Local orientation. Orientation by local features: methods and examples Ways of orientation by terrain

It happens that getting lost in the forest or lost in the area, it is urgent to determine the cardinal points. The well-known compass comes to the rescue. But not everyone knows how to use it.

How to navigate with a compass

How to navigate with a compass in the forest? The first thing to do is decide on a direction. You need to remember the cardinal points: north, south, west and east. And you need such a thing as azimuth. This is the angle between the direction of north and the direction of a certain object, taken clockwise. It is usually displayed in degrees. There are sea points, artillery thousandths. To determine the direction of the cardinal points and azimuth, it is easier to use a compass. How it's done? So, how to navigate the compass in the forest.

How to navigate with a compass and a map

We take a compass, position the map so that the north of the map coincides with the north (geographical). That is, the top side of the map looked north. We connect with a compass the place where we are and the place we want to go to. Having a round small compass, then with the north arrow up we place it between these two points. Next, you can see the direction (azimuth) that is shown on the compass. For example, this is 125. So, in order to get where we want, we need to move in azimuth 125.

How to navigate with a compass without a map

It is not always convenient to use the azimuth of the direction, since this method involves a direct movement from point A to point B. This is problematic due to the density of the forest and other obstacles. You can use the compass without bearing. It is necessary to set the compass so that the north arrow coincides with the letter indicating north (C or N). Move in the direction you want and keep the north arrow pointing north. To understand clearly, watch the video on how to navigate using a compass in the forest.

How to navigate without a compass on the ground

We figured out how to navigate the terrain with the help of a compass, now let's look at what signs to navigate without a compass. If you find yourself in the forest without a compass and navigator, and do not know how to determine the cardinal directions in order to get out somewhere. Before entering the forest, you need to have an idea in which direction you plan to go, remember where the roads and railways are. Know for sure that to the north of the forest, there is a settlement and so on. Natural signs can be divided into 2 groups: accurate and inaccurate. You need to be able to use natural clues, but you need to remember that you can make a mistake. Accurate signs: stars, sun. Inaccurate: plants and animals.

The sun is easy to navigate - it rises in the east, sets in the west. Accordingly, if you need to go north, then go perpendicularly upwards to the arc of the sun.

• The sun is an accurate guide. You can read more about how to navigate by the sun on our website.
• Stars. This is easy to do if the sky is fairly clear. We find the polar star. Finding it is easy, we find the bucket of the big dipper, we measure about 5 of the same stars from the tip of the bucket and you can see the polar star, it shines brightly. The polar star will point north.

Orientation on the ground

How to navigate in the forest

There are quite a few landmarks of plants and animals, but they can be deceiving due to various factors. Let's consider them.

• Anthill. Anthills are located to the south of a tree or stump, as ants are heat-loving insects. The southern side of the anthill is sloping, the northern one is steep.
• Moss. Moss near the trees grows on the north side.
• On the north side, the bark of some trees is coarser. In birch, the bark on the south side is more elastic.
• The slope of any hill on the south side is drier.
• Snow melts faster on the slopes on the south side.
• You may also find more detailed information available on our website.

How to navigate without a compass in the city

How is it possible in an unfamiliar city determine the cardinal directions without a compass, maps and gps navigator? By buildings! These are mainly buildings: churches, mosques and other religious buildings. When building them, certain rules must be observed. The belfry of the Orthodox Church faces west, while its chapel faces east. The front of the Catholic Church faces west. Buddhist monasteries face south. There are features by which you can try to find a reference point. The paint of various buildings fades and crumbles faster on the south side than on the north.

The ability to navigate among unfamiliar places is an important quality of a modern competent tourist. This means, first of all, not to get lost in an unfamiliar place, to establish your location on the sides of the horizon and geographical objects in time, to find out the direction of further movement.

It’s good when an experienced instructor takes a compass on a hike, this is not always the case in unprepared groups. If tourists find themselves in an unfamiliar area without a compass, do not despair. There are many ways to navigate the terrain without this device and it is worth getting to know them.

tree orientation

If tourists find themselves without a compass in an unfamiliar forest area, you need to look carefully at the trees. From the south, the crown of trees is more magnificent and the leaves are much larger. Here the densest branches develop in a dense forest, the sun warms them better. Trees with every leaf are drawn to the heat. There are much fewer leaves and branches from the north.

The method is not absolutely correct, it is necessary to make allowances for the prevailing winds, the presence of moisture, soil types. It is safer to navigate through lonely growing trees than in a dense forest.

The bark on the trees will tell a lot when orienting. From the south, tree trunks are heated better than from the north. It is the southern side of the trunk that is lighter in bark and drier. On the heated southern surface of the trunk, you can see clots of oleoresin-resin. A secondary layer of dark cracking bark on pines forms on the trunk from the north. After rain, pine trunks darken from the north, dry out more slowly due to lack of sunlight.

You can navigate by the bark in a birch forest, from the south it is always lighter, more elastic and thinner. Roughness and cracks, dark growths are formed on birch trunks from the north. Birch is a very flexible thin-stemmed tree in young forests; it will tell you the direction of the prevailing winds by tilting the trunk.

You can navigate by a sawn stump, you just need to carefully examine the annual rings on it. Where the gaps between annual rings are larger - south, and where the rings are located close to each other - north. It’s good if you come across a clearing with cut trees along the way. Even a few stumps will help confirm your orienteering assumptions.

In the forests along which hiking trails pass, there are special signs called tourist markings. They are applied with paint on the trunks along the planned route, always from the side of the nearest settlement.

Moss and lichen orientation

moss on the tree

This is perhaps one of the most popular ways to navigate the terrain. The trunks of large trees in the forest, aspens, poplars, firs, cedars from the north are covered with various lichens and mosses due to excess moisture. Even if the whole tree is overgrown with moss, from the north its thickets are denser and more humid. This is noticeable if you examine the trunk at the bottom. On boulders, screes and kurumniks from the north of the stones, you can also observe thickets of moss and lichen. These are plants that do not tolerate direct sunlight, bright light and intense heat. The soil from the north of the stones is more moist to the touch.

Orientation on the ground on the anthill

Stump with anthill

Anthills are built by insects in the south of the mountain slopes, trees, large stones and stumps for good heating by the sun. Ants are very heat-loving insects and carefully maintain the microclimate in the home. From the south, where the sun warms better, there is a gentle long slope near the anthill. The steep slope of the anthill always faces north. Paths of heat-loving ants run from the south side of the anthill.

Orientation on temples and pillars of clearings

Orthodox churches, Catholic churches are built oriented to the cardinal points. It is enough to look at the crosses located on the Orthodox church, the lower part of the lower crossbar points to the south, the upper one to the north.

The entrance to the temple and the bell tower are located on the western side, the altar in the church is located on the east. In Catholic churches, the altar, on the contrary, is located in the west. For Muslim mosques, it is more difficult to determine the sides of the horizon, they are oriented towards Mecca. So the Jewish synagogues are oriented towards Jerusalem. Although the doors of synagogues and mosques are in the north.

If, if necessary, you can find a clearing in the forest, you should find a pillar with bright numbers on it. They will point tourists to the square number of the topographic map of the area. The smallest digits of the clearing column will point to the north.

Orientation by sun and stars

In order to orient yourself by the Sun on a bright sunny day, you should wait half a day. At this time, the luminary is at its zenith, any shadow cast by objects becomes short. You should stand with your back to the luminary, the shadow of the tourist will indicate the direction to the north. Behind the traveler will be the south. On his right hand will be the east direction, on his left hand - the west.

In the off-season, in spring and autumn days, the sun will rise strictly in the east, set in the west. At noon in any season, the luminary is in the south and every shadow will point north. On winter days, the sun will rise from the southeast and set from the southwest. On summer days, the sun will rise from the northeast and set from the northwest.

Any traveler has an idea of ​​the constellations of his northern sky. Today, almost every student can find the stars of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor in the sky. But although theoretically tourists may know that the North Star is the terminal one on the tail of Ursa Minor, finding it can be quite difficult. The advice to find two terminal stars in Ursa Major and mentally continue the line connecting them to the bright Polaris can help with this. Standing facing her, the tourist will look to the north.

Table: determination of parts of the world by the sun

other methods

The inhabitants of the forest will help the tourist to navigate the terrain without a compass and a map. The squirrel lives only in hollows, protected from the prevailing winds. Paths of insects on tree trunks are more often on the south side. Migratory birds fly north in spring and south in autumn. In spring, the snow begins to melt on the southern slopes of the hollows and ravines; the grass here subsequently becomes thicker and taller. In summer, on hot days, juicy grass on the north side of buildings, stones, forest edges. The soil is drier and the berries ripen earlier on the southern slopes.

With the help of a carnation, a sewing needle, a piece of wire, you can make a homemade tourist compass. At the same time, one must understand that it will point to the magnetic pole and there will be a small error. This piece of steel must be magnetized by rubbing it against wool. In one case, it can be tied up on a long thread for the center of gravity, it will turn and stop in the north-south position. In another case, a magnetized needle is placed on a dry leaflet in a small pond, the needle will indicate the north-south direction.

Given all the knowledge of orienteering without a compass, it should be remembered that you should not use one or two methods. Use your knowledge repeatedly, test it and if a few observations are correct, the group will find the right direction.

There are cases when people go to the forest for a vacation or for mushrooms, but do not take orientation aids with them, which leads to the fact that they get lost in the forest and cannot find their way back on their own. To prevent this from happening, you need to know how to navigate by natural signs without a compass, which we will actually tell you about in this topic. We recommend that you read

HOW TO ORIENT WITHOUT A COMPASS IN THE FOREST TREES

If you look at the trees, you will see that on the south side the leaves on the tree are larger and thicker, and on the north side there are fewer leaves. This is due to the fact that in the northern hemisphere of the earth the sun passes exclusively from the south side, which gives more heat from this side, and as you know, all living things always reach for warmth.

You can also determine the direction of the cardinal points without a compass from a sawn tree, so if you look at the rings of a stump, then where the distance between the rings is greater, it will be south, and where the rings thicken closer to each other, it will be north.

HOW TO ORIENTATE WITHOUT A COMPASS WITH THE HELP OF LICHEN

If you look at stones or trees covered with moss, you will see that the moss on the north side grows more abundantly than on the south, since the sun dries less on the north side and it grows better. Thus, it is possible to determine the cardinal directions without a compass. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with

HOW TO ORIENTATE WITHOUT A COMPASS WITH THE HELP OF SNOW

To understand and determine where north, south, west and east without using a compass, you need to see how the snow melts, where it melts more abundantly and there will be south, and from the side from which it melts more slowly, there will be north, since there is snow under the sun warms up and melts faster

HOW TO ORIENTATE WITHOUT A COMPASS WITH THE HELP OF THE ANTHILL

Ants are also heat-loving creatures, which helps us navigate the anthill without having a compass with us. So on the side from which the sun warms, and this will be the south, the anthill has a gentler slope, so that more sun falls on the anthill, and on the side where the anthill is steeper, it will be north. We recommend that you read

HOW TO ORIENT WITHOUT A COMPASS IN A TEMPLE OR CHURCH

To determine the cardinal directions for a temple or church in the Orthodox faith, look at the cross located on the temple, so its lower crossbar will point south with its lower part, and north with its upper part. This is due to the fact that the temple is built strictly according to the location of the cardinal points.

HOW TO ORIENT WITHOUT A COMPASS ON THE PILLARS OF PROSEK (QUARTERLY)

So, if you get lost in the forest, then sometimes you can find a clearing, moving along which you can see a pillar with numbers that indicate where which square number is, since the area is very often divided into squares. In order to determine the direction of the cardinal points and where the north is from such a cut-out column, you need to find the numbers that have the smallest number in their value, they will then point to the north. We recommend that you read

We hope that now you can determine which side of the world without a compass and do not get lost in the forest, and if you don’t really know how and what to do, try to determine the cardinal points in practice using our recommendations and you will succeed.

You can navigate: by map, compass, sun, clock, stars, natural signs and phenomena, and various tips. For example: if you look out the window in the morning and see people with umbrellas, then it’s raining outside, and if it’s snowing, then most likely it’s winter and you need to dress warmer (just kidding).

Orientation 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. There are only four of them: 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. Orientation on the ground using a map and compass is not very difficult. But sometimes you have to act without a map, a compass. Therefore, when preparing for a hike, it is necessary to pay special attention to instilling solid skills in the basic techniques, rules and methods of orienting in the area without a map and compass. Each member of the group must be able to navigate well and quickly in different terrain and in any weather conditions.

Sun Orientation.

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.

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.

By 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.

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.

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.

For local items.

The bark of most trees is rougher on the north side, thinner, more elastic (in birch - lighter) - on the south;

In pine, the secondary (brown, cracked) bark on the north side rises higher along the trunk;

On the north side, trees, stones, wooden, tiled and slate roofs are covered with lichens and fungi earlier and more abundantly;

On coniferous trees, resin accumulates more abundantly on the south side;

Anthills are located on the south side of trees, stumps and bushes; in addition, the southern slope of anthills is gentle, and the northern one is steep;

In spring, the grass cover is more developed on the northern outskirts of the glades, warmed by the sun's rays; in the hot period of summer - in the southern, shaded;

Berries and fruits acquire the color of maturity earlier (blush, turn yellow) on the south side;

In summer, the soil near large stones, buildings, trees and bushes is drier on the south side, which can be determined by touch;

Snow melts faster on the southern slopes; as a result of thawing on the snow, notches are formed - "spikes" directed to the south;

In the mountains, oak often grows on the southern slopes. Other signs:

Clearings in large forests, as a rule, are oriented in the direction north - south and west - east; the numbering of forest blocks in the USSR goes from west to east and further south;

On a stand-alone tree, the densest branches tend to grow on the south side, since more sunlight gets there;

sunflower flowers always turn to follow the sun and never face north;

migratory birds fly north in spring and south in autumn;

near isolated trees, the snow is loose on the north side, and on the south side

It is covered with a crust because the sun shines on it.

By buildings.

Churches, mosques, and synagogues are buildings that are rather strictly oriented to the sides of the horizon. The altars and chapels of Christian and Lutheran churches face east, the bell towers face west. The lowered edge of the lower crossbar on the dome of the Orthodox Church faces south, the raised edge faces north. The altars of Catholic churches are located on the western side. The doors of synagogues and Muslim mosques are facing approximately north, and their opposite sides are directed: mosques - to Mecca in Arabia, lying on the meridian of Voronezh, and synagogues - to Jerusalem in Palestine, lying on the meridian of Dnepropetrovsk. Temples, pagodas, Buddhist monasteries face south.

The exit from the yurts is usually done to the south. In houses in rural areas, more windows in living quarters are cut through on the south side, and the paint on the walls of buildings on the south side fades more and has a withered color.

In large tracts of cultivated forest, it is possible to determine the sides of the horizon by clearings, which, as a rule, are cut strictly along the north-south and east-west lines, as well as by the inscriptions of block numbers on poles installed at the intersections of clearings. On each such pillar in its upper part and on each of the four faces, numbers are affixed - the numbering of the opposite quarters of the forest; the edge between the two faces with the smallest digits shows the north direction.

Determination of local time without a clock.

If the clock is broken or lost, the local time can be known with relative accuracy using a compass by measuring the azimuth to the Sun. Having determined the azimuth, its value must be divided by 15 (the value of the rotation of the Sun in 1 hour), the resulting number will indicate the local time at the time of reference. For example, the azimuth to the Sun is 180°, so the time will be 12 hours.

Orientation in the forest.

There are recommendations in the literature for determining the sides of the horizon from the canopy of trees. But the indication that the crown of trees on the south side is more luxurious, and the growth rings of wood on the stump of a cut tree from the south are wider than from the north, is not always confirmed. The fact is that in a dense forest, trees cover neighboring trees located to the north of them with their shadow. Therefore, longer and thicker branches in the middle of the forest can be directed not only to the south, but also to the north, east, west, i.e., where there is more free space. In this regard, the annual growth of the next layer of wood is formed on the side from which the tree develops better. So, not necessarily on the south side. And if we also take into account the fact that the direction of winds and moisture constantly affect the development of the crown of trees, as well as the width of the growth of wood, then the conclusion is clear. But it may not be true for all regions of the country.

An exception may be the North, where there is much less heat and light from the sun than moisture, and where trees develop better towards the south. In the middle latitudes of a temperate climate, only by trees standing in an open place can one determine the north-south direction. The sides of the horizon in the forest can be determined by the bark of trees. It must be remembered that the southern side of the trees, receiving more heat and light than the northern one, has a drier and lighter bark. This is especially noticeable in coniferous forests. In addition, on the more illuminated side of the trees there are characteristic streaks and clots of resin, which retain a light amber color for a long time. It should be borne in mind that pine trunks are covered with a secondary crust. On the north side, this crust is formed much less frequently than on the south. And after the rain, the pine trunk turns black from the north. This is explained by the fact that the secondary crust, which forms on the shady side of the trunk and goes higher along it than along the southern one, swells and dries slowly during rain. This creates the impression of the black color of the northern side of the pine trunk. The sides of the horizon can also be determined by deciduous trees. So, the trunks of aspens, and especially poplars, are covered with moss and lichens from the north. And even if the lichen has grown all over the tree, then there is more of it on the north side, where it is more humid and dense. This is especially noticeable on the lower part of the trunk. And the bark of white birch on the south side is always whiter compared to the north side. Cracks and irregularities, outgrowths cover the birch from the north side. And given that the birch is very sensitive to winds, the slope of its trunk will also help you navigate in the forest. To determine the sides of the horizon, you can use large stones and boulders. Their northern side is covered with lichens and moss, which do not like heat and light. Yes, and the soil near such a stone will help if there are no lichens and moss: the soil on the north side of such a stone is more humid than on the south. Will help to navigate in the forest and its inhabitants. So, a squirrel arranges its dwelling only in hollows located on the opposite side of the prevailing winds. And anthills are located on the south side of a tree or stump. Moreover, its southern side is sloping, the northern one is steeper. In spring, snow melts faster on the slopes of ravines, hollows, and depressions facing south. Grass in spring is higher and thicker on the south side of individual stones, buildings, forest edges, and in summer, with prolonged heat, it remains greener on the north side.

It should be remembered that the methods of orientation by:

- width of annual rings;

- density of branches on trees;

- outgrowths of moss on tree trunks;

- anthills and gopher minks.

To navigate correctly, do not use one or two methods. Collect all available methods. Check yourself constantly. The direction, confirmed by six or seven ways and refuted no more than two times, can be considered, in principle, quite accurate.