Trail Magazine - How to Find South With A Watch

[usermax56]

uhuh.... what if the hour hand is at 9? will south be in the opposite direction lol?

[VonLeachim]

james may did this on a top gear clip - in a pretend escape from broadmoor.

[KillerGuitar007]

Ok, from south we can find north. but how do we tell which way is east and west?

[krm3396]

@KillerGuitar007 The sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Just think of the word "we" to remember which side is which.

[parlusk1791]

@KillerGuitar007 when facing north east will be to your right and west to your left

[misfits12o]

@KillerGuitar007 wow...if u can find north west is to ur left and east to ur right

[KillerGuitar007]

@misfits12o Blonde moment. Alri? -.-

[Normanskie]

Greenwich Mean Time or British Summer Time

[balaalalaslk]

or how about the sun always rises from the east and sets in the west

and the moon during night follows the path of the sun

[zoomerlawns]

What I usually do to find south is I look at the sun for exactly 5 hours.

Then, when I am almost completely blind, the southbound bus comes and I get on. Sometimes it's a watermelon truck, so I have to be careful. One time I found a dead dog. It was gross! He was pointing east so I couldn't use that as a guide. I ate a whole pound of bacon once. You don't care.

[Trevoc2]

@zoomerlawns that was funny :o)

[5084204]

I suggest a purchase of small Recta compass, that can be attached to the watch strap. 2 pounds - 0 problems.

[vicfefer]

It does work, but opposite in southern hemisphere. It's approximate, but if you don't have a compass, far better than nothing. At 12 the sun is due south. Difficult to tell during summer in the tropics as the sun is directly overhead at 12. To those that say it's BS, get a compass and test it, then report back your findings.

[FrekeOne]

If U got a digital U are going to die out there. Bettar stay inside.

[longtoes12]

@FrekeOne draw an analogue watch

[irecordpornos]

sucks balls!!

[seraphuss]

Ok, but what if the hour hand is at 12 or very close to 12?

[Ruvigy]

@seraphuss

I guess 12 is the south then...

[ZOMGHILOL]

What if the moon is up? Does that still work? :P

[ambiguousheather]

I reckon it would work, though he's talking from a purely 'british' perspective. You'd be an idiot to attempt anything major in Scotland, for example, without a compass. This works along the principles of a sundial, which makes perfect geographical sense. Sorry naysayers, but it does qualify as a secuity survival tool, if desperate.

[bodomsixpounder]

what happens if it's 6 o'clock?

[longtoes12]

@bodomsixpounder It changes depending on the time of day.

[candychandelier]

Imagine if the person forgets to set its watch back during Daylight Times...heh...

[aeroprince]

wouldnt work around the equator. and its the opposite in souther hemi

[comebacker]

bullshit..the sun never shines in england..its always raining!

[99problams]

this doesnt work

[SleepwalkerGM]

this should vay on the hemisphere and the latitude

[xDAZZE]

This only works if you live north of the Tropic of Cancer, inaccurate if you live between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator and completely doesn't work if you live south of the Equator. I think if you live south of the Tropic of Capricorn, what's between the hour and and 12 is North.

[Trizard101]

This could be really inaccurate, and probably doesn't even work because the sun set in the west and rises in the east but I don't know how the time would effect the south variable portion. In my mind, complete and utter bullshit

[zhlim93]

what if its 12 noon and the sun is right above you? you would not know where to point the hour hand towards and there would be no space between the hour hand and the 12.

[papcyrill]

@zhlim93 at 12 noon sun is directly in the notrh position,,so when you are looking the sun at 12 a clock you are looking north-east

[Tech467]

@zhlim93 well yes the watch is pointless at that point, but if the sun is directly above you, then that means its traveling exactly through the path of east to west. (because the sun rises in east and sets in west). so all you need to do is wait a bit and see what direction it is going, that direction would be west, meaning opposite is east and north is to the right (facing west) and south is left(facing west)

[memberHD]

@zhlim93 if the sun is directly overhead, wait an hour and see where it moves...that will be west.

[mossbergmaniac1947]

@zhlim93 Your shadow will point due north at noon

[idiotAREstupid]

@zhlim93 u can waste an hour an do it again XD

[linedjake05]

0:56 lol...

[whosaiducaneatmario]

it matters where you live... you pretty inaccurate because the sun is in a different direction :x

[innerspaceenergy]

so if u use your right hand it would be the same but for west right?