During his remarkable lifetime, Harold Gatty became one of the world's great navigators (in 1931, he and Wiley Post flew around the world in a record-breaking eight days) and, to the benefit of posterity, recorded in this book much of his accumulated knowledge about pathfinding both on land and at sea.Applying methods used by primitive peoples and early explorers, the author shows how to determine location, study wind directions and reflections in the sky, even how to use the senses of smell and hearing to find your way in the wilderness, in a desert, in snow-covered areas, and on the ocean. By observing birds and other animals, weather patterns, vegetation, shifting sands, patterns of snow fields, and the positions of the sun, moon, and stars, would-be explorers can learn to estimate distances and find their way without having to rely on a map or a compass.The wealth of valuable data and advice in this volume ? much of it unavailable elsewhere ? makes it indispensable for hikers, bikers, scouts, sailors, and outdoorsmen ? all those who might find themselves stranded or lost in an unfamiliar area. Through careful study of this book and its lessons, pathfinders can learn to interpret signs in the natural world to find their way in almost any kind of terrain.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSFOREWORD BY LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAMES H. DOOLITTLE PREFACECHAPTER1 NATURE IS YOUR GUIDE2 HOW EARLY MAN FOUND HIS WAY3 IS THERE A SIXTH SENSE?4 WALKING IN CIRCLES5 WALKING IN A STRAIGHT LINE6 USE OF THE EARS7 USING YOUR SENSE OF SMELL8 REFLECTIONS IN THE SKY (WITH SOME NOTES ON STANDING CLOUDS)9 DIRECTIONS FROM THE WIND10 SOME SPECIAL EFFECTS OF SUN AND WIND11 DIRECTIONS FROM TREES AND OTHER PLANTS12 ANTHILL SIGNPOSTS13 FINDING YOUR WAY IN THE DESERT14 FINDING YOUR WAY IN THE POLAR REGIONS15 DIRECTIONS FROM HILLS AND RIVERS16 ESTIMATION OF DISTANCE17 FINDING YOUR WAY IN TOWNS18 ORIENTING AS A SPORT19 DIRECTIONS FROM WAVES AND SWELLS20 THE COLOR OF THE SEA21 THE HABITS OF SEA BIRDS22 WHAT THE MOON CAN TELL YOU23 DIRECTIONS FROM THE SUN24 DIRECTIONS FROM THE STARS25 TELLING THE TIME BY THE STARS SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY SIMPLE TABLES OF DIRECTIONS OF THE SUN INDEX