How to Tell Directions Using Rocks

Outdoor enthusiasts know to always pack a compass and map before heading to the backcountry, but how do you find your way if you forget these essentials or they become damaged? Sometimes, rocks and a stick are all you need to find your way home. Shadows cast by the sun move gradually throughout the day as the sun moves from east to west across the sky. Mark the movement of a shadow to find an east-west line and improvise your own compass.

Things You'll Need

  • Stick
  • 2 rocks
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a flat area that is relatively free of debris and grass where the sun will cast a shadow.

    • 2

      Drive a stick or tent pole into the ground. Make the stick or pole stand as straight as possible. If you are in a rocky area, pile rocks up around the base of the stick to make it stand straight.

    • 3

      Place a small rock at the end of the shadow of the stick. If you are in a rocky area, use a rock that is distinct from others in the area, or tie something like a shoelace around the rock to mark it.

    • 4

      Wait about 30 minutes until the stick's shadow has moved.

    • 5

      Mark the new location of the tip of stick's shadow with another small rock. An imaginary line between the two rocks runs east and west. The end of the line marked by the first rock points west.

    • 6

      Face the imaginary line so that it runs parallel to your chest, with the west to your left. Ahead of you is north, and south is behind you.