How to make an improvised compass needle – one minute survival tip

To create your own survival compass you will need the following materials:
1) A needle or some other wire like piece of steel (a straightened paper clip, for example) and your
2) pocket knife.
The first step is to turn the wire into a magnet. The easiest way to do this is with the blade tip of your pocket knife. Stroke the blade tip along the needle 50 to 100 times. Note: Lift the blade away from the wire after each stroke to reduce the chance of de-magnetising the needle as you return it back to the tail.
Now float the wire on top of a standing pool of water Water creates an almost frictionless surface which allows the float to rotate until the north pole of the wire points towards the magnetic north pole – You have created a compass!
Give yourself enough time to determine if the direction is correct. Always perform a cross check with other direction indicators.