How to navigate by local signs. How to navigate with a compass and the terrain using natural signs. Orientation using a compass

A person goes on a journey for various reasons: hiking, traveling, relaxing, performing various tasks in the natural environment.
In order not to get lost or go astray, he must constantly know where he is, for this he must be able to navigate the terrain. What does this mean? - Be able to determine the sides of the horizon and your location relative to local objects and relief elements, choose the desired direction of movement and maintain it along the way.
They navigate the terrain using a compass, map, celestial bodies and other simple methods. I will tell you how to navigate the cardinal directions by celestial bodies, local objects and other signs.
The globe is conventionally divided by the equator into two hemispheres: northern and southern. The equator runs from west to east. In the northern hemisphere, in which we live, the direction north can be determined by standing with your back to the sun at local noon. Your shadow will indicate the direction north, west will be on the left, east on the right. In the southern hemisphere, north will be behind you, east to your left, west to your right. Local noon is determined using a vertical pole 0.5-1 m long. The pole does not have to be vertical. Tilt does not affect the accuracy of this method (Figure 1)

You can use shade from thin trees and other tall free-standing objects. Shortly before the expected noon, mark the position of the end of the shadow with a peg, pebble or marker and make marks until it begins to lengthen again. The moment when the shadow became the shortest corresponds to local noon.
There is a slightly different way to determine the sides of the horizon. After inserting the pole, mark the end of the shadow, wait 10-15 minutes (if the pole is 1 meter long) and make the mark again. Draw a straight line through the first and second marks, extending it by 30 cm from the second. Stand so that the toes of your left foot are at the first mark, and the toes of your right foot are at the end of the drawn line. You are facing north. This method is most accurate in the southern regions in summer and winter.
Remember! The sun always rises on the eastern side and sets on the western side. The shadow moves in the opposite direction. Therefore, the first shadow mark will always be in the western direction, and the second - in the eastern direction.

Determining the sides of the horizon using a watch
You can successfully navigate the cardinal directions with the help of a watch. To do this, place the watch horizontally on your palm and turn it until the hour hand points to the sun. Mentally draw a line through the center of the dial in the direction of number 1 (13 o'clock). Divide the angle thus obtained with a bisector in half. This line will show the direction south. Moreover, in the northern hemisphere, the south is to the right of the sun until 12 o'clock, and after that it is to the left, in the southern hemisphere it is vice versa. Remember! That the clock should show true local time (Fig. 2).
Don't despair if you have a digital watch on your wrist. The solution is simple. Draw a circle on the ground, mark the direction of the sun with a peg (any other object) and see what time it is. Let's say 14:30. At the mark you made on the ground, write 14 hours (2). From this figure, every 30° restore the usual
clock face. Find the number 13 (1 h), connect it to the center. Divide the angle between 14 and 13 in half. The bisector will indicate the south-north direction (Fig. 2).
Remember! The sun travels 15° in 1 hour, and the clock hand travels 30°.
This method gives good results in temperate latitudes, especially in winter, less accurate in spring and autumn. In summer the error can reach 25°.
In cloudy weather, to determine the sides of the horizon, place a stick at the center of the clock (fig. a clock on the ground) and hold it so that its shadow falls in the direction opposite to the clockwise direction. In the middle between the hour hand (the line opposite the shadow) and the number 1 (13 o'clock) the direction will be south (Figure 3)

At night you can navigate by the moon and the clock. Divide the disk of the moon into six equal parts with your eye. Determine how many such parts are contained in the visible part of the moon. If the right part of the disk is visible, then the resulting number of parts is subtracted from the hour of observation. If the left part of the disk is visible, then the resulting number of parts is added to the hour of observation. The resulting difference or sum will indicate the time when the sun will be in the direction where the moon is observed. Having determined this time and conventionally mistaking the moon for the sun, they find the direction to the south, as is done when orienting by the sun and a clock. At the same time, point the hour hand at the moon, not the division on the watch dial that corresponds to the calculated hour. On a full moon, when the moon and sun are in the same direction, the hour hand should be pointed at the moon.

Orientation by the stars
Ancient sailors and travelers successfully maintained the direction of movement, guided by the stars
Find seven bright stars in the sky, forming a giant bucket with a handle (Figure 4)

This is the constellation Ursa Major. With its help, it is not difficult to find the travel star burning above the North Pole - the Polar Star. The two stars at the end of the bucket are "pointers". The polar star is in a straight line with them at a distance equal to five segments between the pointers. Ursa Major orbits the North Star. Therefore, its position does not change. The North Star always points north.
You can also navigate by the constellation Cassiopeia. This constellation of five bright stars is shaped like the letter M or double Y. Polaris is located directly in the center, almost in a straight line from the central star of this constellation, about the same distance from it as from the constellation Ursa Major. This position of the constellation Cassiopeia is of great help for orientation in the case when Ursa Major is located low and cannot be seen due to vegetation or high local objects (Fig. 6).
In the Southern Hemisphere, people usually navigate by the constellation Southern Cross (four bright stars arranged in the shape of a cross). Line A drawn through the long axis of the Southern Cross will indicate the direction south. To more accurately locate the celestial South Pole, you need to find two nearby stars to the left of the Cross. Through the middle of the line (B-C) connecting them mentally, lower the perpendicular D, and then continue it until it intersects with line A. This intersection point is located above the South Pole (Fig. 7)

The true Southern Cross should not be confused with the false one, which has five stars that are bright and more distant from one another.
It is easy to determine the east-west direction by the constellation Orion. This constellation has seven stars, three of them are located in the middle on one line close to each other. They are commonly called Orion's Belt. Top star
South
Orion's belt is located on the astronomical equator. Therefore, anywhere on the globe you can always observe this star rising in the east and setting in the west (Fig. 5).
Everyone from school is familiar with the Milky Way - a cluster of stars located on an oblong plane. In June, from 23 to 1 am, the Milky Way points to the south with its branching end. In January and early February - to the north.

Orientation using local objects
In addition to the methods for determining the sides of the horizon described above, there are natural indicators of the sides of the horizon in nature.
By plants. The bark of isolated trees, rocks, stones, and the walls of old wooden buildings are usually more densely covered with moss and lichen on the north side. If moss grows throughout the tree trunk, then there is more of it on the north side, especially at the root. The bark on trees on the north side is usually coarser and darker than on the south (birch, pine, larch, aspen). In wet weather, a wet dark stripe forms on trees (pine). On the north side of the trunk it persists longer and rises higher. Birch trees on the southern side of the trunk usually have lighter and more elastic bark. Pine has secondary (brown)
cracked) bark on the north side rises higher up the trunk.
Alpine pine usually leans towards the south. In hot weather, resinous trees (spruce, pine) usually have much more resin on the southern side than on the northern side (Fig. 8)

On the northern slopes of the dunes, as a rule, there are moisture-loving plants (moss, blueberries, lingonberries). In the south - light-loving plants (heather, reindeer moss).
In spring, the grass cover is more developed and dense on the northern edges of the meadows, warmed by the sun. In the hot period of summer - on the contrary - in the southern, shaded ones. In the hot season, on the north side of a tree or stone, the grass stays fresh, moist, sometimes with drops of dew, longer. On the south side the soil is drier and the grass is limp. In spring, on the southern slopes the snow seems to “bristle”, forming protrusions (spikes) directed to the south, separated by depressions.
The forest boundary on the southern slopes rises higher than on the northern ones. The western bank of the river is usually steeper, steep and high, the eastern bank is flat and low. If you know the direction of the prevailing winds, you can draw conclusions about the sides of the horizon from the configuration of local objects: the length of the crowns, the slope of the trees, grass (at night you can see it by bending towards the ground and observing the grass against the sky), the position of the dunes, the local direction of the waves of the dune chains.
According to the observations of polar pilots, the northern side of the sky is the lightest, the southern side is the darkest. In the Arctic regions, the sides of the horizon are determined by snow blows, their narrowest and lowest part on the windward side, gradually rising; from the leeward side - it breaks off abruptly and points, as a rule, to the west. In the mountains, due to the complex terrain, the abundance of steep slopes and deep gorges, as well as in dense forests, methods that take into account the growth of plants and their illumination (the density of grass cover, the presence of mushrooms, the ripening of berries), erroneous orientation along the bark and moss outgrowths are not suitable on the trunks. In mountainous regions, oak and pine often grow on the southern slopes, while spruce, fir, beech, and yew grow on the northern slopes.
Anthills are almost always located on the south side of a tree, stump or bush. The southern side of the anthill is flatter than the northern. On the edges and open meadows, berries and fruits acquire a mature color earlier (turn red, black, yellow) on the south side. In the forest, near stumps, in swamps near hummocks on the south side, lingonberries, blueberries, cloudberries, and cranberries ripen earlier than on the north side. Many plant flowers, even in cloudy weather, have the ability to turn after the sun (sunflower, string), and some turn away from the sun (ivy). Mushrooms are usually born on
on the north side of the tree, and on the south (especially in dry times) there are almost no mushrooms.
The orientation based on the width of annual rings on stumps and the density of branches on trees was recognized as erroneous. The width of the annual rings of a tree depends on the physiological characteristics of plant growth, light, climate, and the density of the crown depends on the direction of the prevailing winds and free space for growth.
For insects and birds. Anthills are almost always located on the south side of a tree, stump or bush. The southern side of the anthill is flatter than the northern. Butterflies, when they rest, usually fold their wings, instinctively choosing a position so that the sun shines directly on them from above. Then the shadow from the wings turns into a narrow line. If a butterfly sits in one place for a long time and the moving sun begins to shine on its side, then it changes position, so the wings with a narrow edge, i.e., the back, are constantly directed towards the sun. East in the morning, south at noon, west in the evening.
Steppe bees build their homes on the south side of stones or walls. The nests look like lumps of dirt thrown off by the wheels of a car. Migratory birds fly north in spring and south in autumn. Swallows usually make nests under the eaves of houses on the north side.
For local facilities. The altars of Lutheran churches always face east. Bell towers - usually to the west; the raised end of the lower crossbar of the cross on the dome of the church points to the north; the altars of Catholic churches face west, and shrines, pagodas, and Buddhist monasteries face the south. The doors of Jewish synagogues and Muslim mosques face approximately north, their opposite sides are directed: mosques towards Mecca in Arabia, synagogues towards Jerusalem. The exit from the yurts is usually made to the south. In rural areas, houses have more windows facing south and the paint on the walls fades more from the south.

Orientation by quarterly forest management pillars
In wooded areas, you will be able to navigate by forest management quarterly posts. In the forest, clearings are cut in the direction north-south, west-east, so the blocks are numbered from west to east and from north to south.
The side of the quarter pillar on which the smaller quarter numbers are located will be facing north.

Orientation using available tools
A simple steel sewing needle or a pin needle, pre-magnetized with a magnet, can help you determine the sides of the horizon (stick them to a magnet for 4-5 hours), tie them to a thread and, holding the needle in the air by the thread, check with a working compass, mark the north the end of the needle is painted with red paint. You can take this improvised compass with you on the road. If necessary, just rub a magnetized needle or the sting of a broken pin between your fingers and carefully place it on the surface of calm water. The tensile forces of the water will hold the needle, and it will gradually be oriented to the north. If the needle sinks, stick a piece of cork, bark, foam plastic, or straw into it. As the body of an improvised compass
You can use any water container, preferably a plastic one. The simplest compass, as I already said, is a needle tied with a thread in the middle in a freely suspended state. On paper, you can make an approximate compass scale, knowing that north is 0°, 360° (east - 90°, south - 180°, west - 270°.
You can also determine the cardinal directions using a radio receiver, especially if the direction to the transmitting station coincides with one of the cardinal directions or with the direction of movement of the group. If necessary, set the receiver operating in the medium or long wave range to the worst sound position. The end of the receiver will indicate the direction to the transmitting station.
When orienting by local objects, signs, and available means, excluding astronomical ones, one cannot draw conclusions about the location of the cardinal directions based on one or two observations. Draw conclusions only after repeated confirmation of the initially obtained result.
Constantly look for objects that confirm or refute the chosen direction of movement.

Determining local time
In the absence of a clock, local time can be found with relative accuracy using a compass by measuring the azimuth to the sun. The resulting value must be divided by 15°. This number corresponds to one twenty-fourth of a circle, which is the amount of rotation of the Earth in 1 hour. 1 is added to the resulting quotient. If, for example, the azimuth to the Sun was 105°, then 105:15 = 7. By adding one, we get 8 hours local time.
You can use Table 1 to determine local time using the moon and compass.

At night you can use the star clock. The dial for them is the sky with the North Star in the center, and the arrow is an imaginary line drawn to it through the two outer stars of the Ursa Major bucket.
The firmament is mentally divided into twelve parts, each of which corresponds to a conventional hour. At the bottom there will be 6 hours, at the top - 12. Having determined the hour to which the arrow points, the serial number of the current month with tenths is added to it (every three days = 0.1).
The resulting amount must be doubled and then subtracted from the constant number 53.3. If the difference exceeds the number 24, then another 24 must be subtracted. The result of these simple calculations is the local time (Fig. 9). For example: on August 15, the star clock hand showed 6. Since the serial number of August is 8, and 15 days are 0.5, then 6 + 8.5 = 14.5, 14.5X2 = 29, 53.3-29 = 24 ,3,
24.3 - 24 = 0.3. Therefore, local time is 0 hours 20 minutes.

Plants and birds can tell the time. In summer (June-July) the night lark awakens around 1 am. At 2 o'clock the nightingale awakens. By three o'clock, the quail, the dawn cuckoo, and the oriole begin to try their voice. The finch and bunting wake up in 3 to 4 hours. Some plants open and close the corollas of flowers at a certain time: when the sky begins to brighten in the east, yellow salsify (similar to dandelion) opens its petals - at 3-5-7 o’clock, rosehip
and chicory - at 4-5 hours, poppy - at 5 hours, dandelion - at 5-6 hours, potatoes, field sow thistle, flax - at 5-7 hours, water lily, field bindweed - at 6-8 hours. Close corollas of their flowers: garden sow thistle - 13-14 hours, potatoes - 14-15 hours, coltsfoot - at 17-18 hours, rose hips - at 19-20 hours.
I wish you successful application of this knowledge in practice.

S. V. Breslavsky,
SA Special Forces Major
Magazine "Martial Arts of the Planet"

Not only special devices, but also Mother Nature herself, who has a lot of features, can help in determining your location and calculating the sides of the horizon. But this type of terrain orientation is used only in rare cases, since the reliability of this method is much lower than elementary ones.

Orientation by plants

Moss

Perhaps this is one of the most accurate ways to determine the North-South route. After all, moss and lichens grow exclusively on the northern side, and their ability to grow in the shade makes it possible to navigate the area not only with the help of trees and wooden buildings, but also with the help of large stones.

Tree bark

If you look closely at the tree bark, you will notice that on the north side it is always much darker and rougher. Of course, one tree will not show you the exact direction, but a group of trees will cope with this task almost perfectly.

Take, for example, the trunk of a pine tree. After a rainstorm, it begins to actively darken. And this phenomenon always originates from the north side. And all because the bark of coniferous trees has a secondary crust, which tends to form in shaded places and swell.

And in hot weather, pine can be just as useful. The main thing is to carefully determine which side of the trunk releases the largest amount of resin. This sign will point you in the south direction.

Grass

Even grass can become a good guide for a traveler. It is worth remembering that in open clearings the grass will grow thicker and more actively from the north. If you start from separate natural objects (stones, stumps, trees), then it is worth considering that in this case the grass will grow thicker on the south side. But it retains its greenness and richness, of course, from the north.

Orientation by artificial objects: Clearings

Often, huge forests are separated by clearings, with the help of which you can easily determine all four cardinal directions. Their felling takes place in a stationary mode from North to South and from West to East.

The territory is marked by a network of quarter posts. Before installation, their tops are cut off and the number of the clearing to which this or that post corresponds is burned (painted). Accordingly, the countdown from the first pillar is North-Western direction, from the last - South-East.

The quarterly network greatly facilitates not only the implementation of various tasks of forestry enterprises, but also orientation on the terrain for travelers. So this method is very simple and convenient in practice.

If you follow these simple rules, then finding your way around the area will not be difficult, and, therefore, the path will be easy and pleasant.

Travel with pleasure!

If you don't remember any of the above methods, you can, for example, using resin, which is known to protrude on the south side of the tree. You can look for an anthill, which is also most often located in the south. Take a closer look at the colors of the bark of trees such as birch and pine; in the north it is usually darker than in the south. In addition, in the north, rocks, stones and cobblestones are most heavily covered with moss.

Ways to navigate by natural features and objects

How do people navigate the terrain? Sometimes this question is asked, it is worth remembering that there are several basic methods, these are orientation by the moon, sun, stars, local buildings, compass and map, and shadows.

By compass

There are situations when you need to find out your location and find your way, but the road is unknown, and you only have a compass with you. This is not scary, because it is possible to find your way without a map.

  • First of all, you need to choose a landmark, which can be a clear object, preferably with a certain length, for example, a river, a road or railway, a high hill.
  • After identifying a landmark, you need to move away from it in a perpendicular direction, but leaving it visible to you.
  • Stand facing the reference object and put the compass into operation. Turn it until the index arrow is parallel to the zero scale, that is, until they coincide.
  • Mentally draw a straight line along the center of the compass to the landmark. We fix the azimuth of the return, the reverse side of the line will show the direction of movement.
  • During the journey, you need to constantly monitor so as not to deviate from the direction chosen by the compass.
  • Read more about this on our website.

Following this action plan, you can design an entire route consisting of landmarks, the main thing is to record the azimuth values. If you return, you will need to turn forward, put the compass in such a position that the front sight pointer points forward, and turn with it so that the north of the arrow coincides with the north of the scale. After that, continue straight ahead.

Using the compass near metal accumulations, railways or thunderstorms is not advisable, as the data will be distorted at this time. Additionally, it is not recommended to rely on compass data near power lines.

Such restrictions are due to the fact that the compass reacts to the magnetic field, and near metal it will be overestimated and the arrow of the orientation device will only lead astray from the desired path, since it will deviate towards the accumulation of metal objects.

Without a compass

If you don't have a compass at hand, you can determine your location using a map using coordinates. To do this, you first need to determine these same coordinates, and therefore find out the latitude and longitude.

  • Latitude is the distance from the equator to the desired point.
  • Longitude - the distance from Greenwich to the desired point.

All parallels and meridians are indicated on the map with specific numbers - degrees, so to find the desired point, you need to take the latitude and longitude data at its intersection. To find out the location on the map, you just need to go to any Internet services with online maps and enter the obtained values.

The information you are looking for will appear in front of you, and the location will be marked with a special symbol.

By map

Determine the sides of the horizon, this will help give the map the correct position so that it reflects the real position of the surrounding area. The important thing here is that the north of maps is usually at the top; there are exceptions, but most often this is the case. The easiest way to navigate is:

  • highway;
  • railway;
  • river.

If there are no such landmarks nearby, then you should look for any outstanding landmark that will help you use the map and continue your journey.

Consider weather and climatic conditions when choosing landmarks. If a building is shown on the map, it does not mean that it stands here at the moment, because it can be destroyed by strong winds and other weather conditions. The same can happen with a tree or stump; choose a reliable landmark, for example, a huge cobblestone that cannot be moved, a high hill or a rock.

When you choose a landmark, find it on the map and turn the map over so that it corresponds to the real location of the area, that is, correlate the objects you see on the map with the surrounding area.

Mark your location on the map with a dot or a tick, build a further path and continue moving in accordance with your route.

other methods

If you do not remember any of the above methods, there are other ways to navigate by natural signs, on the ground, for example, with the help of resin, which is known to protrude on the south side of the tree.

Examples of orientation based on local characteristics

To make it clearer, it’s worth looking at this with an example. Let's say you went hiking in the forest, but got lost. Your phone has run out of charge and you don’t know how to find your way home. You came from the south side and you need to find it. To do this, look for anthills, the dark side of birch bark and cobblestones with enhanced moss vegetation. All this will help you understand which way is south and return home.

Or another example, imagine that you came to another city on an excursion and fell behind your group. Don't panic, find the nearest church building and inspect it carefully. Altars and chapels in Orthodox churches always face east, and the bell towers of the same buildings look to the west.

In order to navigate the terrain well, you need to be able to determine the cardinal directions without the use of maps, compasses and navigation devices. Orientation using a compass is not difficult, but there are situations when people go into nature and do not take a compass with a map with them, and the batteries in the GPS navigator are low. In order not to get lost in the forest, you need to be able to determine the cardinal directions by the sun, stars, moss, trees, etc.

Orientation by the sun and stars

The sun can be used as a reference, but to do this you will need to know the exact time. The sun moves across the sky from east to west. However, it is worth considering that in winter it rises closer to the southeast and sets in the southwest direction.

In summer, you can navigate as follows: if you stand with your back to the sun at noon, the west will be on your left and the east on your right. In winter, at noon the sun is in the southeast, and if you stand with your back to it, southwest will be on your left. And in spring and autumn the sun is in the southeast at about 10:00 o'clock.

At night, when orientation by the sun becomes impossible, the direction of the cardinal points can be determined by the Polar Star, which is part of the constellation Ursa Minor. First you need to find the constellation Ursa Major, which resembles a ladle with a handle. On the territory of Russia, the “bucket” is visible at any time of the year, with the exception of the southern regions, where in the fall the Bear descends to the horizon.

If you draw an imaginary straight line through the two extreme stars that form the right wall of the “bucket” (opposite the handle of the “bucket”), it will point to the North Star. The length of the straight line is approximately five times the distance between the two stars through which the line was drawn. The direction of the line to the North Star coincides with the north direction.

Orientation based on local characteristics

Moss grows primarily on the north side of tree trunks, while lichens grow on the north side of rocks and stones. However, such signs do not always guarantee one hundred percent accuracy in determining the cardinal directions, therefore, for reliability, it is advisable to use the method of orientation by moss and lichens in combination with other methods. For example, you can pay attention to anthills - most often they are located on the south side near tree trunks and stumps.

In early spring, the southern direction can be determined by melted snow. The side of slopes, hills and boulders that faces south and is heated by the sun's rays more than the north. Therefore, on the south side the snow melts more intensely.

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