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This simple trick can be a real lifesaver for anyone who hikes in the wilderness.
Last May, we went on a demanding 70-kilometer trek in Italy that lasted five days. We packed our gear and headed out with a small group of nine people to the Dolomites, following the Alta Via 1 trail. My feet still hurt.
The trip was exciting and unforgettable. We saw breathtaking scenery and met some fascinating people along the way. Our group also included two professionally trained mountaineers, Alex and Szofi. Szofi told us about survival techniques for harsh conditions, while Alex, who specializes in land navigation, shared this brilliant trick with us.
At one point, Alex suddenly turned his baseball cap upside down and pulled out an ordinary sewing needle.
Then he gathered us around and asked:
“Do you want to see a magic trick?”
Of course we did. It looked like he was about to show us something interesting.
He picked up a flat rock, placed the needle on it, and tapped one end of the needle twice with another stone. Then he poured water into a plastic bowl, broke off a piece of old bark, placed the needle on top of the bark, and carefully set it on the water so the bark floated on the surface while the needle rested on it without touching the water.
The needle and bark began to spin from the ripples in the water. After two or three minutes, the water became still, and the needle immediately turned in one particular direction and stopped.
Alex nudged the bowl, making the water ripple again. Once the surface settled, the improvised compass pointed in exactly the same direction.
“Now here’s the question,” Alex said. “Which way are the two ends of the needle pointing?”
We tried checking it several different ways, and the result was the same every time: the eye of the needle pointed north, while the sharp tip pointed south.
“But why did you hit the needle with a rock?” someone in the group asked.
“You should have paid more attention in physics class,” Alex replied. “A strong blow will magnetizes the steel, and an ordinary sewing needle becomes a compass needle. Because it’s heavier and more strongly magnetized, it will reliably line itself up with north.”
I was completely stunned.
When I got home, I tried it myself using whatever I had on hand. To make a floating support for the needle, I took two empty blister packs from medicine tablets and folded them together.
I placed them in a plate filled with water and carefully set the needle on top.
As the water slowly became still, the needle turned. I spun it around once more, but after a minute or two it returned to the same position. Then I opened the compass app on my phone.
It was correct. The pointed end was facing north.
Unbelievable.
Don’t believe it? Try it yourself. It really works. Just make sure the container you pour the water into is not made of metal.
During the hike, Alex said this navigation method is well known among soldiers and professional climbers, which is why, for them, a needle is not just for sewing on buttons or mending holes. Many people have found their way home thanks to this trick, and every year countless others get lost in the woods simply because every section of forest starts to look exactly the same.
There is also another version of the method for situations where you do not have water but do have an empty clear glass jar. The needle is suspended by a thread tied at its center of balance and then slowly lowered into the jar so that wind cannot affect it.
Inside the glass container, the needle will align itself in the same north-south direction as it would on water, with the eye of the needle facing south and the tip facing north.
“But wouldn’t it just be easier to carry a compass?” you might ask.
Of course. But compasses are easy to lose, easy to break, and can sometimes lose their magnetism if they sit in a drawer for too long near household appliances. Worst of all, you often only discover those problems when you are already out on the trail.
That is why I think it is best to know both methods. If Plan A fails, you still have Plan B.
I hope I’ve shared something new with you, and that you found this little survival trick as fascinating as I did.
Last May, we went on a demanding 70-kilometer trek in Italy that lasted five days. We packed our gear and headed out with a small group of nine people to the Dolomites, following the Alta Via 1 trail. My feet still hurt.
The trip was exciting and unforgettable. We saw breathtaking scenery and met some fascinating people along the way. Our group also included two professionally trained mountaineers, Alex and Szofi. Szofi told us about survival techniques for harsh conditions, while Alex, who specializes in land navigation, shared this brilliant trick with us.
At one point, Alex suddenly turned his baseball cap upside down and pulled out an ordinary sewing needle.
Then he gathered us around and asked:
“Do you want to see a magic trick?”
Of course we did. It looked like he was about to show us something interesting.
He picked up a flat rock, placed the needle on it, and tapped one end of the needle twice with another stone. Then he poured water into a plastic bowl, broke off a piece of old bark, placed the needle on top of the bark, and carefully set it on the water so the bark floated on the surface while the needle rested on it without touching the water.
The needle and bark began to spin from the ripples in the water. After two or three minutes, the water became still, and the needle immediately turned in one particular direction and stopped.
Alex nudged the bowl, making the water ripple again. Once the surface settled, the improvised compass pointed in exactly the same direction.
“Now here’s the question,” Alex said. “Which way are the two ends of the needle pointing?”
We tried checking it several different ways, and the result was the same every time: the eye of the needle pointed north, while the sharp tip pointed south.
“But why did you hit the needle with a rock?” someone in the group asked.
“You should have paid more attention in physics class,” Alex replied. “A strong blow will magnetizes the steel, and an ordinary sewing needle becomes a compass needle. Because it’s heavier and more strongly magnetized, it will reliably line itself up with north.”
I was completely stunned.
When I got home, I tried it myself using whatever I had on hand. To make a floating support for the needle, I took two empty blister packs from medicine tablets and folded them together.
I placed them in a plate filled with water and carefully set the needle on top.
As the water slowly became still, the needle turned. I spun it around once more, but after a minute or two it returned to the same position. Then I opened the compass app on my phone.
It was correct. The pointed end was facing north.
Unbelievable.
Don’t believe it? Try it yourself. It really works. Just make sure the container you pour the water into is not made of metal.
During the hike, Alex said this navigation method is well known among soldiers and professional climbers, which is why, for them, a needle is not just for sewing on buttons or mending holes.
Many people have found their way home thanks to this trick, and every year countless others get lost in the woods simply because every section of forest starts to look exactly the same.There is also another version of the method for situations where you do not have water but do have an empty clear glass jar. The needle is suspended by a thread tied at its center of balance and then slowly lowered into the jar so that wind cannot affect it.
Inside the glass container, the needle will align itself in the same north-south direction as it would on water, with the eye of the needle facing south and the tip facing north.
“But wouldn’t it just be easier to carry a compass?” you might ask.
Of course. But compasses are easy to lose, easy to break, and can sometimes lose their magnetism if they sit in a drawer for too long near household appliances. Worst of all, you often only discover those problems when you are already out on the trail.
That is why I think it is best to know both methods. If Plan A fails, you still have Plan B.
I hope I’ve shared something new with you, and that you found this little survival trick as fascinating as I did.
