Tips from the Archive #005

Tree Bark to Find North

Tree Bark to Find North

A good tip from Berndt Berglund's "Wilderness Survival."  There are hundreds of ways of finding north but this is the first I'd heard of this method.

Tip 005 – Using a tree stump to find north.

If you find a stump, it’s easy to tell north by looking at the annual growth rings. Annual rings are formed by living cells just inside the bark of a tree. These cells serve as a transportation system from the roots to all parts of the tree. To protect this delicate system, the tree protects the cells from the cooler northerly winds by growing a thicker layer of bark on north and north-east sides of the tree. These facts have been known by woodsmen in many parts of the world. A recent study by one of our leading universities proved this fact beyond doubt.
— Berndt Burgland - Wilderness Survival, 1947

This book was intended as a guide to North America so I'm not sure this counts for the rest of the world, but it's still interesting.

Posted on October 7, 2012 and filed under Tips from the Archive.