You can find the direction from the sun, moon, stars, wind and plants this can be done with several methods, These methods would only help you in giving you a general direction. Has anyone over here tried it?

Yes I have a friend who is learning it well He does find ways which are complicated and he has helped me over at times in situations in the wild.

I think it is really a complicate and a difficult thing to learn. One of my cousins is learning them correctly and he said that it is really hard and only a few people can predict it correctly even after learning them. I think that it requires some type of special skills to predict it correctly.

Its not as complicated as you think. Its very easy and you just need some basic knowledge. Sun rises from east and from this you can start your calculation.

No its damn difficult. May be we can point the direction somehow. Also we can know the time by watching sun which is damn difficult.

If you have maps and a compass it is easy to figure out where you are. You find 2 features that are on the map and get an azimuth to the features. Figure out the opposite azimuth by adding 180 if the azimuth is less than 180, and subtracting 180 if it is over 180. Draw lines from these features on a map going in the calculated direction. Where the lines cross is your location. From there you can figure out which direction you need to go and how far to go. You can use the compass to stay in the correct direction and a pace count to mark distance. You figure your pace count by finding out how many steps it takes for you to go 100 meters. Every 100 meters make a tic mark. at 10 tic marks you have traveled a kilometer. Every kilometer I stop for a rest and water, recheck my position to make sure I haven't wandered off my path, and continue.

It sounds like a lot to do, bit if you practice this, it will become easy. This is how I navigated when I was in the Army. even in combat situations I was able to navigate and get where I needed to be safely.

If you can afford it, a GPS unit will help you as well. I would use a GPS with the method I described to make sure that everything is accurate, and if your GPS fails you will still know where you are and be able to navigate your way to safety.

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NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Handgun and Personal protection in the Home.
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NRA Member
U.S. Army Veteran

I always recommend carrying a map & compass when in the wilderness. However, I guess the question was more about using the sun, moon, stars, etc., for navigational purposes. Using the sun, the shadow stick method is very effective for determining general direction. You can actually use you watch and the sun to determine direction. Some of the methods for determining direction using the stars can get a little complicated, but you can use a two stick aiming method to determine your direction, using any star, except the North Star (Polaris). It is much easier that learning the constellations. The more you learn, and practice, the better prepared you will be when you need the information. There are no skills like practiced skills. But still, don't forget your map and compass.

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It is true that you can use all of these sources to determine your direction of travel, however, with all the practical navigation aids and educational literature readily at hand today, you are in deep crap if you need to rely on which side the moss is growing on a tree or having to use the shadow method for a general bearing. Get an inexpensive compass and a map of your local familiar area. Go to Silva.com or Google "land navigation" to learn the basics of map and compass use. It is fun to practice in everyday situations. your not just turning left at the light, your turning south/southwest 216 degrees and traveling 1.6 miles before turnning north/north east 48 degrees on I95. Then hike in a local park and learn how to count paces for distance and return to your starting point by ded-recon. If you really want to have fun and also be an asset to your party, get this book and read it at least five times. "The Green Beret's Compass Course" written by Don Paul and published by Path Finder Publications. The new way to stay found (not lost) anywhere. This method replaces all old methods of land navigation which requires the use of maps. You will be amazed at the improvement in your directional sense day or night.

andersong is correct about relying on moss. You can't. It is true that moss grows on the north side of a tree, but it also grows on the east, south, and west side. Although I continually recommend that you carry a map and compass, I still go back to the original question. The shadow-stick method is extremely effective as well as celestial navigation. Of course the methods have to be practiced, but a map and compass are the same. If you haven't practiced with them, they are of little use. Learn to orient a map with a compass. Learn your pace distance before you try to measure distance with your pace, and carry a means to count your paces such a pace beads. Learn to find a course from a map, walk an azimuth accurately, locate a mapped object in the field, locate an observed object on a map, locate yourself on a map using triangulation (dclaarjr made reference to this). Learn to prevent lateral drift using a back bearing. Learn to box an object. Learn the difference between true north and magnetic north (declination), and how to compensate for the difference. Compass skills must be practiced in order to be effective.

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Here are some articles I saw on another webpage that might be helpful ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direction_Finding_Watch

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/chp18.php

http://www.creationtips.com/compass.html

http://www.wwmag.net/directon.htm