SF Fieldcraft
 

How does one find north without aid of a compass?

Survive in -60 degree weather?

Start a fire with no matches?

Snare a rabbit?

Build a poncho raft?

Procure water in a survival situation?

Do you know?

We do.

The Quiet Professionals

Re: SF Fieldcraft
 

I have accomplished a few of these, but not in the last 30plus years.

So start with the first one, finding North w/out a compass.

Forget true north, magnetic north, etc.

Terry

Day or night? ;)

It's really very simple, but you must answer me a few questions.

In which hemisphere are you located?

Is it currently day or night.

Day, overcast conditions:

Southern hemisphere:

Is there enough ambient light to cast a shadow in your overcast southern hemisphere?

How about all of the following:

1. Northern hemisphere day
2. Northern hemisphere night
3. Southern hemisphere day
4. Southern hemisphere night

We'll give you shadows:

Terry

Works for me:

Terry

Northern and Southern hemisphere, "Day"

1. Place a stick into the ground at a spot where it will cast a shadow. Mark the shadow's tip with a stone, twig, or other means. This first shadow mark is always west--everywhere on earth.

2. Wait 20-30 minutes until the shadow tip moves a few inches. Mark the shadow tip's new position in the same way as the first.

3. Place your left foot on the first shadow tip. Place your right foot on the second shadow tip. You are now facing north. This is true everywhere on earth.

Heel to the stick side, toe on the shadow tip?

LOL, I'll have an "Attorney" version tomorrow.

OK, I couldn't wait. The line between the two tips is the east-west axis, with the first one being west. So your heels should be on the stick side of the axis.

What about at night?

You can use the moon, or stars......or a wristwatch (during the day).

You can use the moon if you want, but I don't think you will get where you want to be.

Trust me on that one.

TR

Okay, I was thinking along the terms of using the shadow (on the moon itself) to get a general idea of where North is??

You know I’ve taught this to people without benifit of an education all over the world, and never encountered a dilemma.

The foot placement was an idea I’ve always used because, well, it was foolproof., until now.;)




AnglesSix,
I’ve found that teaching the watch method problematical at best when teaching foreign nationals and impossible with Attorneys.

The Team Sergeant

Damn, did I just ruin the whole thread? Keep going, please. I promise to behave from now on. LOL

How do you do it at night? Or is this my homework assignment?

Found this:

Watch method:

(1) A watch can be used to determine the approximate true north and true south. In the north temperate zone only, the hour hand is pointed toward the sun. A south line can be found midway between the hour hand and 1200 hours, standard time. If on daylight saving time, the north-south line is found between the hour hand and 1300 hours. If there is any doubt as to which end of the line is north, remember that the sun is in the east before noon and in the west after noon.

(2) The watch may also be used to determine direction in the south temperate zone; however, the method is different. The 1200-hour dial is pointed toward the sun, and halfway between 1200 hours and the hour hand will be a north line. If on daylight saving time, the north line lies midway between the hour hand and 1300 hours (Figure 9-8).

Here:

Then there is the North Star/Southern Cross, right?

Team SGT, I understand what you mean about the attorneys........but they are handy to have around!!!:D

RL: The North Star and the Southern cross at night.......what if it is completely overcast???

You're phucked.

How does one find the north star?

You look up in the sky. :D

It's the last one on the handle of the little dipper. If I recall, it's very bright relative to the others.

You are a no go at celestial navigation.

You are hereby ordered to turn in your Boy Scout field craft badge immediately.

It is also suggested you contact the Planetary Society for further assistance.

The North Star is actually a very DIM star.

The Team Sergeant

Graduate
Celestial Navigation Course
5th SFG(A)

LOL

I was not, and am not, a Boy Scout.

I can navigate my car on freeways, find the right airport and make connecting flights. Beyond that, I am SOL.

But I am the acorn that becomes the oak, Team Sergeant. I do enjoy the training. No doubt that I need it.

:)

Where did you find this tibit? Madonna's website?

It's the Big Dipper and that's not where it's located!

Anyone? Where and how do you find the North Star?

{little dipper.....@#$!#$$#%$!#}

You take the the two last stars of the Big Dipper, in the ,,cauldron'' side.You continue in the general direction of the Little Dipper.About 4x the distance between the two stars.

Very good and very close, but if I recall , it's closer to 5x the distance between the stars.

The Team Sergeant

Hi Sergeant,

Yes 5x including the distance between the 2 stars...;)

http://www.excaliburelectronics.com/.../BigLittle.jpg

http://www.wildernessmanuals.com/manual_1/chpt_8/6.html

Garbage in, garbage out! LOL

You had doubts?

The Team Sergeant

(Again, forget "that other guy" on here I think he's a PETA agent.)

That's low. :mad: LOL

Polaris aka the North Star is actually at the end of the handle of Ursa Minor, I mis-read your post, thinking you were speaking of the Big Dipper.

If one travels out side and views the Big Dipper and locates Polaris you will not usually see the "Little Dipper" in it’s entirety as it is hard to discern for the background stars. As a night star Polaris is bright as compared to the other stars making up the “Little Dipper” but Dim as to the stars making up the “Big Dipper.”

IIRC, you can use the moon to find south from when its a thin crescent to shortly before it becomes half-full. Connect the two 'points' with a straight line on the concurve side of the crescent, then continue that line down to the horizon. That's a very rough measurement, but it gets you in the ballpark.

If you have a hard time finding Ursa Major (the Big Dipper), try locating Casseopia, which looks like a skewed 'W'. From the 'points' on the W, track west and you should bump into Ursa Major.

Pace count
 

Can you give some examples of how you use pace count for land nav.

On a flat paved marked greenbelt I count about 900 paces to a mile, that's wearing a 40lbs weighted vest and 5lbs ankle weights doing a little over 15 minute a mile tempo.

What should I expect in the rough terrain of the foot hills?

Thanks,
Mark

Re: Pace count
 

Hi,

I count approx 115 pairs (easier to count 2 paces than each) for 100m of forest.Thats because I avoid obstacles.On a road I do approx half less paces.But this is for me, for you it will changes.So you have to try.Very easy to found your paces with a GPS.
I use a little rope and I attach it to a button hole.Every 100m I add a node.

Re: Pace count
 

See me in the pace count thread....

Dear QPs,

There is another mean to find the north with stars. It doesn't work all night long. It depends on where you are on earth.

This is the Orion's constallation ( The Hunter)

For those who don't know this method would you mind to follow those instruction please?

Firstly open 400px...image. This is the constellation. You could noticed tree stars in a raw on the middle of The Hunter.

Secondly open step 1 image. On those tree stars we can put an arrow (feel free to change the color :o) this red arrow is near to indicate North.

Thirdly open step 2 image. On this one we can add another arrow. This blue arrow is near to indicate North too.

finally open step 3 image. Between both arrows we can add this white arrow who indicate surely North.

Unless you need a very accurate angle of walking, the red arrow is enough keep your walk / drive northward.

Sorry for the english

Archade's €.02