Taking a serious hike requires you to bring navigational equipment but sometimes this "crutch" can be detrimental. GPS units are ideal for finding your way but since they rely on modern technology there is a possibility that you won't bring enough batteries, you can't get a signal or they'll break. Compasses are a "must have" but what if you loose it, break it, or just forget to bring one? This is when knowing traditional techniques is essential.

Using basic navigation knowledge relies on nothing more than using natural "landmarks" and your position in relation to them to determine your direction. There's no technology involved so you don't have to worry about anything breaking or not working properly.

Using the sun is one major way of finding your direction. As most know, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. There are things that can prevent you from using this as a marker. You may be in dense forest or it may be foggy which could prevent you from determining where the sun is. Try to find a clearing, climb a tree, or wait until there's a clearing in the fog.

If you're far from the equator it can be hard to determine the sun's proximity so remember that in the Northern Hemisphere, such as in Malaga, Spain the sun will be south of you and North of you in the Southern Hemisphere. At midday it is also difficult to determine so wait a half hour and note its movement. It's a good idea to track the sun at half hour intervals to ensure you're going the right direction.

Hopefully you won't be in such a predicament but finding your direction at night is possible. You can use the stars to guide you which should be relatively easy as long as it's not cloudy or you're hiking near city lights. If it is cloudy then don't guess; take a rest and wait for the clouds to clear. At about 8 p.m. find the big dipper constellation which looks like a cooking ladle. There are two stars at the end of the dipper that directs you to the North Star.

Now that you know how to use these natural markers practice your navigational skills. Take a short hike with a compass or a GPS unit and put your skills to the test. Try to determine your direction using the sun or stars and then compare it with your compass or GPS. Once you've gotten it down you'll be ready for mishaps with modern technology.

Rob Carlton regularly edits long articles on subjects associated to malaga flights and flights to costa del sol. You can discover his publications on cheap flight to malaga over at http://www.alicante-spain.com/costa-del-sol/cheap-flights-to-malaga.html and other sources for cheap flight to malaga knowledge.