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Which way is north? Whether you're lost in the woods or you're trying to install a sundial in your yard, you're bound to want to find true north from time to time, and chances are when the time comes you won't have a compass. What's more, even if you do have a compass, it will point to magnetic north, which changes with your location in the world.

TheShadow-Tip Method

 1    Place a stick upright in the ground so thatyou can see its shadow. Alternatively, you can use the shadow of a fixedobject. Nearly any object will work, but the taller the object is, the easierit will be to see the movement of its shadow, and the narrower the tip of theobject is, the more accurate the reading will be. Make sure the shadow is caston a level, brush-free spot.

 2     Mark the tip of the shadow with a smallobject, such as a pebble, or a distinct scratch in the ground. Try to make themark as small as possible so as to pinpoint the shadow's tip, but make sure youcan identify the mark later.

 3    Wait 10-15 minutes. The shadow tip willmove mostly from west to east in a curved line.

 4    Mark the new position of the shadow's tipwith another small object or scratch. It will likely move only a shortdistance.

5    Draw a straight line in the ground betweenthe two marks. This is an approximate east-west line.

6    Stand with the first mark (west) on yourleft, and the other (east) on your right. You are now facing mostly toward truenorth, regardless of where you are in the world. The illustration shows that the sun and marker at Points 1 is what is happening for Step 2. At Points 2, itshows what is happening for Step 4. This method is based on the fact that thesun moves across the sky from East to West.

Watch Method: Southern Hemisphere

 1    Use an analogue watch as above, and point the twelve o'clock mark (the number 12) of the watch toward the sun. If your watch is set to daylight saving time, point the one o'clock mark toward the sun.

2    Bisect the angle between the twelve o'clock mark (or one o'clock mark if using daylight saving time) and the hour hand to find the north-south line. If you're unsure which way is north, remember that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west no matter where you are. In the southern hemisphere, however, the sun is due north at midday.