Ways to navigate the terrain without a compass. Orientation on the ground by natural and artificial objects

A person goes on a journey for various reasons: hiking, traveling, resting, performing various tasks in the natural environment.
In order not to get lost and not 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 right direction of movement and keep it on the way.
They orient themselves on the ground with the help of a compass, maps, according to the heavenly bodies and in other simple ways. I will tell you how to navigate the cardinal directions by celestial bodies, local objects and other signs.
The globe is conditionally 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 to the north can be determined by standing with your back to the sun at local noon. Your shadow will point north, with west on the left and east on the right. In the southern hemisphere, north will be behind you, east on your left, west on your right. Local noon is determined using a vertical pole 0.5-1 m long. The pole does not have to be vertical. The slope does not affect the accuracy of this method (Figure 1)

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

Determining the sides of the horizon with a clock
You can successfully navigate the cardinal directions with the help of a watch. To do this, place the watch horizontally in the palm of your hand and turn it until the hour hand points to the sun. Through the center of the dial, mentally draw a line in the direction of the number 1 (13 hours). Divide the angle thus obtained by the bisector in half. This line will show the direction to the south. Moreover, in the northern hemisphere, south until 12 o'clock is to the right of the sun, and after - to the left, in the southern hemisphere it is vice versa. Remember! That the clock should show the true local time (Fig. 2).
Do not despair if you have a digital watch on your hand. The exit is simple. Draw a circle on the ground, mark with a peg (any other object) the direction of the sun and see what time it is. Suppose 2:30 p.m. 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 hour), 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 passes a value equal to 15 ° in 1 hour, and the clock hand - 30 °.
This method gives good results in temperate latitudes, especially in winter, less accurate results in spring and autumn. In summer, the error can reach 25°.
In cloudy weather, to determine the sides of the horizon to the center of the clock (Fig. hours on the ground), put a stick and hold it so that the shadow from it falls in the direction opposite to the hour hand. In the middle between the hour hand (the line opposite the shadow) and the number 1 (13 h) the direction to the south will pass (Fig. 3)

At night, you can navigate by the moon and the clock. Divide the disk of the moon into six equal parts by 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 accepting the moon as the sun, they find the direction to the south, as is done when orienting by the sun and the clock. At the same time, point to the moon not the hour hand, but the division on the clock face, which corresponds to the calculated hour. On a full moon, when the moon and sun are in the same direction, point the hour hand at the moon.

Orientation by the stars
Ancient navigators, 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 (Fig. 4)

This is the constellation Ursa Major. With its help, it is not difficult to find the star of travelers 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. The Big Dipper revolves around the Polar Star. Therefore, her position does not change. The Pole 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. The North Star is right 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 when Ursa Major is low and cannot be seen due to vegetation or high local objects (Fig. 6).
In the Southern Hemisphere, they are usually guided by the constellation of the 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 to the south. For a more accurate location of the celestial South Pole, two adjacent stars must be found to the left of the Cross. Through the middle of the line (B-C) connecting them mentally, lower the perpendicular G, and then continue it until it intersects with line A. This intersection point is located above the South Pole (Fig. 7)

Do not confuse the true Southern Cross with the false one, which has five stars brighter and more distant from one another.
It is easy to determine the east-west direction from the constellation Orion. This constellation has seven stars, three of them are located in the middle on the same line close to each other. They are called Orion's Belt. top star
South
Orion's belt is located on the astronomical equator. Therefore, at any point on the globe, one can always observe the rising of this star in the east, 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 a branching end. In January and early February - to the north.

Orientation with 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, walls of old wooden buildings are usually thicker covered with moss and lichen on the north side. If moss grows along the entire trunk of a tree, then there is more of it on the north side, especially at the root. The bark on trees on the northern side is usually coarser and darker than on the southern side (birch, pine, larch, aspen). In wet weather, a wet dark stripe forms on trees (pine). On the northern side of the trunk, it persists longer and rises higher. In birches on the south side of the trunk, the bark is usually lighter and more elastic. Pine has a secondary (brown
cracked) bark on the north side rises up the trunk.
Alpine pine usually slopes towards the south. Resinous trees (spruce, pine) in hot weather on the south side, as a rule, have much more resin than on the north side (Fig. 8)

On the northern slopes of the dunes, as a rule, moisture-loving plants (moss, blueberries, lingonberries) are located. In the south - light-loving (heather, reindeer moss).
In spring, the grass cover is more developed and dense on the northern outskirts of the glades 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 the tree, stone, grass stays fresh, moist longer, sometimes with dew drops. On the south side, the soil is drier, the grass is sluggish. In spring, on the southern slopes, the snow seems to “bristle”, forming southward ledges (thorns), separated by depressions.
The border of the forest on the southern slopes rises higher than on the northern ones. The western bank of the river is usually steeper, steep and high, while 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 leaning 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 puffs, their narrowest and lowest part on the windward side, gradually rising; from the lee - it breaks off abruptly and points, as a rule, to the west. In the mountains, due to the difficult terrain, the abundance of steep slopes and deep gorges, as well as in thick forests, methods that take into account the growth of plants and their illumination (density of grass cover, the presence of mushrooms, ripening berries) are not suitable, erroneous orientation along the bark, along moss outgrowths on the stems. In mountainous areas, oak, pine often grow on the southern slopes, on the northern slopes - spruce, fir, beech, yew.
Anthills are almost always found on the south side of a tree, stump, or bush. The southern side of the anthill is flatter than the northern one. On the edges and open glades, berries and fruits acquire a mature color earlier (blush, blacken, turn yellow) on the south side. In the forest, near the stumps, in the swamps near the bumps on the south side, the berries of lingonberries, blueberries, cloudberries, cranberries ripen earlier than from the north. Many plant flowers, even in cloudy weather, have the ability to turn after the sun (sunflower, succession), 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 by the width of the annual rings on the stumps, the density of the branches on the trees was recognized as erroneous. The width of the annual rings of a tree depends on the physiological characteristics of plant growth, lighting, 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 found on the south side of a tree, stump, or bush. The southern side of the anthill is flatter than the northern one. 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 in its side, then it changes position, so the wings are constantly directed towards the sun with a narrow edge, i.e., with their backs. East in the morning, south at noon, west in the evening.
Steppe bees build their dwellings on the south side of stones or walls. The nests are like clods of dirt thrown off by the wheels of a car. Migratory birds fly north in spring and south in autumn. Swallows usually nest under the eaves of houses on the north side.
For local facilities. The altars of Lutheran churches always face east. Belfry - usually to the west; the raised end of the lower bar of the cross on the dome of the church points north; the altars of Catholic churches are facing west, and shrines, pagodas, Buddhist monasteries face south. The doors of Jewish synagogues, Muslim mosques are turned approximately to the north, their opposite sides are directed: mosques - to Mecca in Arabia, synagogues - to Jerusalem. The exit from the yurts is usually done to the south. In rural areas, the houses have more south facing windows and the paint fades on the walls more from the south.

Orientation by quarterly forest inventory pillars
In a wooded area, you can navigate along the quarterly forest management pillars. In the forest, clearings are cut in the north-south, west-east direction, so the quarters are numbered from west to east and from north to south.
North will face the side of the quarter pillar, on which there are smaller numbers of quarters.

Orientation with the help of improvised means
A simple steel sewing needle or a needle from a pin 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 end of the needle with red paint. You can take such an impromptu compass with you on your journey. If necessary, it is enough to rub a magnetized needle or a sting from a broken pin between your fingers and carefully place it on the surface of calm water. The forces of water tension will hold the needle, and it will gradually orient itself to the north. If the needle sinks, stick a piece of cork, bark, Styrofoam, or a straw into it. As the case of an impromptu compass
you can use any container for water, plastic is better. The simplest compass, as I 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 points using a radio receiver, especially if the direction to the transmitting station coincides with one of the cardinal points or with the direction of movement of the group. If necessary, set the receiver operating in the medium or long wave range to the position of the worst sounding. The end face of the receiver will indicate the direction to the transmitting station.
When orienting by local objects, signs, improvised means, excluding astronomical ones, it is impossible to draw conclusions about the location of the cardinal points from one or two observations. Draw conclusions only after repeated confirmation of the initial result.
Constantly look for objects that confirm or refute the chosen direction of movement.

Determination of local time
In the absence of a clock, local time with relative accuracy can be found by compass by measuring the azimuth to the sun. The resulting value must be divided by 15 °. This number corresponds to one twenty-fourth of the circle that makes up 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 Polar Star in the center, and the arrow is an imaginary line drawn to it through the two extreme stars of the Big Dipper bucket.
The firmament is mentally divided into twelve parts, each of which corresponds to a conventional hour. 6 hours will be located below, 12 hours above. Having determined the hour indicated by the arrow, the serial number of the current month with tenths is added to it (every three days \u003d 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 ordinal number of August is 8, and 15 days are 0.5, then 6 + 8.5 \u003d 14.5, 14.5X2 \u003d 29, 53.3-29 \u003d 24 ,3,
24.3 - 24 = 0.3. Therefore, the local time is 0 h 20 min.

Plants and birds can tell the time. In the summer (June-July), the night lark wakes up around one in the morning. At 2 o'clock the nightingale wakes up. By three o'clock, the quail, the golden cuckoo, and the oriole begin to try their voice. The finch and oatmeal wake up from 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, the yellow goatbeard (similar to dandelion) opens its petals - at 3-5-7 o'clock, wild rose
and chicory - at 4-5 o'clock, poppy - at 5 o'clock, dandelion - at 5-6 o'clock, potatoes, field thistle, flax - at 5-7 o'clock, water lily, field bindweed - at 6-8 o'clock. corollas of their flowers: garden sow thistle - 13-14 hours, potatoes - 14-15 hours, coltsfoot - at 17-18 hours, wild rose - at 19-20 hours.
I wish you successful application of this knowledge in practice.

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

How to determine the cardinal points

If you don't have it on hand GPS navigator or, at worst, compass, it will not be superfluous to know orientation methods on the ground, there are several of them:

• star orientation;
• sun orientation;
• natural orientation.

Guiding Pole Star

Polaris is alwayspoints north. On it you can accurately determine your location and go out to people. How to find her? This star the brightest, standing still at one place. You can find it with the help of the constellation Ursa Major, put five interstellar segments up from the top star of the constellation and look for our guiding star.

It is known that The Sun is rising in the east and comes in in the West. However, in our latitudes this is not entirely true, the sun in our case is slightly shifted to the south. The sun points south at one o'clock in the afternoon when it is at the zenith. Also, if you have wrist watch with arrow you can use the following method. Point the thick arrow at the sun, then divide the angle between 14 o'clock and the sun by two and the result will be point south.

Proper orientation - in observing nature

It is necessary to pay attention to natural features. Since childhood, everyone knows that moss on rocks and trees growing from the north side northern slope of the anthill more cool resin stands out on the south side of the trees.

Also, it is useful to know that grass in the meadow grows thicker from the north side mushrooms growing on trees, always located on the north side, annual rings are much thicker on the south side than on the north.

If, due to dense clouds, it is not possible to navigate using astronomical methods, you can try to determine the sides of the horizon according to local features.

Sometimes a person who knows well in theory how to navigate by local signs, trying to apply his knowledge in practice, is completely discouraged - he does not succeed, despite the fact that memories of such legendary guides as, for example, Dersu are fresh in his memory. Uzala, which pointed the way to the expeditions, often based on barely noticeable signs.

It should be noted here that, firstly, those methods of orientation that are given in the specialized literature are given in an ideal or somewhat exaggerated form for clarity. In nature, these signs are sometimes more vague, fuzzy, often contradictory, complicated by a variety of factors - the nature of the relief, prevailing winds, the proximity of groundwater, weather conditions, etc. Secondly, people who live in nature and depend heavily on it do sometimes develop extraordinary powers of observation that allow them not to go astray. But quality is the result of constant, everyday, sometimes unconscious training. Such observation has been developed over many years, and therefore such people orient themselves, so to speak, in automatic mode, without making special efforts for this, paying attention to the necessary signs on the go, comparing and contrasting what they see under various circumstances, discarding the random and drawing conclusions about position and correct direction of travel. But even the best guides are better guided by the sun, moon and stars.

Therefore, those who happen to navigate by local signs, you need, first of all, be patient. In no case should one rush to a conclusion about the location of the sides of the horizon, based on one or two observations.

Among the signs that are of the greatest practical importance for taiga dwellers, it is necessary to single out those that are associated with the effect of solar heat on vegetation and, first of all, on trees.

The bark of trees on the northern side is usually coarser and darker than on the southern side, which is clearly visible on birch, larch, and aspen.

More resin is released from the south side of the trunk of coniferous trees than from the north.

After rain and in wet weather, the trunks of coniferous trees turn black on the north side, which is especially noticeable in pine. This is explained by the fact that a thin secondary crust is developed on the pine bark, which forms earlier on the shady side of the trunk and goes higher than on the southern one. During rain, this crust darkens and swells, and since the sun's rays hardly fall on it, it dries longer.

Mosses and lichens - shade-loving and moisture-loving plants - grow thicker on the north side of trees and stones. The moss on the north side is wetter.

Ants tend to build their dwellings south of a tree or stump. If the anthill is not located near a tree, then its south side is usually flatter.

Grass on the northern outskirts of glades, forest clearings, as well as on the south side of free-standing trees, stumps, large stones, is thicker in spring. In summer, the northern sides of the glades burn out. In hot and dry summers, dew on grass growing near a tree or stone stays longer on the north side, and the grass itself looks fresher. The dew persists for a longer time on the northern slopes of the ravines. Berries during the ripening period acquire color on the south side earlier than on the north.

However, it is pointless to look for all these signs in dense forests, windfall, in the middle of a forest thicket, where they are very weakly expressed or not expressed at all, “wiped out” by the prevailing microclimate. Of greatest interest and value for determining the sides of the horizon are glades, edges, clearings with trees, plants and objects standing separately on them, on which the effect of solar heat is much more pronounced. Information obtained on the basis of such signs, checked several times in various ways, can give a fairly clear idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe location of the sides of the horizon.

Even the changing nature of the vegetation can provide some help in orientation. Thus, many taiga researchers have repeatedly drawn attention to the dramatic changes in the transition from the northern to the southern slopes of hills, hills, and mountains. The slopes of the hills facing south are pine-steppe, as a rule, easily passable; facing north - taiga-shrub, densely overgrown with larch, almost devoid of grass and represent a dense taiga. The distribution of certain tree species can also sometimes serve as a good guide. For example, it is known that in the south of the coastal taiga, the velvet tree is found exclusively on the northern slopes, and on the southern slopes - oak.

The method of determining the sides of the horizon along forest clearings is quite well known. Clearings are usually cut in the directions north-south and east-west. The forest is thus divided into quarters, which are numbered, as a rule, from west to east and from north to south - the first number is placed in the northwest corner, the last in the southeast. At the intersection of the glades, quarterly pillars are installed, the upper part of which is hewn in the form of faces. On each side, the number of the block opposite to it is signed. It is clear that the edge between the two smallest numbers indicates the direction to the north (Fig. 18). However, it must be taken into account that sometimes, for economic reasons, clearings are cut through without any correlation with the sides of the horizon.

determining the sides of the horizon along forest clearings

Talking about the definition of the countries of the world according to local characteristics, it is necessary to mention some of the misconceptions associated with these methods of orientation. First of all, this is a rather widespread opinion that it is possible to determine the sides of the horizon by the width of annual rings on tree cuts. The statement that the rings are wider from the south than from the north is incorrect, this sign cannot be guided by orientation in the area, and this was proved back in the 19th century. Nevertheless, this misconception is very common and, no, no, yes, it will appear in one or another book (the author, to his considerable surprise, found a similar recommendation even on the pages of one of the modern school textbooks). It all started three hundred years ago, when the English biologist John Ray noticed that the southern radius on a tree cut was greater than any other. This statement gave rise to a lot of controversy in the scientific world, which lasted more than seventy years with varying success. In 1758, Dugamel de Monceau overthrew Rey's conclusion, proving that the southern radius is not always larger than others. However, even a quarter of a century later, the correctness of Ray was warmly supported by the director of the Parisian Botanical Gardens, Antoine Jussier, who enjoyed great prestige. Academician A.F. put an end to this endless dispute. Middendorf, who devoted many years of his life to the study of Siberian plants and, in particular, observed the cuts of trees growing on the Yenisei. He discovered that there is no strict dependence of the width of the annual rings on the sides of the horizon, which he wrote about in his book Journey to the North and East of Siberia: “My barrel plates, it turns out, are not at all eccentric, and if A. Schrenk (1854) found that the southern side of the tree rings on the northern trees is somewhat wider than the other sides (as two to three), then this probably applies only to the southern fringes of the forests. The nature of the growth of tree cells depends on dozens of different reasons, so the width of the annual rings can be oriented in any direction. Moreover, if you make saw cuts on the same tree, but at different heights, an amazing picture will open - the maximum width of annual rings changes in height in various directions, sometimes pointing in diametrically opposite directions.

An equally common misconception concerns the possibility of orienting by the density of the tree crown. Of course, it happens that the branches of a tree grow thicker on the south side, but one cannot make an axiom from this particular circumstance. In the forest, tree branches develop mainly towards free space; the configuration of the crown of isolated trees depends mainly on the direction of the prevailing wind.

In cases where travelers have lost their bearings, as practice has shown, it is faster, easier and more reliable to go back on their own tracks to where you can absolutely reliably determine your location. Meanwhile, often lost people tend to keep moving. This usually happens when one person is leading a group and, having lost their bearings, is in no hurry to stop in the hope that the situation is about to clear up. "Just about" stretches for tens of minutes, and sometimes for hours. The group moves in an unknown direction, only aggravating their situation. It also happens that, having lost their way, people try to get out of this unpleasant situation as quickly as possible and begin to "adjust" the area to the map. They notice only those landmarks that make the area recognizable, and consider all discrepancies to be accidental. Such self-deception, as well as spontaneous senseless movement, confuse travelers even more.

As soon as there were doubts about the correctness of the chosen direction of movement, one must immediately stop and try to restore the orientation. If this fails, you need to return in your footsteps. At the same time, it is not necessary to cut off loops and corners - an attempt to save time and effort in this way usually does not lead to anything good and is fraught with the loss of the last opportunity to determine your location.

Sometimes it is possible to orient oneself by examining the area from some elevated point - from the top of a hill, a hill, in extreme cases, from a tall tree. Comparison of the well-marked landmarks seen, their relative positions and the distance between them with the display of the area on the map sometimes makes it possible to clarify the situation. It is necessary to consider the probability of the group leaving for a “parallel situation”, that is, to a similar area (neighboring river valley, gorge, etc.). If there is such an area in a given area, then this possibility is checked first of all, since this significantly reduces the range of searches and simplifies the task of determining one's position on the ground, which in this case comes down to comparing any characteristic landmarks.

If you cannot identify the area and there is no way to go back, you need to try to trace your path from memory. Each member of the group should try to remember in which direction the route was kept (from which side the Sun was shining, the wind was blowing, etc.); how long the crossings were, what landmarks were encountered along the way (stream, lake, swamp, ravine, etc.); how often the halts were arranged and how long they were, whether the nature of the vegetation changed during the movement, etc. Having restored the course of events by collective efforts, you need to mark on the map the place of your intended location and, based on this, make a decision on further movement.

There aren't many options here. In the case when there is no doubt about the orientation, you can return to the route and continue on your way. If there is still uncertainty in the assessment of the location, it is better to try to return to the point of the last reliable coordinates. The complete uncertainty of the situation (especially if food supplies are running out or one of the travelers is unwell) dictates the only possible solution in this situation - to try to get out to people as soon as possible. The so-called "eternal" and large linear and areal landmarks can help in this: large mountain ranges, rivers, roads and railways, lakes, clearings, which cannot be bypassed. Most of the settlements are located on the rivers, the taiga rivers are almost the main transport routes, on the rivers you can often meet fishermen and hunters. Therefore, when losing orientation, it is recommended to move downstream of any watercourse (stream, river), which will lead to a larger waterway, on the banks of which people can live. The exception to this rule is the rivers of the north of Siberia, rushing to more and more deserted and uninhabited places.

At any time, a situation may arise when you do not have the necessary map or compass with you, but it is very necessary to get to a certain place. What to do, how not to get lost and achieve the goal?

So, there is an unknown area, but there is no plan or diagram, no compass at hand. In this case, it is necessary to be able to determine the sides of the horizon, time. Orientation by natural signs takes place at school. Many things you just need to remind yourself, and some moments are good to remember.

Sun orientation algorithm

The first thing that is almost always available is the heavenly bodies. The first thing to consider is orientation to the sun. Procedure for the territory of the CIS:

1. Turn to face the luminous landmark.
2. Put the clock in such a way that the arrow points to the Sun.
3. Draw a line by eye between this arrow and 1 (winter time) or 2 (summer time).

Thus, if you have a clock, you can determine where the south is.

In the northern hemisphere at 12 noon, the sun will be in the south. It must be remembered that the points of sunrise and sunset will differ depending on the time of year. In summer, these are the northeast and northwest, respectively. In winter - southeast and southwest. In the spring and autumn, orientation to the Sun is easiest to carry out, since the luminary strictly rises in the east, and sets, of course, in the west. In the southern hemisphere, everything must be done in reverse.

Features of orientation on the moon

At night, it is worth finding the sides of the horizon in the same way, only focusing on the moon (during the full moon). Or proceed from the fact that in the evening it is in the east, at midnight - in the south, in the morning - in the west. The rest of the parties will not be difficult to determine. Orientation by the Moon in other phases is different. In summer, the Earth's satellite in the first quarter (when the right side of the star is visible) will be in the south in the evening and in the west at 2 am. The waning moon is located in the west at night, in the morning - in the south.

Another way: in your mind, draw a line between the horns of the month and mentally extend it to the horizon - this will be the southern direction.

Two types of star orientation

The surest star by which you can find out the north direction is polar Star. It can be found by known constellations: mentally draw a line from the extreme two right stars of the Ursa Major bucket to the extreme star of the Minor tail - this will be a segment ending with the Polar Star.

In the southern hemisphere, navigating the stars is different. The constellation is located South Cross, consisting of five stars (four - in the form of a cross, the fifth - between two of these four). The vertical axis of this cross will point south.

Local orientation

Under adverse weather conditions, orientation without a map will be based on various natural features that determine the sides of the horizon:

1. Trees:

• the bark is darker and rougher - north, lighter and thinner - south;
• pine trunk is blacker (after precipitation) - north;
• coniferous resin in large quantities - south;
• denser arrangement of annual rings on stumps - north;
• the crown of lonely trees is thicker and more magnificent - south;
• trees, as well as stones and roofs of houses are densely covered with moss, lichens and fungi - north.

Important! Orientation only on local grounds may not always be accurate. For example, in a forest, tree branches may not be thicker on the south side, as expected, but on a looser one. Also, lone trees are not a guarantee of accuracy. There is no certainty that the tree has always grown separately, and the nature of the crown may depend not so much on the sunny side as on the prevailing winds, especially in mountainous areas.

1. Anthills:

• always located on the south side of stumps, trees;
• gentle slope - south, steep - north.

1. Fruit:

• the ripe side of the berry or fruit (red, yellow) is south.

1. The soil:

• in summer, near buildings, trees or under large stones and boulders, it is drier on the south side.

1. Snow:

• melts quickly on the south side, so the formed notches are directed to the south;
• in hollows, ravines and gullies, on the contrary, the northern one melts first;
• snow in the mountains first descends from the south;
• more snow accumulates on the north side of trees and buildings.

1. Shadow:

• the shortest (observed at 13.00) points to the north.

1. Grass and Plants:

• in prolonged heat, the grass turns yellow and is drier south of stumps, poles and stones, on the north side it can remain green;
• in spring, on the south side of these objects, the grass grows higher and thicker than on the north;
• the sunflower is never directed to the north, the flower is usually turned towards the sun.

Advice: the most difficult is orienteering on local grounds in the steppe. In this case, you will have to look for a dried up, or a "steppe compass" - a field weed lettuce(Lactuca serriola). Its leaves grow vertically, with the ribbed edges oriented north-south, with the front of the leaf facing east and the back facing west.

In large forests, you can navigate along the clearings. They usually have two directions: north-south or west-east.

- this is the ability to determine the cardinal directions, imagine the direction of roads and the location of settlements in relation to the place where you are. You can always find the way, knowing the location of the cardinal points. As you know, there are four of them, these are: north (N), East (E), south (S) and west (W). Orientation on the ground is one of the important conditions for ensuring life and the successful completion of tasks. Navigating the terrain using a map and compass is not very difficult, but in a world after death, most likely, you will have to act without having either a map or a compass. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to instilling solid skills in the basic techniques, rules and methods of orienteering on the ground without special adaptations.

* Orientation by the Sun
The places of sunrise and sunset are different for the seasons: in winter, the Sun rises in the southeast, and sets in the southwest; in summer the Sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest; in spring and autumn the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. At noon, the Sun is always in the south direction. The shortest shadow from local objects occurs at 13 o'clock, and the direction of the shadow from vertically located local objects at this time will point to the north. If the sun is hidden by clouds, put a knife on your fingernail - even a small one, but a shadow will appear and it will become clear where the sun is.

* By sun and clock
It is necessary to direct the hour hand to the Sun, and the angle formed between the direction of the hour hand and the number 1 (13 hours) of the dial should be divided in half by an imaginary line. The line dividing this corner will indicate the direction: in front - south, behind - north. At the same time, it must be remembered that until 13 o'clock you need to divide the left corner, and in the afternoon - the right corner.

* According to the North Star
The North Star is always in the north. To find the North Star, you must first find the constellation Ursa Major, resembling a bucket made up of seven rather bright stars, then mentally draw a line through the two extreme right stars of the Ursa Major, on which to plot five times the distance between these extreme stars, and then at the end of this lines we find the North Star, which, in turn, is located in the tail of another constellation called Ursa Minor. By facing the North Star, we get the direction to the north.

* By the Moon
For approximate orientation, you need to know that in the summer in the first quarter the Moon at 20 o'clock is in the south, at 2 o'clock in the morning - in the west, in the last quarter at 2 o'clock in the morning - in the east, at 8 o'clock in the morning - in the south. At a full moon at night, the sides of the horizon are determined in the same way as by the Sun and the clock, and the Moon is taken as the Sun. It must be remembered that the full Moon opposes the Sun, i.e. is against him.

* By melting snow
It is known that the southern side of objects heats up more than the northern one, and accordingly, the snow melts from this side faster. This is clearly visible in early spring and during thaws in winter on the slopes of ravines, holes near trees, snow stuck to stones.

* By shadow
At noon, the direction of the shadow (it will be the shortest) points to the north. Without waiting for the shortest shadow, you can navigate in the following way. Stick a stick about 1 meter long into the ground. Mark the end of the shadow. Wait 10-15 minutes and repeat the procedure. Draw a line from the first position of the shadow to the second and extend a step beyond the second mark. Place the toe of your left foot opposite the first mark and your right foot at the end of the line you have drawn. You are now facing north.

* On local subjects