How to Determine East, West, South, North direction

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This article was co-written by Josh Gpdbach. Josh Gpdbach is an outdoor education expert and CEO of Bpd Earth Adventures. Bpd Earth organizes adventure camping trips for teenagers around the world. With over 15 years of experience, Josh specializes in organizing adventure trips for teenagers in the United States and other countries. Josh holds a BA in Psychology from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has completed training for first responders in nature, the Leave No Trace teaching team leader and Swiftwater Level 5 lifeguard.

There are 12 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

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Knowing how to determine the main directions using a variety of methods can help you win orientation contests, find the right path if you need to change direction, you can even save yourself when lost in the wilderness . There are many ways to guess the direction, but if you don’t have a compass or cell phone, you still have a way to determine the directions East, West, South, North.

Table of Contents

Use a pole ball

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Collect materials. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so the sun’s shadow always moves in that direction, and you can observe the movement of the sun’s shadow for direction. This method requires: ^{[1] X Research Sources}

A straight stake about 0.6 – 1.5 meters long
A stick about 30 cm . long
Two rocks or other objects (heavy enough not to be blown away by the wind).

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Stick the stake upright on the ground. Place a ball marking stone on the ground.

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Wait about 15-20 minutes. The stake ball will move. Use the second stone to mark the new position of the ball head.

If you have time, wait a little longer and use a stone to mark where the ball moves.

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Connect the marked points. You can draw a line on the ground between two points, or use a shorter stick to connect the two points. The shadow will move in the opposite direction of the sun, so this line defines the East-West line: the first point represents West, and the second represents East.

If you don’t remember the order of directions, start with North, move clockwise, and use a mnemonic phrase:
Get Started With Fame .

Or you can draw a clock with North at 12 o’clock, East at 3 o’clock, South at 6 o’clock, and West at 9 o’clock.

Note that this method is only an approximation and may have an error of about 23 degrees. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Use a sundial

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Collect materials. This method is similar to the pile shadow method but is more accurate because of the longer observation time. Select the flat ground and collect the materials:

A stake about 0.6 – 1.5 meters long
A small and pointed stick
Two small stones
A long piece of string

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Stick the stake in the ground. This should be done before noon. The top of the ball is printed on the ground where, put a stone there.

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Tie the rope to the stick and stake. Tie the spiked stick to one end of the rope, and the other end to the stake, making sure the string is long enough to reach the rock on the ground.

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Draw a circle around the pile. Starting from the rock, use a sharp stick tied to the stake to draw a circle in the ground around the stake.

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Wait. When the ball tip hits the circle again, mark that point with the other stone.

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Connect two points. The line connecting the two stones is the East-West line, where the first stone represents the West and the second represents the East. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

To find North and South directions, remember that North is clockwise next West, and South follows East clockwise.

Oriented by the natural environment

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Observe the sun at noon. At noon, the sun can point you north-south, from which east and west can be determined. However, it is not exactly north or south. In the Northern Hemisphere, the path going directly towards the sun at noon will lead you to the South, and the way away from the sun will be North. In the southern hemisphere, the opposite is true: going towards the sun is north, away from the sun is south.

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Use the direction of sunrise and sunset to determine relative direction. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so you can use sunrise and sunset positions to determine direction. Facing the sunrise means you are facing East, then North will be on the left, and South will be on the right. Facing the setting sun means you are facing west, then north will be on the right, and south will be on the left.

The position of sunrise and sunset only gives a relative direction of the 363 days of the year, because only the two days of the spring and autumn equinoxes (the first days of spring and autumn) are the correct easterly sunrises and Dive in the right direction. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Observe plants. Although observing trees is not supposed to be scientific and exact, you can also rely on it to give you a relative direction. In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is usually south in the sky, and the opposite happens in the Southern Hemisphere. Thus in the Northern Hemisphere, the leaves and foliage on the south side of a tree or bush are usually thicker and more luxuriant. ^{[5] X Research Source} In the Southern Hemisphere, on the contrary, trees will grow better on the north side of the tree.

Many guidebooks note that moss only grows on the north side of trees when living in the northern hemisphere, but this is not true. However, although moss grows in all directions on the tree, it is true that moss usually grows thicker in shady areas (north when in the northern hemisphere, and south when in the southern hemisphere).

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Calculating directions with a watch with a sun and hour hand. You can combine a wristwatch with an hour hand and a sun to determine the main directions relatively if you accidentally get lost in the forest but at least still have a watch on your hand. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, point the hour hand on the watch towards the sun. The South direction will be at the midpoint between the 12 and the hour hand. ^{[6] X Research Source} In the Southern Hemisphere, when the number 12 is adjusted to face the sun, the point between the number 12 and the hour hand will point north. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

When you face North, East will be on your right and West will be on your left. When facing South, East will be on the left, and West will be on the right.
In the summer in regions with seasonal time adjustment, use 1 o’clock instead of 12 on the clock to determine direction. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
This method only works when your watch is set to the correct time. This method has an error of about 35 degrees, so it only gives a relative direction. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Orientation by North Star (North Star)

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Identify the North Star. In the Northern Hemisphere, the North Star can help you find the direction North. This is one of the fastest ways to find your direction at night if you don’t have a compass or GPS device.

The North Star is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. This star is located in the sky near the North Pole, so it doesn’t move much, which means it should help determine the direction quite accurately.

Orientation by the constellation Southern Cross

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Identify the constellation Southern Cross. In the Southern Hemisphere, the constellation Nam Thap (Nam Cao) can be used to determine the direction of the South. This constellation consists of five stars, with the brightest four forming a cross.)

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Use the constellation Southern Cross to find the direction South. Find two stars that make up the length of the cross, imagine a straight line extending 5 times the length of the cross.

When you reach the end of that imaginary line, draw another line down to the ground. This is roughly going to be south. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Select a landmark. Once you have determined the South direction relatively, you should choose a certain landmark on the ground to avoid disorientation.

DIY compass

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Collect tools and materials. A compass is a circular device on which the principal directions are printed. A rotatable needle used the earth’s magnetic field to determine the direction of the compass. You can make a rudimentary compass if you have some materials. You will need: ^{[13] X Research Resources}

A metal sewing needle and a magnet
A bowl of water
Pliers and scissors
Cork (or just a leaf)

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Rub the needle against the magnet. Rub at least 12 times if you have a weak magnet such as a refrigerator magnet, or 5 times if you have a stronger magnet. The rubbing action will cause the needle to become magnetized.

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Cut the cork into a circle about 0.5 cm thick. Then use pliers to push the needle through the cork. (If you don’t have a cork, you can place a needle on a leaf.)

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Place the cork in the center of the bowl of water. The needle will rotate freely like the needle in a compass and will eventually point in the correct direction of the two poles.

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Wait for the needle to stop spinning. If the needle is magnetized, it will point north-south. Note, unless you have a compass or other reference, you won’t know whether the hand is pointing north or south, only that it points in either direction.

Many websites and documents say that you can make a needle magnetized by rubbing it in wool or silk, but that actually creates static electricity, not magnetism.

Determine direction with magnets or electronic devices

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Find direction with compass. Whether it’s day or night, a compass, GPS or cell phone is the best and easiest way to determine direction. These devices are also the most accurate, hence also the most reliable methods. But one important thing to note is that when a compass points north, it points you to the north pole of the magnetic field, which is different from true north (similar to the south pole of a magnetic field as opposed to true south). . ^{[14] X Research Source}

When you rotate the compass in different directions, the needle in the compass will also rotate and indicate the direction you are facing.
The compass may point in the wrong direction when metal objects such as keys, watches and belt buckles are around. The same goes for when the compass is near magnetic objects like some rocks or wires.

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Use a global positioning device. GPS devices are undeniably the easiest way to determine direction or find your way, as they use satellites for positioning. GPS devices can tell you where you are, get directions to a specific location, and track your movements. ^{[15] X Research Sources} GPS devices require a fee and batteries to operate. It also needs to be activated before use to locate itself (know where it is) and download the most up-to-date accurate maps.

Turn on GPS to get the necessary signal.
The GPS device not only has a compass to help you determine the direction of East, West, South, and North, but also has arrows on the map indicating the direction you are facing.
Your coordinates will also appear at the top of the screen with latitude and longitude information.
Since GPS is oriented via satellite, tall buildings, large trees and other geographical structures can interfere with the signal.

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Turn your phone into a navigation device. Most smartphones are equipped with a compass, GPS, or both. You can download applications or install software to make your phone have this function. To use the GPS function on your phone, you need to be connected to Wi-Fi or the internet, and GPS or other navigation services must be active.

To get this functionality, look for “compass”, “maps”, or “navigation” apps.

Advice

If you plan to go on a picnic, you should always prepare food, water, and at least a compass and map. Avoid going alone, but if you absolutely must, make sure to let others know where you are going.

Steps