How to find North without a Compass

If you’ve ever been suffering from a condition that is scientifically known as “lost” then having a compass with you can be a lifesaver, but as with most useful things they are never around when you need one.

(The North star never moves and is normally the brightest)

So what do you do if you’re lost and have no idea which way is North? There may be a few landmarks around like mountains and rivers but without knowing which way they face you’d be better off not using them at all.

Fortunately, there are various ways to find out which direction is North, however, there is only one way to find out at night and it’s using the stars.

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere then the North Star can be found by first finding the Big Dipper constellation. Draw a line between the 2 end stars and they point directly at the last star in the little dipper which is the north star, also known as Polaris.

If there is heavy cloud cover and no stars are visible then unfortunately unless you have noted landmarks during the day and already know their nautical direction there’s no other way of finding north during the night. Should you be in a situation where you’re not sure which direction is which then simply don’t risk it and stay put as you could be heading further away from safety. Fortunately though when the sun comes up it’s easy to find north, and here’s how.

(The location of the North star in comparison to easily recognizable star constellations)

How to find North without a compass – Method 1

If you are in the Northern hemisphere then the sun will rise in the east and set in the west, so first thing in the morning as soon as you see where the sun rises you will know which direction is east, so face the sun and north is directly off your left shoulder.

The same method applies in the southern Hemisphere except at mid-day when the sun is at its peak it will be directly in the north.

Using this method you should take note of the time of year as the sun can seem to come up closer or further away depending on the season.

How to find North without a compass – Method 2

This method requires an analog watch. Simply point the hour hand directly at the sun, then draw a line between the hour hand and the 12 o’clock mark. This line will point south, so north is directly behind you.