Find N / S / E / W offline

Use the Sun’s direction without looking directly at it. A vertical stick’s shadow points away from the Sun. Keep the watch horizontal. The short hour hand, rather than the minute hand, is used.

Correct daylight saving time by using a time one hour earlier. For a digital display, draw a 12-hour face and position its hour hand for that corrected time, including minutes: at 3:30 the hour hand is halfway between 3 and 4.

In the Northern Hemisphere, aim the hour hand at the Sun. Split the shorter arc between the hour hand and 12 in half: that midpoint is approximate South, with North opposite. In the Southern Hemisphere, aim 12 at the Sun and split the same arc; the midpoint is approximate North.

For this simple version, use times between 6 am and 6 pm standard time. Near 6 o’clock, the two possible midpoints are ambiguous; use a different method. Time-zone offsets, your longitude and seasonal differences between clock time and solar time can produce substantial errors. This method is especially unreliable in the tropics, near the equator or when the Sun is nearly overhead. It is a rough true-north clue, not a magnetic compass bearing.

Check the result against a map, a physical compass or a known landmark before moving. The watch diagrams show the geometry of a 3 pm example; they are not a live clock.

Method reference: Seiko: watch-and-Sun compass instructions (internet required).

Use a map scale

On a downloaded or paper topographic map, confirm your location and identify the exact peak or feature. Mark both points on a strip of paper, then compare that strip with the map’s scale bar. A bar scale remains useful if the map is resized together with it; a stated ratio is valid only at the intended print size.

Example: at 1:25,000 scale, 1 cm represents 250 m. A 4 cm separation is 4 × 250 m = 1,000 m, or 1 km horizontally. For a route, measure each trail segment or use string along the bends. Detours, slopes and terrain usually make travel longer than the straight line.

Use a measured baseline and bearings

1. At A, record a reliable horizontal compass bearing to one identifiable point on the target.
2. Measure a straight, approximately level baseline b from A to B, at 90° to that first bearing. Use a tape or a previously calibrated pace count. Do this only where you can move safely.
3. At B, record the horizontal bearing to the same target point. Use the same north reference for both readings. The smaller difference between the two bearings is δ; wrap a difference across North correctly, for example 359° to 4° is 5°.
4. For this perpendicular setup, tan(δ) = b / D, so D = b ÷ tan(δ). Set the calculator to degrees. D is the horizontal distance from A to the target, not from B and not the hiking distance.

Worked example: b = 100 m and δ = 5°. Then D = 100 ÷ tan(5°) ≈ 1,143 m (1.14 km). In the same flat-plane triangle, B’s distance is √(D² + b²) ≈ 1,147 m. The diagram is not to scale.

Small bearing changes are very sensitive to error. With b = 100 m, δ = 4° gives about 1,430 m, while δ = 6° gives about 951 m. A phone reading alone may not be accurate enough. Zero or an unresolved angle gives no usable estimate. If the baseline is not perpendicular, this formula does not apply; plot the two bearings on a map or use proper surveying geometry.

A summit’s elevation above sea level is not its height above you. Do not use that elevation or guess a mountain’s size to infer distance. Haze, lighting and terrain can change apparent distance. Prefer a map or a suitable rangefinder; do not enter dangerous terrain just to create a baseline.

References: USGS: map scales; NOAA: triangulation. The right-triangle calculation above is derived from the geometry shown here. Links need internet; these steps and examples are bundled offline.

In the Northern Hemisphere, on a clear night, Polaris (the North Star) lies close to true North. Find the Big Dipper. Follow a line through the two outer stars of its bowl, away from the bowl, about five times the distance between those stars to reach Polaris. Face Polaris: East is right, West is left and South is behind.

This method does not work in the Southern Hemisphere, and clouds, terrain, bright lights or a low horizon can hide the star. Confirm the star’s identity before using it.

The Sun generally appears to travel from the eastern part of the sky toward the western part. Sunrise and sunset are not due East and West on most days; their positions vary with season and latitude. In polar regions, the Sun may not rise or set at all.

Use this only as a rough clue, together with a map and landmarks. Do not assume the midday Sun is always South, or rely on moss on trees or a watch method to choose an exact bearing. The clock-and-Sun steps in this guide give only a rough estimate.

These instructions work without a signal. Prepare a physical map and compass, download maps before departure and practise in a familiar place.

North (N) = 0° or 360°. East (E) = 90°. South (S) = 180°. West (W) = 270°. Bearings increase clockwise.

When facing North: East is to your right, West to your left and South behind you. Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest lie halfway between the cardinal directions.

Hold the compass level. On the phone, point its top edge ahead. Keep it away from magnets, speakers, vehicles and metal. Start the compass, wait for a stable reading and check against a known landmark. A number alone does not guarantee accuracy.

If the phone says unavailable, tilted, stale or inaccurate, stop relying on its reading. Move away from interference and follow the manufacturer’s calibration instructions. Some phones lack a magnetometer; relative motion sensors cannot find North.

A magnetic compass points toward magnetic North. A map usually refers to true North. Local magnetic declination changes with place and date. Use the value on a current map or obtain it before your trip. True bearing = magnetic bearing + declination: add East declination, subtract West. Example: magnetic 80° plus 10° East = true 90° (East). Wrap the result into 0–359°.

Android’s native compass accepts a signed declination: positive for East, negative for West. Leave it at zero for magnetic bearings. The browser labels its sensor reference; only use a declination correction when you know that reference is magnetic.

Find the map’s north arrow, scale and declination note. Use a physical compass with the map’s documented magnetic correction. Rotate the map until its North agrees with the corrected compass direction. Match at least two identifiable landmarks, such as peaks, road junctions or a shoreline, before choosing a route.

Without a compass, match visible landmarks and the map’s geometry. A phone’s GPS location alone is not a compass heading when you are standing still. Do not guess your position from one distant landmark.

Stop, assess your surroundings and check your map and trip plan. Avoid following an uncertain bearing into dangerous terrain. Use your prepared emergency plan, whistle or signal mirror if needed. Keep battery power for navigation and emergency communication.

LostaFound online chat, location sharing and emergency delivery still need connectivity. A compass does not send an SOS or download maps. Android’s nearby chat needs compatible peers within radio range.