Why is it that in a movie, when someone gets lost in the woods and they have

[Baitball Blogger]

to use a compass, why is it that every time, EVERY TIME, they have to walk due North or South in perfect alignment with the needle?

In reality, wouldn't there be a better chance that if you're trying to walk from point A to point B in a straight line, the chances are that it would be more like a crab walk, moving in a diagonal direction, requiring you to estimate a NW or SE or whatever letter combination that you're trying to move in?

[Enter stage left]

1. If you don't know where you're going...any road will take you there.

Basic training 101.

[TigressDem]

2. Nervous, scared? If it's pointing North, I know which way I am going.

Many movies they are more knowledgeable, crash landed, but familiar with area, looking for the original destination or nearest town.

Military folk, "Yeah, 3 clicks that way" and someone always asks what's a click?

And in jungle movies, it's so thick, might as well just start hacking with the machete and North is as good as any direction?


General thoughts.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. I'm watching a survival movie where she knew the point in the horizon where she wanted

to go. And the needled aligned perfectly, which would have been unlikely.

[OAITW r.2.0]

8. I think you watched what I did.

Yes, a magnetized needle will point to magnetic north. But you have to offset that to find actually north. I think in my area it's 17 degrees west of mag north..something like that..

[Baitball Blogger]

10. That's what I figured.

They did a good job of explaining the need to magnetize the needle, but missed the crabwalk adjustment.

[lastlib]

25. Declination--the difference between True North and Magnetic North.

The angle between the direction of force and the direction of the geographic north pole is called the declination. If a compass at your location is pointing to the right of true north, declination is positive or east, and if it points to the left of true north, declination is negative or west. As one moves across the surface of the globe, lines of constant magnetic declination are called isogonic lines. Currently, the agonic line (where declination is zero) runs from eastern Minnesota, through the very northern tip of Wisconsin, to St. Louis, to the toe-tip of Louisiana.

[OAITW r.2.0]

26. So, if you are Mid-Alaska....what's the offset? nt

[lastlib]

29. Between 25 and 30 degrees east.

according to the chart I looked at.

[OAITW r.2.0]

30. That's a lot and pretty hard to compensate with a magnetic needle/cork in a bottle of water.

[Pobeka]

4. If you are lost, you want to get to the north pole.

From there, it's easy, because your destination will be due south of you.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Can't argue with that logic.

[OAITW r.2.0]

5. There's a movie on Netflix that I watched. (Limited series).

Addresses this situation. She survives a plane crash in the middle of nowhere. Kinda sucks for her, but she's smart. tried the compass/cork in water. Still got turned around. (sentence deleted)

Trouble with following the sun is, it's always moving, so you need to constantly change your course direction....assuming you don't have a compass.

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Don't tell me the ending.

That's the show I'm watching.

[OAITW r.2.0]

9. Keep watching...it's good.

Sorry.

[likesmountains 52]

34. What's the name of the series?

I need something interesting to watch.

[OAITW r.2.0]

35. Keep Breathing on Netflix nt

[likesmountains 52]

36. Thanks!

[OAITW r.2.0]

14. fixed....sorry.

[lastlib]

28. An ordinary analog wristwatch can serve as a compass.

Point the hour hand at the sun. Draw a line bisecting the angle between between the hour hand and the 12; that line is a north-south line. Before noon, North will be counter-clockwise from the 6; after noon, North will be on the other side (clockwise from the 6).

The moon can also give you directions, as long as it's not full or new, so you can see a cresent. Draw a line from the top tip of the cresent to the bottom tip, and extend that line to the horizon. Where it meets the horizon is south. It's ALWAYS south--doesn't matter the time of night, the month, the season, etc. It's always south.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

11. When in the woods, moss grows on the North side of trees.

From there if standing in front if the tree where there is no moss, one is facing South. The left hand is East, the right is West. Problem solved.

The Boy Scout manual explains that when the sun is out. The sun's position also helps as well. Better have a working flashlight for night.

[Baitball Blogger]

12. I grew up in the tropics, and that moss thing doesn't apply.

[WheelWalker]

13. Compass best used with a map, imo.

Together, they can tell you where you are if you can get to a high point or somewhere you can see landmarks. If you don't know where you are, how do you know what direction to go?

[OAITW r.2.0]

15. But you need to compensate for true north.

Because that is how maps are laid out. Need to know the offset for your location to get a true map read.

[WheelWalker]

18. The magnetic declination. Magentic north moving around

in recent decades, as well, I believe. Not exactly stationary over time.

[OAITW r.2.0]

20. true that.

That's why pilots need current offsets.

[Baitball Blogger]

16. In the movie I'm watching there was a plane crash in the wilderness.

The sole survivor of the plane crash figured out that if she went to a high point at night, she would be able to find a civilized area once someone turned on the lights. It requires a three or four day walk through a forested, hilly, mountainous area, but she has to walk in a straight line. So far, she hasn't been successful.

[WheelWalker]

19. Ah, so she has a bearing to track to her goal.

[Srkdqltr]

17. because it's a movie.. presumably fiction.... anything can happen in fictional movies

Now if it's an instructional movie or a documentary then it has to be right.

[OAITW r.2.0]

21. It's a pretty good movie, actually.

It moves between her immediate situation and her past....which helps explain her character. Complicated - who isn't? - but resourceful. I liked it and rec it. She's a great actor....has a lot of range - did a lot of rough stuff - and totally believable.

[NullTuples]

22. Perhaps directors know most people have no clue but recognize it's a compass...

And it looks better with the [N] pointing up, therefore that's where the character is going.

[doc03]

23. If you are out in the wilderness if you have no idea which direction

civilization is I think it would be best to follow a steam with the current. That is how the movie character was
finally rescued.

[OAITW r.2.0]

27. Hopefully the stream leads to a bigger stream

But sometimes....it stops being a stream.

[panader0]

33. Yes. Walk downhill. Following water is the best. Pretty soon you'll see a fly fisherman

with trout and cold beer.

[doc03]

39. Yep that's the way to do it nt

[CentralMass]

24. A related article.

https://outdoorishome.com/why-go-north-when-lost/

[Baitball Blogger]

32. That was a good read.

However, going North did not help the survivor in the story. The lights that she was tracking were the Aurora Borealis.

[Bayard]

31. No matter where you go, there you are

I think the movie, "The Edge," is the best for covering this topic.

[BlackSkimmer]

37. Yup. nt

[Marthe48]

38. I was told to head toward the glow on the horizon

city lights