VIDEO: Finding North with an Ant Hill

In an outdoor survival situation, one of the most important things you need to know in order to escape is obviously to know where you’re heading so you don’t wander aimlessly and use up valuable resources on a fool’s errand.

One of the lesser known ways to do that is by looking at ant hills and their orientation to find north. The best part about it is that it requires no equipment that you may or may not have on you, just the know-how that Tyler’s here to share with you.

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Tyler White is one of those rare creators of online survival content who is amply qualified. Growing up on a ranch, Tyler learned about homesteading and preparedness as a way of life, taught by grandparents who had lived through the Great Depression. Although he had already worked at a guide in Alaska, served with U.S. Army, Tyler knew there was more to primitive survival than he could learn from military schools or other outdoorsmen. His passion for primitive survival drove him on a quest to track down the most knowledgeable instructors in the field, traveling from Utah to the Amazon to Canada and finally back to Utah. Like all competent survivalists, Tyler has experience in a broad range of subjects. Highlights from his background includes criminal justice, law enforcement, archery, small arms, amateur radio, farming, gardening, raising cattle, and poultry. He has attended classified schools, worked in law enforcement, studied too many martial arts to list, and achieved the rank of 2nd Dan in Shōrin-ryū karate.

Latest comments
  • The picture shows them kneeling and standing with shadows being cast. That being the case, who needs ants? 😀

  • Shadow casts differently at different times of day as the sun moves across the sky whereas the ant hill entrance is a constant in relation to the hill.

  • Yup. And you can find South by using “Uncles” . Just a little jest over an idea which could save a life. 🙂

  • i typically go by sunlight vs time of day for at least part of my own sense of direction.
    for purposes of getting to civilisation if one is in some sort of trouble, before even setting out, everyone in your group should know that “go ___ in general.., or “follow the river…”, and you eventually bump into interstate __”. hopefully complete with truckstop, or a town.
    knowing the anthill thing would be helpful extra in that regard.
    had heard of east-west mountain ranges; for most people they think it’s “rockies/sierras? north-south, ho-hum” scenario; so an east-west range can really screw them up, if they literally don’t understand what direction they are facing!

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