There are, however, a few things that are consistent in all G.P.S. units…They all have the ability to give you your current location. They all can mark a location that you have been, or would like to go to (waypoint). They all have the ability to indicate how far away a waypoint is from your current location and which direction to go in order to get there (within reason – some only measure out to 600 - 700 miles). And just about all units can measure elevation, the exception being some of the very old models.

These are the areas that we will be discussing. There are a few other features that are pretty consistent in all units, such as the ability to give date, time, sunrise and sunset times, battery power indicator etc, We will not discuss these features as their function is pretty obvious and needs no explanation.

There are also a number of computer programs available that can generate maps. Once you have learned how to navigate with a full sized map, you may find that one of the many electronic mapping programs will suit your needs. Just remember that the actual size and quality of your map will be limited to what your home computer will produce. I tend to prefer the maps that are generated by the United States Geological Service and the United States Department of Agriculture.

These maps are readily available to the public, and are very reasonably priced - usually between $4.00 - $8.00 each. Of course, the individual prices may vary a little from region to region, but generally speaking, they are fairly inexpensive. Depending upon your location, it should be a fairly straightforward effort to obtain the map or maps of whatever areas you are interested in.

The Chamber of Commerce, Forestry Service, or Agricultural Service in the county you are interested in should be able to sell you the maps you want, or tell you who can. Before you call or visit, you should have a good idea of the location you want a map for. For example, the George Washington National Forest is so large, it requires some ninety eight 1:24,000 scale maps to cover it all.

Using your G.P.S….There are two ways to operate your G.P.S. while you are in the woods. I refer to them as “random” (without a map), and “specific” (with a map).

For the purpose of this lesson, most of our effort will be centered on the “specific” method. But it wouldn’t be fair to the folks who make G.P.S.s if we didn’t talk a little bit about the random method.



A few good examples of the “random” method are:
· Marking your truck as a waypoint at the beginning of a hike…then later on using it as a go to point
· Marking deer sign as a waypoint
· If you were visiting folks in an unfamiliar town, you might mark your friends house as a waypoint and use the “go-to” section to find your way back from the store.

The most significant difference between the “random” and “specific” methods is: while in the random mode, you must have already been to a location and marked it – then, the only significance it has is, you can get back to it. You have little or no information about your surroundings other than what you might have remembered while getting there.

The specific mode, on the other hand, allows you to pinpoint your location on a map, assess your surroundings, and determine where you would “like” to go, and the best route to get there. It also gives you the option of entering a waypoint even though you have not physically been there before (editing a waypoint).

Before we continue, there are a few functions on your G.P.S. that you should get familiar with. You may need to refer to your owner’s manual for the specifics on how to do these.


Learn How To:

Find the screen with your current location
Mark a waypoint
Edit a waypoint
Operate the “go to” a waypoint page
Use the “set-up” option to change Datum, Position format and units of measurement

Once you have learned how to do the items listed, you are essentially ready to head out and put every thing you have learned to practice.