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How to find North with a watch
Sometimes you need to get your bearings, and more often than not you won't have a compass with you. You might, though, have a watch. Provided it's got an hour hand and a face, you can sort yourself out.
What you'll need:
An analogue watch (the type with hands!)
To know where the sun is
1:
Ok, first things first. It needs to be daytime for this. Make sure you can see the sun or establish where it is by looking at shadows.
2:
Hold the watch flat in your hand and point the hour hand in the direction of the sun.
3:
Bisect the angle between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock mark on the face of the watch, i.e. draw an imaginary line across the centre of the watch face, cutting the segment between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock mark in half.
4:
The line you now have (albeit in your mind - put a stick on the floor for reference if it helps) is the North-South line. North is towards the end of the line furthest from the sun.
5:
IMPORTANT NOTE #1: In British Summer Time (Daylight Saving Time if you're on the other side of the pond, or the local equivalent) use the 1 o'clock mark instead of the 12.
6:
IMPORTANT NOTE #2: If you're in the southern hemisphere, North is towards the end of the line CLOSEST to the sun.
Conclusion:
Obviously this technique relies upon the ability to identify where the sun is, so may not be particularly effective on an overcast day. It also relies upon the availability of an analogue watch. If you don't have one but do have a smartphone, you can probably change your clock to an analogue style on that. This will do just as well.
Tips:
Put something on the ground if you can't see the sun directly and there are no shadow casting things about. Take a shoe off if needs be, or just put a fingertip to the floor.
Warnings:
This is only a rough orientation method.
DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN.
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