly any object will work, but the taller the object is, the easier it will be to see the movement of its shadow, and the narrower the tip of the object is, the more accurate the reading will be. Make sure the shadow is cast on a level, brush-free spot.
2. Mark the tip of the shadow with a small object, such as a pebble, or a distinct scratch in the ground. Try to make the mark as small as possible so as to pinpoint the shadow's tip, but make sure you can identify the mark later.
3. Wait 10-15 minutes. The shadow will move approximately from west to east in an arc which depends on your latitude and the season.
4. Mark the new position of the shadow's tip with another small object or scratch. It will likely move only a short distance.
5. Draw a straight line in the ground between the two marks. This is an east-west line.
6. Stand with the first mark (west) on your left, and the other (east) on your right. You are now facing approximately toward true north. (Accuracy improves as your location approaches the equator, and as the time of year approaches either equinox.)