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Learn celestial navigation
For you as a wilderness traveler it’s important to understand why you should learn celestial navigation basics. But first what is celestial navigation? 
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west - roughly speaking. The only place it rises and sets due east and west is at the equator. When it reaches its highest point at noon, its direction will be either true south (northern hemisphere) or true north (southern hemisphere). Learn celestial navigation - using a pocket watch A method of finding north and south commonly used and trusted is by means of a pocket watch. Unfortunately the apparent simplicity of this method may give a very wrong impression as to its accuracy. The pocket watch method can give as much as 24 degrees in error. To get good accuracy you need to have access to a table of the sun's direction. As a wilderness traveler you probably don't carry these information otherwise you are a devoted natural navigator. To take into consideration However there are times and places where finding direction with a watch will be reasonably correct. The most important things to remember when using the pocket watch method are: 1.Only to be used in latitudes between 40 and 60 degrees north or south of the equator. The nearer the Equator you are, the less accurate this method is. 2.The most accurate result will be gotten at noon on any day 3.Your watch have to be running on accurate local time. Rough method of estimation Again, remember finding direction with a watch is a rough method of estimation. If you have a digital watch, draw a watch on a circle of paper with the correct time on it and use it to determine your direction at that time. 
For northern hemisphere:Point the hour hand directly at the sun and then bisect the angle between the hour hand and twelve o'clock. This imaginary line will run north/south. For southern hemisphere: Point 12 towards the sun and then bisect the angle between the hour hand and twelve o'clock. This imaginary line will run north/south. If you are not sure which end of the line is north, remember that the sun rises in the east, sets in the west and is due south at noon for northern hemisphere and due north at noon for southern hemisphere. Learn celestial navigation - using the shadow stick method A more accurate method, then the pocket watch method, to find direction from the sun is the shadow stick method. 
Find a spot that is flat and free of vegetation. Place a stick, about 1 m (3 ft), in level ground and mark the tip of the shadow with for example a small stone or stick. Wait at least half an hour or more. The shadow tip should move about 10 centimeter (4 inch). Mark the tip of the shadow in the same way as the first. Draw a straight line between these two points. This is the east/west line. The first mark is west. Stand with your left foot on the first mark (west) and your right foot on the line you drew. You are now facing north. Shadow of stick is shortest at noon. In the northern hemisphere the shadow points north and in the southern hemisphere it points south. You are also probably aware of that shadows are longer in the winter and shorter in the summer.
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