Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles

• How Compasses Work
• How Maps Work
• How Search and Rescue Works
• How GPS Receivers Work
• How Electromagnets Work
• How Search-and-rescue Dogs Work
• How Cell Phones Work
• How the Sun Works
• How Stars Work

More Great Links

• Geological Survey of Canada
• Declination Calculator -- National Geophysical Data Center
• U.S. Army Survival Manual
• United States Search and Rescue Task Force

Sources

• Air Land Sea Application Center. "Survival, Evasion and Recovery." U.S. Army. June 1999. (March 10, 2008). http://www.equipped.org/multiservice_ser_manual_1999.pdf
• Boswell, John. "U.S. Armed Forces Survival Manual." Macmillan. 2004. (March 10, 2008)
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  =survival+guide+true+north&source=
  web&ots=tCsMCDJUHx&sig
  =EQ8gQ1Wl4gk6hv1mtoHc6ZECC5g&hl
  =en#PPA26,M1
• Cooper, Donald C., Nasar. "The Fundamentals of Search and Rescue." Jones & Bartlett Publishers. 2005. (March 10, 2008)
  http://books.google.com/books?id=
  JWNcKsY6DfMC&pg
  =PA76&dq=find+north+without
  +a+compass&lr=&sig=t-dwE9g
  HGog7ggUAt8bzJLx8MuQn
• Curtis, Rick. "OA Guide to Map and Compass -- Part 2." The Backpacker's Field Manual. Random House. 1998. (March 10, 2008) http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/mapcompass2.shtml
• Geological Survey of Canada. "Geomagnetism: Magnetic declination." Updates Jan. 18, 2008. (March 10, 2008) http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/field/magdec_e.php
• Hattingh, Garth. "Outdoor Survival." Stackpole Books. 2003. (March 10, 2008)
  http://books.google.com/books?id
  =uOVcjPotq_gC&pg=PT41&dq
  =find+north+without+a+compass&sig
  =kV5sP3TybX6DHBSJ7yTdEaMeRM4
• Markoff, John and Fackler, Mark. "With a Cellphone as My Guide." The New York Times. June 8, 2006. (March 10, 2008) http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/28/technology/28locate.html?pagewanted=1
• Tawrell, Paul. "Camping & Wilderness Survival: The Ultimate Outdoors Book." Outdoor Life. 2006. (March 11, 2008)
  http://books.google.com/books
  ?id=deRKF5kv5wwC
• Tymony, Cy. "Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things." Andrews McMeel Publishing. 2003. (March 10, 2008)
  http://books.google.com/books?id
  =QZNmrOpkB6sC&pg=PA142&dq
  =find+north+without+a+compass&lr=&sig
  =SPXE04c6OevRCNMOrHlJ82iBTEk
• United States Search and Rescue Task Force. "Compass Basics." (March 11, 2008)
  http://www.ussartf.org/compass_basics.htm
• Wiseman, John. "SAS Survival Handbook." HarperCollins. 2004. (March 10, 2008)
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  65-o2qppedcC&printsec=frontcover&sig
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  =gbs_similarbooks_r&cad=1_1#PPA347,M1