[Paddlewise] Unconventional or minimalist navigation techniques?

G'Day,

There's a fairly well known method for finding north using an analog wrist
watch. The watch is held horizontal and rotated until 12 o'clock faces the
sun, or the shadow cast by the sun on a stick perpendicular to the watch
face centre, falls over 6 o'clock. Then in the southern hemisphere north is
found by bisecting the angle between 12 o'clock and the hour hand. This has
to be done with the watch set to standard not daylight saving time. The
technique can be in error by up to 30 degrees because of seasonal changes in
daylight hours.

Can anyone tell me if it would be more accurate to proceed as follows? Start
off by calculating the time of day midway between sun rise and sunset (T1 in
24 hour format). Then calculate T2 (12 hr format) = (Time of day [24 hr
format] - 12 - T1). Then orient the watch so that T1 faces the sun and
bisect the angle between T1 and T2.

Of course this method is still going to be very inaccurate compared to a
compass but are there Paddlewisers who would know if it adequately
compensates for seasonal variation. Theres at least one astronomer out there
in Lurkerland:~)

With the weather getting colder up north I'm also hoping there are
Paddlewiser's with time to contribute some other unconventional or
minimalist navigation techniques?

All the best, PeterO
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