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Wild10Basecamp

Field Skills

Estimate remaining daylight with your hand

The width of your fingers between the sun and the horizon gives a surprisingly accurate estimate of hours until sunset.

Field Skills 2 min practice
All skills

Step-by-step

  1. Extend your arm fully, palm facing you, fingers together and horizontal.

  2. Align the bottom edge of your little finger with the horizon.

  3. Count the fingers stacked between the horizon and the sun — each finger is approximately 15 minutes of daylight.

  4. If the sun sits higher than one hand, stack your other hand on top and continue counting.

  5. Round down to give yourself a margin for camp setup before dark.

Tip: Start setting up camp when you have two hands (about two hours) of daylight left. Rushing at dusk is when cuts, burns, and lost gear happen.

Related outdoor skills

Educational reference only. Wilderness conditions change fast — practice in low-stakes settings, take a certified wilderness first-aid course, and confirm regional regulations before you rely on any of these skills in the field.