We've shown you how to find north with nothing more than a stick in the ground. It's a neat trick, but not the only way to figure out where you are without a compass.
Photo by John Carmichael.
Over at the Wired How-To wiki they've rounded up a collection of tips on smart ways to locate which way is north when you don't have a GPS or boy scout nearby. They've got quite a few methods to choose from, but one of our favorites uses nothing more than your watch and the sun.
1. Take into account the cursed daylight saving by subtracting 1 hour in summer time (moving the hour hand counter clockwise 1 hour).
2. Face your analog watch, align it so that the hour hand points in the direction of the sun (you might have to twist your wrist a bit, or take it off).
3. Now imagine a line starting from the center of the dial halving the angle between the hour dial and 12 o'clock. This line will point south.
Of course, you'll need to take a different approach if you're near the equator or in the southern hemisphere.
Hit up the post to check out a bunch of other ideas for locating true north, including a clever one that involves satellite dishes. Who's got more tips for getting out of a jam when you've gotten yourself lost? Share them in the comments.
Find North Without a Compass [via Wired How-To Wiki]