Basic Sun Orientation Skills

Using your smart phone to check your location is not going to always be an option. Being able to navigate and assess your surroundings is key. Be able to read a compass and a topographical map, if you have one, is a great skill to have.

Using the sun to orient yourself is very important. It is also important to be able to estimate how much daylight is left so you can make plans to set camp before dark.

The main rule for navigating with the sun is remembering that it rises in the East and Sets in the west. To what degree changes with the seasons as the sun shifts along the horizon line.

Using a watch with hands or even a digital watch can be very helpful in finding north and thus helping to orient yourself. To do this point the hour hand of your watch to the sun. Then find the halfway point between the hour and 12:00, this is south, so the opposite would be north. If you have a digital watch or just a cell phone you can image the time on an analog watch and then follow the same procedure. I found this great image from this website: https://theprepared.com/forum/thread/navigating-and-estimating-time-by-the-sun/

How to use your compass… check out Dalvey.com for more info. But here are the basics:

Hold your compass flat in your palm. Align the ‘sighter’ with a chosen landmark. Choose something very obvious, like a large tree or mountain. Next rotate the ‘bezel’ until it is inline with the red North indicator needle. Now you can read your heading. So for example if your destination reads 65 degrees then you can follow this bearing to get to your destination. When checking your compass along your walk make sure that your North needle and North bezel indicator are lined up.

Here is a great video on how to use a map and a compass. I would suggest going for a hike for two and practicing your skills so when you really need them, you are feeling confident.!!