Survival guides · Shelter & Fire

Find North by the Stars

WHEN TO USE THISClear night, Northern Hemisphere. The North Star barely moves.

1. Find the Big Dipper

   
   • Seven bright stars shaped like a ladle.
   • It may be upright, upside down or tilted — the shape stays the same.

2. Follow the pointers

   • The two stars at the outer edge of the cup (away from the handle).
   • Draw a line through them, out from the cup, about 5 times the gap between them.
   • That lands on Polaris, the North Star.

3. Face north

   • Polaris is the tip of the Little Dipper's handle — not the brightest star, a common mistake.
   • Drop a line straight down from it to the horizon. That's true north.
   • East is on your right, west on your left.

Sources: US Army FM 3-05.70 Survival · US Naval Observatory Star Charts

General information to help in an emergency — not a substitute for training or professional care.