The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word LATITUDES
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
L
A
T
I
T
U
D
E
S
More clues leading to the result LATITUDES
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "These will help you find your bearings" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case these will help you find your bearings = latitudes.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does LATITUDES mean?
LATITUDES noun- The angular distance north or south from a planet's equator, measured along the meridian of that particular point.
- An imaginary line (in fact a circumference) around a planet running parallel to the planet's equator.
- The relative freedom from restrictions; scope to do something.
- The angular distance of a heavenly body from the ecliptic.
- The extent to which a light-sensitive material can be over- or underexposed and still achieve an acceptable result.
- Extent or scope; e.g. breadth, width or amplitude.