1st method

Lets consider the sun cycle seen in finding your way with the sun only :

Note : This picture is only valid in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere the sun always rises to the east but it is at its highest in the north at noon. It also sets in the west and it is in the south at midnight.

Be careful ! Don’t forget that this is solar time we’re talking about

A reminder on solar time:

• In France
  • Summer time : From the last week end of march to the last week-end of october watches are two hours ahead of solar time.
  • Winter time : From the last week-end of october to the last week-end of march watches are one hour ahead of solar time.
• In the rest of the world : All countries do not have the same rules on summer and winter time. Some never change time, others have their own rules. You need to check in advance when you visit a country.

Now that you have a watch you can be more precise :

In the daylight it is rather easy to proceed :

For example if it’s 11am and that you are in summer time you have to put your watch 2 hours back. It’s 9am in solar time. The picture shows you that at nine the sun is in the south east. You can direct your map like this :

A small hint to help you : The shade of a standing pole gives you the exact position of the sun.

2nd method

To find your way with a watch you need to have a watch with a dial (and not a digital one)

You need to set your watch on solar time as shown previously.

Here is the watch at the right time : It’s 5.15pm in winter. In France it is then 4.15pm solar time. As you can see only the small hand is drawn, that’s because it’s the only one we will be looking at.

Put the small hand of your watch facing the sun. You can do this precisely if you look at the shade of a twig.

You now need to picture the bisection between the number 12 and the small hand of your watch to find the north-south line.

Be careful! South is on the left of number 12 in the morning and on the right in the afternoon.

Position of the south at 7am

Position of the south at 7pm

Note : In the southern hemisphere it is the opposite : north is on the left of the 12 in the morning and on the right in the afternoon.

Why should you take the bisection ?

Because the hand goes twice around the dial in 24hours. If watches had a 24hr graduation instead of 12 then all you’d have to do is direct the hand of your watch towards the sun. You’d find south (1) facing the 12. Look at our example at 4.15pm.

(1) or north in the southern hemisphere.