When I’m on the move I’m constantly recalculating N,S,E,and west. If its a clear night I always look for the north star. I watch where the sun comes up and sets throughout the year.
I can get turned around on dark nights or dimly lit overcast days but there are other cues. Walking in the state land one day I thought I was headed dead north and came out at the road dead south. I turned around and headed back north. Fortunately they started shooting at the shooting range and I kept it to my left and I let it move off to the rear left and came out at the north road less than an 8th of a mile from the truck.
Virtually anywhere in the world, any time of the year, if I can see the sun (and usually when I can’t see the sun), I can guess the time within 10 minutes.
I grew up in the woods.