Being able to make your way through the wilderness, be it on a hike, camping, hunting or fishing trip or if you are lost is critical to your survival, but what if you have no navigation tools or become lost?

There are several ways you can establish a general sense of direction, which then can help you choose the most logical path to safety.

Set Up Shadow Sticks

Can’t figure out your directions, but you know its mid-day? The sun still gives us enough movement at midday to find our directions, if you stick a few twigs in the ground to make a sun compass.

Just stick a twig into soft ground in an open area that is receiving direct sun light. Then stick a smaller twig into the ground or set a small stone at the point where the first stick’s shadow ends on the ground. The sun moves east to west at about 15 degrees per hour. Wait 2-3 hours, give or take a few minutes if you are away on a survival project, and make another mark to record the tip of the shadow from the shadow stick. Lay a stick on the ground or draw a line between the marks from the shadow tips; and you have established a rough East-West line.

Watch the Moon

As the sun moves from east to west, so does the moon. Due to the moon running on a different schedule than the sun, it may not be rising or setting at a convenient time to assist your navigational needs, but at least it follows a similar path as the sun.

Watch the Horns

When the crescent moon is in the sky, use a straight stick (or just your imagination) to make a line that touches each tip of the “horns” and extends down to the horizon. This spot on the horizon will be roughly south, when this trick is done in the northern hemisphere. If you’re trying this below the equator, the line passing by the horns and extending to the ground will show a rough northerly position. This trick also works when the moon is in any other phase, except full moon.

Find the North Star

Most folks can find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in the night sky. And if that was all you could find, it would give you a general idea of north. But for more precise way finding, follow the two stars on the side edge of the dipper’s cup until you hit the dim star “next door”. This is Polaris, the North Star. It gives you a very accurate bearing toward True North. If the Big Dipper doesn’t happen to be visible at your location or time of year, the “W” shaped constellation of Cassiopeia can help. It is on the other side of Polaris from the Big Dipper. It’s also possible to find Polaris by finding the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor). Polaris is the final star in the dipper’s handle.

Before you set out, you should memorize a map of your general location as well as landmarks, but once you are out there, remembering where you are is useless if you cannot figure out what direction you should head.

These tips can aid you if you do not have a navigation tool handy. To see more navigation tips, please visit Outdoor Life.