Navigating During The Day Without The Sun

When clouds blanket the sky, navigating an unfamiliar area can be difficult. But humans have been traveling on cloudy days for thousands of years, often without a tool in hand. How?

Imagine the sky is grey and you’re in the unmarked woods. Maybe you’re out scouting for a hunt, or you were on a hike and lost the trail. Now a storm is on the way. Or perhaps it’s just a gloomy and overcast day. Regardless, you find yourself unable to use the sun as a navigation tool. There is a bag of tricks experts use to navigate these situations, and you can use them too.

Compass and Map: Your bag of tricks might be a literal bag with a compass in it. This is obvious, but speaks to being prepared before you head out. Pair an orienteering compass with a topographic map to create a readable grid. If you don’t have these more advanced tools, a small keychain compass (or something comparable) is a low-cost, high-reward investment to keep on you.

But what if you didn’t bring a compass? Well, there are other tricks in the bag.