SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/scout-ground-signal-orientation

Which direction best uses shadows on a long ground-to-air signal?

Orient its long legs north to south.

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  1. North to south ✔
  2. East to west only
  3. Direction never matters

Why: Logs, rocks and trenches cast shadows that improve visibility. North-to-south alignment gives the strongest useful shadows, especially early and late in the day.

Huh, didn't know that: Where snow covers the ground, the pamphlet says to stomp out signal shapes with your feet.

The dad joke
The signal faced north and south because it liked long-distance relationships.
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References

Answer: North to south. Logs, rocks and trenches cast shadows that improve visibility. North-to-south alignment gives the strongest useful shadows, especially early and late in the day.

  1. Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Pamphlet filestore.scouting.org/filestore/Merit_Badge_ReqandRes/Pamphlets/Wilderness%20Survival.pdf
    Orienting the longer legs of signals in a north-south direction will create the most effective shadows
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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