In the group of Multi-Adventure , Orientation < /Strong> is surely the experience that will make you use your head the most to reach your goal. With a card that will have to be able to read, a compass and a good pair of sneakers, you can you locate in the middle of nature.
However, it is possible to locate in the wild without using a compass , card or GPS. And yes!

How to orient yourself with a watch


These techniques are good to know, to shine in front of the friends, out of curiosity, and perhaps they will serve you if you get lost in the great outdoors, or if your GPS falls around the battery in the middle of the forest! />
First, everyone knows that the mousse of trees always grows north . Well, This is false ! The trees foam grows depending on the shadow or the wind. It needs humidity to be able to develop, so it will grow on the wet area of ​​the tree, generally the one where the sun does not type ... and it is not always the North!

So what are the techniques that work?


natural orientation techniques are not necessarily very precise, but remain effective. Here are some tips to locate yourself in space and time, without the conventional instruments used in orientation:

  • The sun:

It rises more or less to the east, goes to bed almost to the west. When it is the highest in the sky, it is the solar hour, almost 2 p.m. on our watch dials.

If you have a watch, you can also use it to locate yourself:
You need to place the small needle of your watch to the sun. You take the angle between the small needle and 2 hours in summer hours, and between the small needle and 1 hour in winter hours:
Large bear little bear and polar star



  • The polar star:

The polar star always indicates the north. How to find it? It’s the tail of the small bear.

You can also postpone five times the distance between the two stars located opposite the handle of the pan formed by the Large Dip
orient yourself in the forest


On the other hand, this star is not very bright and perhaps difficult to glimpse if a light source pollutes visibility.

  • The Moon:

The orientation of the peaks of the crescent moon tell you when it is in the first district, and the west when it is in the last district.

If you are a seamstress or by chance a needle and a thread on you, know that a magnetic needle always indicates the North.

If you do not have a magnet on which rub your needle, you can also heat it, even if the result is less reliable.

Once you know the position of the 4 cardinal points, you also need to know where you are. It's obvious: if you want to go from point A to point B, it is strongly useful to know the position of point A!

For this, no miracle: everything is based on observation. When you go hiking, you walk in the forest, know how to spot from the start what are the characteristics of your environment. Pebbles, rocks, crests, trees ..., try to keep as many signs as a memory.

Observation of the environment

You can estimate the distance traveled according to your walking time, knowing that we all walk about 5 km /h.

You now have some notions of natural orientation, among those that are most used. Although we all have a friend who does not have a sense of orientation and who has already lost himself next to his home, sometimes you must also know how to trust his instinct.

Orientation is a sport that makes us use our heads and legs, and it is an interesting challenge to take up, in contact with nature.

If you are interested, you can consult associations and Orientation companies from home.

And you, what are your tips to guide you? Do not hesitate to tell us everything in the comments!