Natural Compass: Shadow Stick Method

[ilikewarhammer]

Please tell me where you got that acu jacket!

[GODFORY]

DO-NOT-RELY-ON-THIS-AS-IT-IS-A­-FLAW

ALTAR-STONE-STONEHENGE - 12/21/2012-@-6:09

GOD a.k.a. FORY

[preppgal]

i find it funny that some people can't tell directions outdoors, at least when the sun is out...we are in the northern hemisphere so the sun will never be to the north and that it travels east to west...amazing that some people still don't get it...not you of course..just commenting

[spareaxe]

I guess you would have to know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west when you draw the first line and make the east west marking.

[768Kayshan]

Cool!

[WiseManRunning]

Something to note: This method has a large margin of error (error increases the further it is from solar noon, and also depends on solar azimuth swing. Greater the swing, greater the margin of error.)

Judging by the time of year, you would be better off looking up to find geese-stragglers flying south for the winter.

[ripfletching]

Great

[leeradio13]

awesome stuff!

[sonnyjaime69]

Because the sun rises in east and sets in the west.

[HermanTheNinja]

if youre in the northern hemisphere(adust for southern hemisphere) you can tell the direction of north & south of where the sun is.....it rises in the east & falls in the west.... watch where it rises & then where it's at it's highest then when it falls .....the moon follows a similar path as well so you can track by night aswell

[FirearmPop]

Cool...

[GardDawgy]

How so you know this is is east or west though? I understand that you make a line but on the end of the line how do you know which is east or west?

[wasabi622]

How do you know which was is east and which way is west? Is the first stick you put into the ground the "west" end and the second stick you put down the "east"?

[WinterWoodlands]

@wasabi622 hi, i experimented with this. yes, the first stick is the west end, the others then are to the east of it. as the sun moves east to west, the shadow moves west to east. most accurate near solar noon time. i think in fact if you did this a half hour before solar noon to a half hour after, your result would be very accurate. In the northern hemisphere, the shadow points true north at the sun's zenith, in the southern hemisphere, it points south. E/W stays the same tho

[freakin1random]

lets say for instance, you waited 4-5 hours, would you have the same results?

[kuyajhet]

they say this method depends on what time you are doing it..so what must be the perfect time to do it?is this still accurate if i will do it after noon?

[fiberlightelements]

does it matter what time of day you do it?

[TheScruffyJones]

Man, can't believe I had never learned that before, but I am glad I know it now! Very good info.

[SolemAris]

kICK ASS

VERY USEFUL VIDEO BRO...

iF YOU GET LOST USING THIS METHOD....YOU ARE NOT AN OUTDOORS MAN..HAHAHA

[BushcraftOnFire]

Nice job Ryan! Good info to have in in an emergency...

[childkillerpro]

Where did you get that hood?

[iSurvivalSkills]

Excellent Thank You!

[FatDaddy4Fun]

JC, old tried and true method. Well done. I'm glad you did explain about the difference between true north and magnetic north. The stick method takes a little time, but it works. Hey! Love that coat bro. That ACU coat looks sturdy too. Where do I get one?

[CipherNameRaVeN]

awesome!!!!

[creps408]

i dont get this

[th3boy75]

you can also tell time from a cats eyes. its how dilated they are.

[megasimon999]

simple and effective!!! 5 stars Ryan

[SuperLizzardking]

this is some usefull stuff I am checking out your other vids to see if you have the telling time method with sticks. I read a cool book called everybodies knife bible that had some cool cronometer stuff to engrave on a blade but i havent had the heart to mess with my blades and a engraving tool engraving isnt one of my strong points.

[danielstwin]

awsome

[Sharimax42]

Very educational. Thanks!

[millnash12]

dude where did you get that jacket???

[ChemtrailsEire]

That's fukin cool man. I am trying to track Chemjet Jet patterns by compass but this is so fkn cool a method. I'm going to try that on the beach tomorrow! Shine on man! :)

[imgonnapissuoff]

You should pull out your Glock and blow a hole in a tree, then shoot the shadow stick. :)

[democ]

Excellent info!!! thanks! ***** faved.

I really like that hooded jacket you got there!

[MeltdownSurvival]

This is great. This is the second time I've watched this, and I'm sure I'll watch it again. Keep it up my man!

[88Azazel]

I didn't know this. Great info!!!

[WorldBankofAmero]

Great info Ryan.

[survivetheoutdoors]

i never knew that, thanks for the tip

[GT03235]

where are you based in NH?

[Kleinalrik]

Ryan, this method works only around high noon. This method becomes more faulty the earlier it is in the morning or tha later it is in the evening.

But still a worthful knowledge.

And your way of moderating your vids became more professional. Keep on the good work!

[Greenthing12]

dude you have the best survival vids by far

[sk8rfish]

I always tended towards a method using an analog watch and the sun, which gives an instant bearing, but is kinda dependant on your having an analog watch on your person!

[doomayam]

Even if you simply know the time, you can imagine on your wrist where the hour hand and 12 is.

It's better than nothing! ;-)

[xenber]

Really great helpfull video. Nice eyes too.

[2BeExposed]

This is a good video. More people should be taught the very bare minimum survival skills.

[314299]

Cool. Thanks for the informative video!

[tazambo]

I learnt something new today, thanks.

Regards

Dave

[MrSkaramanga]

The difference between compass north and true north is 14 degrees, in case anyone wanted to know. Good tip on the shadow method, thanks.

[philosphrstone]

Actually the difference varies with where you happen to be... there are websites that will help you calculate it for your particular location.

[pandemonium1981]

so is it always the first stick that is west and the second stick is the east? is this the general rule of thumb?

[AlfieJager]

Absolutly Great work ryan, I never EVER contemplated about doing this, Hell in the Army they never tought us about this technique LoL Go fig, but then again im not a Ranger so dunno, But still Bro! Brilliant technique. Keep up on the Great Videos man, 5*****s

[usernamepasscode]

i had no school today, so my friend and i went into the forest with nothing but an axe and a pack of waterproof matches, lit a fire from scratch, no paper, only one match needed, and we built a shelter from sticks and pine boughs...we tried this stick method, and im pretty sure it worked

[ryanjcus]

Excellent job Bro!!! I'm glad to hear you did that stuff. You should be proud. Alot of people couldn't start a fire without paper and all the matches in the world. I wish work got canceled LOL

[usernamepasscode]

yeah, we have exams, and im all done, it's more impressive that im in the city, and it was snowy out there, not actually snowing, but there was snow all over the ground

[rjbbrwn]

Thanks for demonstrating how to do that. It's a very good thing to know.

[YIRATxADONAI]

Another piece of valuable information. Supposing you don't have a compass or it gets lost in a bug out, this method (knowledge) weighs nothing provided there is sun. Keep it up Ryan

[solobackpacking]

Holy shit!!!!

Your outdoor video is soooooo clear and sharp!

The best quality video on youtube.

The sound however has a noticable hiss.

Might want to try a add on mic.

Fill us in on your video equipment and how you got it to work in the freezing cold.

[flamedrag18]

kinda funny, I would've though you didn't want us to see your face? lol

I get it, it's freezing!

but this is pretty good, sucks on a cloudy day though, that's why you should always carry a compass, even for a simple hike, just incase.

[ryanjcus]

I've shown my face in over half my videos. This is not a replacement for a compass. It's a backup in case you seperate from your compass or don't have one. Correct you can only use this with the sun. It won't work at night either. Hence the part where I say you need sun and sticks. Thanks

[BlasianBarbie]

Ryan, you are very intelligent.

[andais430]

That is awesome.  Good Work.

[blueshadowdude]

That's pretty damn cool! I've used my watch and of course a compass to find direction, but never this method. Good job.

[thevinerhyme]

though my approach is different as there are different ways to do the shadow stick methods...this was a very good video. Thanks for sharing!

[JEC18159]

Thanks for another informative video! Keep it up! :) BTW you look pretty effin scary in that mask! I know you're just keepin' warm though! haha

[syco4420]

another awesome vid bro. please keep up the great work. A+++

[robinkoeman]

Good explanation. I remember having lots of trouble with this method when I first learned it. It didnt make any sense back then. But now I think it's as easy as it can possibly be. 5/5

[rataMacue22]

Very nice

[losplatosdemaria]

You really explained this well. Thank you!

[infomaggot]

good video dude-you can also measure how tall an object is using the shadow stick-premative science-amazing-peace

[17Revolution76]

Nice, man. I need to try this out a few times myself. With that new camera you might even be able to show people how to find the north star when the sun goes down.

[theVirus7]

yo how wuts the longest and shortest time i have to move the stick? or does it matter? also does it matter what time of the day i do this? could i use the moonlight if its bright enough? probably not because its rotating and not stationary.

[ryanjcus]

I would say at least 12 minutes. You want a decent amount of space between the 2 marking sticks. It will be more accurrate that way. I probably wouldn't let more than an hour pass. If there are nearby trees their shadow may screw it all up if you wait too long. I've never waited more than half an hour myself. You can use the moon to get a general sense of direction but has nothing to do with this method.

[Paul07901]

Excellent demo thanks for sharing and Happy New Year!

[ZuluComander]

nice better than the moss on a tree bullshit

[mike29571]

Good stuff. Thanks!

[Piotrek830324]

thanks for sharing it was new for me, I know how to find N or S with stars, trees, stones, handwatch etc 5/5 Stars

[jeepnicc]

That was awesome bro! Cool technique. (BTW, I dig the balaclva. What brand/style is it?

[ryanjcus]

Thanks Brother. It's a 100% silk balaclva made by polartec and marketed by Cabelas.

[jfthrash]

nice HD man

[pwnstr08]

thats cool does it work in the uk do you know

[jonrbbar]

My favorite improvised compass is the one using your watch.

[stefanmckinley]

Close enough for government work!  When i've had to resort to this method i never needed to be super accurate. The failings of this method are on overcast cloudy days and in thick forests.

[ryanjcus]

Yes, this method requires sunlight. Hence where I say sun and sticks are required.

[ItomeVader]

Great tip, thanks for sharing. 5/5

[saxonlight]

Dig the HD. Thanks for the video.

[JAFO82269]

Boy scout and ex military here, never was I taught the shadow stick method. Awesome Video.

[86mountainman]

The HD rocks man

[bcbackrider]

T%hanks so much! So simple yet so important.

[KASPLARFO]

Right on, Bro! (*****)

Excellent tip as always.

Best-

~Kasp£arfo

[DurAR89]

Hi RyeRye, Nice. Do you know about Poncho Cammos? i.e. how to properly tie them?

Hope you can help me, and thanx for the vid... Sounds like you're in my area, last night it actually got to 4 degrees with -15 windchill. If you're from upstate NY, maybe we can hang out sometime. Peace +5 fav

[lucky7biker]

BRILLIANT! Great video man thanks for sharing!

[keepinthfaithlastday]

brilliant!thanx

[ggggoodgooblygoop]

thanks

[egamir]

Nice video, tnx for sharing this stuff with us bro.

[WeCanAllGetAllong]

Good job dude!

Sure is nice in your part of the world!

[05MagnumSXT]

Damn Dude, The HD is amazing. In all the videos I've watched you in you could never see you had a piercing.

Great instructional video. Keep up the good work.

5*****

[AwakeAndDangerous]

I've been in a couple situations in the woods where this could have helped me out. Of course, I knew that walking for an hour or less in any direction would have brought me to a road, but it still sucked knowing that if I was in the Allagash or Saskatchewan or somewhere, I'd have spent the night (or maybe several) in the woods.

[paddyboy12432]

hd awesome....great video again man. your a patriot out there making it happen dude.

[TaigaSibirskaya]

i've got SAS survival handbook.

which is more accurate, true north or magnetic north? or magnetic north moves around in the arctic. If in doubt find Polaris star?

[ryanjcus]

The star is helpful at night but not visible in the day. I don't want to make it confusing but there is also gird north if you are using a map. You need to set the declination on your compass to compinsate for the differences. The differences also vary depending on your location in the world. They are minor but will lead you far off course over long distances. It could take a whole video series to explain it. Maybe someday I'll do it. Thanks I appreciate the comment and Be safe!!

[rt4mf]

i love that,cant beat mother nature,all those lil things she gives u,wicked vid,thanx 5*(",)

[USAINFOSCOUT]

~Damn dude that HD is wicked, I second that Terry.

[terry4888]

love the hd picture is great

[AGeRMaNPrOxZ]

Hi Def is nice good camera keep up the good work!

[FlowerofLife101]

That is a great method. I've been lost and it wasn't fun. It's amazing how in the city area, i could accurately guess the right direction but when in the forest, that all changes in an instant. i wasn't even deep in the forest either. an educational experience.

[Gazerbeam72]

Thanks..that's pretty cool technique.

I was watching the HD version and I've got to say, for less than $200 and as compact as it is, that camera takes some damn good video.

How's the battery life of the camera?

[ryanjcus]

The battery doesn't seem to last as long as my other camera, but it's not too bad. I'm gonna have to buy another one soon for a backup. Thanks for the support

[Anderasio]

Nice. Great video!

[radicaldanzero]

Great stuff, as always friend. Peace

[tinsnanna]

u got it going on great info :)