For professional campers: A guide to navigating in nature
You can take a look at our guide article to find your way easily without getting lost among the endless resources of nature.
The value of nature is priceless for campers who cannot give up on the miracles of life. They burn with the excitement of going on short-term adventures in nature, especially combining a peaceful blue and calm green. This being the case, preparing the goods with a fury and getting on the road evokes an enjoyable activity for campers. Free-spirited campers who are devoted to nature want to benefit from the seeds of the miracle in the region they go to. For this, it is necessary to understand the language of nature, so to speak. It is essential for campers to visit various hiking routes to explore the natural beauties. However, at this point, it will be inevitable to get caught up in the beauties of nature and miss the right path and direction. You should remember the direction you came from before making a fuss in these direction losses. If you do not have a compass or a map with you, the miracles of nature will come to your aid. For you today; We have listed the elements that will come to your aid when you lose direction in nature. You can take a look at our guide article to easily find direction in nature.
How to Find Direction in Nature?
Examine Ant Nests
Nature is not just an adventurous living space for humans. There are many living species in nature that try to find their way like us and resort to various traces for this. If you lose your way in the depths of nature, an anthill will come to your aid. Ants usually make their nest doors towards the south. At this point, you can follow the ants and examine the nest direction to make it easier for you to find your way.
Get Help from the Sun
If you go for a walk when the weather is bright, your job will be much easier. The sun always rises from the east and leaves the day from the west. At this point, if you turn your face to the east where the sun rises, your right arm is east; your left arm will point west. As such, the side you face is north; your back points south.
Examine the Algae
Mosses that contribute to the greenery of nature not only create an eye-catching image, but also become a great helper in finding direction in nature. Mosses, which usually cover the surface of stones and trees, prefer the north-facing direction. You can easily find your direction thanks to the algae appearing in the north direction. However, there is a point that you should keep in mind at this point. Algae tend to form in areas with high humidity, such as near lakes. Algae formed in such regions may not always be successful in showing north. You can examine the formation of algae in wooded areas to avoid the said mistake.
Don't Neglect Trees
A miracle of nature, trees become your practical assistant in finding direction. To find your way in a wooded area, you only need to examine the branches. The trees in question have few branches extending to the northern point. In this way, you can find the north direction in a forested area by simply raising your head. In addition, the northern directions of the trees, which are prone to moss, are much more humid than the south. You can determine the direction in a short time by exploring the moist surface of the trees.
The Power of Shadows
Although the shadow method requires effort to find direction in nature, you must be knowledgeable about every clue. When you lose direction in nature, it is enough to find a long stick or a long branch to use the shadow method. First you need to fix the stick vertically on the ground. At this point, if you are not in a soil area, you can get help from hard stones. Then, using the direction of the sun, mark the first shadow of the stick. Then put a mark on the other shadow tip that is formed by waiting for half an hour. Then connect the two ends and draw a line. When you are positioned with the first point to your left and the second point to your right, your face will point directly to the north.
See the Poles and Constellations
Getting lost in the woods at night isn't always as heartwarming as a daylight. At this point, your helper will be the stars with their dazzling brilliance so that you can find the direction. When night time comes, the pole star reaches a much brighter and radiant appearance than the others. In order to find the pole star in the sky where thousands of stars can be seen, you can look at the big bear first. The big bear depicts a group of stars in the sky, resembling the image of a coffee pot. The pole star, on the other hand, is the part that shows the handle of the coffee pot, which is 5 units beyond the big moon. After finding the pole star with the Big Dipper method, you can subtract the north direction. The pole star usually points towards the north. In this way, you can determine the north, south, west and east directions.
Examine Moon Direction
Just as the sun is your great helper to find direction during the day, the moon also comes to your aid at night. The illuminated side of the moon, which appears before sunset, points west. On the contrary, if the moon is visible after midnight, its illuminated direction will show east. In addition, you can find the direction with the help of the crescent shape of the moon. When the moon is in the shape of a crescent, you need to draw an imaginary line from both ends. When you draw two lines from both ends, if it resembles the small letter "b", the crescent ends point to the east; If it shows the letter “d”, it means it is showing the west. Thanks to the shape and light of the moon, you can easily find your way in deserted areas at night.
