Panic sets in you just went for a simple hike on an established trail and somehow got off the trail...NOW WHAT.
Being lost in the bush can be scary and dangerous. This article is going to help you navigate your way out of the bush to safety without a compass.
There are the obvious ways to determine where you are, such as using the sun. Using a shadow stick will help.!
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Further you can use the sun to determine your direction by using YOUR shadow. In the Northern Hemisphere if your walking in the Eastern direction your shadow will always be on your left.
There are a few other ways to determine your position in the bush. Using the vegetation is a great navigator. Tree's growth is influenced by the sun. No tree will be perfectly symmetrical, there will always be one side that has more growth, which will be the south side with the most growth. Another way is to look for growth of vegetation on rock's and tree's bark. Vegetation like moss. This method is important to consider that you should ignore mosses found growing 60 centimeters of the ground cause moss growth needs moisture and the air within 60 centimeters is evaporated from the ground. Moss found growing on one side of a rock is usually the south side of the rock or tree.
Another way to determine your position is to look at the animals. The migratory path of the birds, the position of a spider web, or where an ant builds it hill.
Birds use the earths magnets to help them navigate their path south in the fall.
Spiders webs are typically build where there is a shelter from the wind and the wind most commonly blows from the southwest.
Ant's will typically build their homes to the right of a tree.
There are other naturally ways to determine your direction, such as noticing how the snow melts as it will melt faster with a south facing exposure.
Hope you found this article useful and helpful as you head out this summer.
Happy Trails