Orienteering skill is useful to every person in life, regardless of where he ended up: in the city, forest, desert, steppe or among the expanses of water. And if a person finds himself in an unfamiliar place without visible identification marks of the living area, random passers-by and marks, then you have to rely solely on your intuition and luck, or ... Or you can learn how to navigate well in space using improvised elements, signs and, in fact, nature itself .
We offer you the TOP-10 of the most popular ways, thanks to which you can learn to navigate in any area and even in the wilderness.
10. Relief
This method, of course, is for advanced "natural scientists", since it involves attentiveness to the peculiarities of the landscape. If you find yourself in an open area in the summer, autumn or spring, the notorious moss will become your faithful assistant, who chooses the northern sides of trees, old abandoned houses and other objects for growth. If winter found you in an unfamiliar place, then a carpet of snow will become a true ally. It turns out that in the south the coating is melting a little faster.
9. On the map
Going to an unfamiliar city or, for example, on a camping trip (even with a guide or group leader), do not forget to arm yourself with a map of the area, which does not take up much space. Believe me, even if you are poorly versed in its marks and rendering the landscape to scale, the map will definitely not be superfluous in a backpack. It is advisable to explore the area before traveling, in order to clarify controversial or incomprehensible points with good Internet access. Also, find out in advance how symbols and marks are read on the map. To start orienting on it, select a real large object (for example, a river or a lake), from which you can repulse and correctly determine the cardinal points. Together with the map, it is advisable to capture a compass and, possibly, a spyglass for peeping distant objects on the horizon.
8. By compass
This little helper is already solving a key question - helping to determine where the south is and where the north is. If you accurately indicate the direction of the world, then you can immediately find large objects for orientation, or at least just choose the direction of movement. Do not forget that to obtain accurate data, the compass should not be used while driving and twirl in the hand. Stop and place it on the most even horizontal surface. The arrow will immediately point you north, and then use the map to determine where to continue moving to get to the control point.
7. By radio signals
In order to navigate using this method, you need to bring a pocket-sized radio with you. Next, you should try to catch and fix the signals of powerful radio stations, in which the azimuth on the compass will help you. It is desirable that the direction of the signals also coincide with the selected side of the world. As you move, if you lose your landmark, then set the receiver in the direction of the worst sound, which will help determine the right side of the world, previously indicated by the compass.
6. In the sun
The luminary of the heavens helps tourists, wanderers and sailors to determine the direction of the world from ancient times. The method, of course, is not always stable, since a small accumulation of clouds, twilight or night will prevent you from orienting yourself in the sun. In fact, a special table has been developed that allows you to determine your location by the position of the Star in the sky in different seasons. If there is no compass at home, then it is very advisable to put a printout of the table on the map. If there is no table, then you can use a mechanical watch (only with a clear sky). Place them on a flat horizontal surface so that the main (short) arrow points to the current position of the sun in the sky. Next, divide the angle between the minute and hour hand conditionally in half and draw an imaginary line that will show you the southern side of the world.
5. By structures
If you did not grab a map, and moss, as luck would have it, does not grow in the monitored area, then you can focus on unknown structures. For example, the altars of Orthodox churches (even destroyed or abandoned) will be facing east. To the west, the belfries of the churches are oriented. Pay attention to the cross - its lower diagonal crossbar shows the north and south sides (upper and lower end). As for synagogues and mosques, their doors are located strictly to the north. Buddhist monasteries are erected so that the facades point to the south side.
4. The North Star
So, an unfamiliar area caught you at dusk or at night, which means that it is not possible to use the sun or landscape landmarks. Then all hope for a starry sky, which will be available only in cloudless weather. Take a good look at the sky and find the North Star (as we know from childhood, it is the brightest among others). And here it is important to remember only one detail - the star is located strictly in the north, if you look at it with your face. If you didn’t immediately find the celestial body in brightness, then remember the lessons of astronomy - the North Star is located in the constellation of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major).
3. On the moon
The second important celestial body after the sun can even help out on a cloudy, gloomy and completely impenetrable night. Focus on the position of the moon, which will determine the cardinal points. But this requires some knowledge that in different phases and periods the satellite has different positions. If you do not want to remember specific information, write it to the fields of your card, because this may be the only way to orient yourself on the terrain in the evening and at night.
2. For animals
It will be not so much about animals as about insects that know how to properly orient their homes and are subject to the biorhythms of nature. Your first helpers in the warm summer period are, of course, the steppe bees, who choose the south side to build their hive. In the daytime in bad weather conditions and in any season, try to find an anthill. As a rule, ants erect their "building" also from the southern part of a stump or tree. Pay attention to the form of housing itself, since its flatter side is the south.
1. By plants
In the meantime, you are busy searching for anthills and hives (believe me, it can take many hours of stupid wanderings), try to pay attention to the vegetation under your feet. We recall that lichen and moss grow on the northern part of trees. But the grass more often bites to the south of any nearby facility. And here is another landmark - from north to south, glades are formed in the forest. And if you come across fruits or berries, then know that in front of you apparently the southern side of the world.
In the modern world, navigators and GPS solve problems with orientation to the terrain, and without Google Maps, many feel as if without hands. Nevertheless, it’s good that you read this article, because in the most uncomfortable and hopeless period, knowledge about orientation in the wild will emerge from the subconscious in time.