GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I own both, which would you use in the wildernessfor hunting, scouting, I like the GPS for finding area's that I hunt, but I learned on the compass, and enjoy using both. So, if you had to pick, which one?

Dr. Mike

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Mike, your GPS should have both. I like the GPS for accuracy, but given unpredictability of battery life, I'd keep a compass with you for safety reasons. Technology lets us do more and more. Just like marking way points on your GPS. I do alot of boating a night. My GPS can mark hazzards in the water and mark my way when it's too dark and no moon to see shorelines. Good luck and enjoy your GPS.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

GPS's are great, but if their batterys run out, if you drop it in the water or on the rocks, etc., and you don't know where you are, you could be in trouble. One possible drawback about a GPS is that they work so well that a person can get way back into the woods with them without paying attention to were they're going, and not noticing landmarks to find their way out if it fails. A compass stuck in a pocket is pretty cheap insurance.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Id rather have a gps.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I would'nt trust my life to a gps. Give me a compass and topo map anytime.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

If you own both and don't learn how to use them together as well as a map of the area you hunt and know how to use all of them together, you are a SAR (Search and Rescue) case waiting to happen.

If I had to choose one or the other, I would choose the compass and a map.

I really wish people would get over the notion that a GPS is the end all to getting about in the woods, mountains or on the water. It is nothing more and no less than another tool to be used in navigation.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

The question is, if you had to pick one!
In my case GPS all the way, if you say otherwise, that tells me you haven't used one much. Maps and compass are OK, try and use it when the fog sets in so thick you can't see your hand in front of your face or at dark. A GPS will work excellent under any condition, bar none. Batteries are the least of your concern. elknut1

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Elknut, I know you are probaly right, but you gotta keep in mind I am an ole die-hard and I'll settle for my reliable compass, it don't need any batteries and I can always get a signal. There have been times when I have doubted it, but it has always brought me back. I know how a person can lock in on some coordinates if the satillates are in position might work out very well and it may not be a bad ideal to have one in your backpack if you can afford it, but I still reley on the dependable compass, providing you have a quality one.
I had a friend come up from Fla. last year with one of those GPS's and evidently he didn't know how to use it as he steered his wife and mine around the mountain, I explained to them the truck is this way because I knew where I was , he took out his GPS and said its this way, my wife just followed, it was a place we were familair with and we were at the very top of the mountain so the only place you could go is down, about 3 hrs later I met them at the truck and you can bet I ragged that Fla. boy about his electronics. Maybe one of these days, but not yet. Take care my friend, Bobby;)

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Carry both the GPS for primary, and compass as back-up. Good luck.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

If you go back and READ my reply, I noted that if I had to choose one, I'd go with the Compass and a map. As far as experience, I use GPS and maps and compasses in my work every day. I have been using GPS units since they became commercially available and Loran "C" before that.
As far as GPS working under any conditions, try going into a deep canyon or even into a large city and getting an accurate (or any) position, heavy tree cover may also give false information and if the constellation of satellites is not in just the right position you may get no usable information at all. Just to throw another kicker into the pot, what if the Government decides that for national security purposes, they have to throw unannounced, a bit of SA (selected availability) into the mix and sets everything off about a quarter mile.
Yes your GPS can tell you that the shortest route between point "A' where you are, and point "B" where the truck is, but it cannot tell you that the Grand Canyon or one of its cousins lies directly between you and the truck. Even those units with digital maps are next to useless due to the scale used and the limited space available on the LCD display.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

In keeping with the spirit of the original question.....the compass (with topo). As long as I'd continue to function....so would they. Fortunately this is a rhetorical exercise. I use both....will continue to use both....and can not imagine "any" circumstance that would prevent me from doing so.

But, I'd never "rely" on only the GPS. (At least until we have reached the technological point that signals are "never an issue".....and batteries "never go dead".

Maybe an even more interesting question would be, "How many of you actually could be blind folded.....dropped in an "unknown wilderness area"......and with either of the above tools mentioned would trust your life to "your ability" to find your way home?

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

akbound, an interesting scenario, how would you measure up? I believe I could do it without either.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I'd always pick a map and compass but I'm kinda stubborn and fixed in my ways. As for the last question, I believe that using a map and compass gives you an better feel for the land, You pay more attention to contours, where the sun is, directions rivers and lakes drain. It sets you up to be more aware of your surroundings thus better preparing yourself mentally to handle getting out on your own.
But I did get turned around in downtown Toronto one time. No sun and no moss on the dang buildings. Now for a northerner, that was scary.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Sawbill, there are places here in the South where the darn moss grows on all side of the trees, talk about confusing for us damn yankees!! You have to adjust to looking for the Mountain Laurel growing on the Northern slope of a hill or mountain and throw in a bit of Kentucky windage for good measure.

I do not mean to come off as such a hard nosed SOB on this subject, but I have spent too many nights looking for people that should have known better than to have gotten into the situation they found themselves in to begin with.
One guy got his wife and daughter his neighbor and his wife and daughter killed
by doing something just absolutely stupid. There is no reason to depend on a single source of information especially when your life can hang in the balance.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I agree, use what you have if you can, whether its GPS, the sun, the stars or a compass and map. Just as an example, I spent a short time working with the MNRin the Hudson Bay lowlands where the land is flat as a pancake but the willow grew thick and about 10 ft tall. You couldn't see 20 ft unless you were on the banks of a river. The natives there showed me a few tricks. Firstly, moss grew on the south side of trees because of the shortage of daylight. Secondly, they showed me the seashells. When the glaciers retreated and the waters ebbed, the open ends of the seashells filled with fine sand, then weighted down as they now were, spun with the receding water and all pointed to the north. One old guy who was showing me this stuff looked at me and laughed, and said 'You can never get lost in this country' I was suitably impressed with this crusty old gent. And I guess this points out the fact that being a southerner is all relative.:)

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I would use a compass without taking a GPS, but I would not use a GPS without also taking a compass.
So the direct answer is my compass would be my preference if I was allowed only one.
Having said that, the GPS is far more user friendly and accurate.
(i.e. human error is easy with a compass.)
I use a very basic one (Garmin E-Trex) and am really impressed.
Just this week I have been involved in a mountain search & rescue, (It took 5 days) which thankfully ended with two live girls being rescued offa very remote cliff face. All search paties carried GPS's and at the end of each task, the data was downloaded to a computer, so that search managers could track exactly which areas had been covered by searchers, also which areas had been swept with helicoptor search teams.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Hi Coastie,

I have enough confidence in myself to believe I could do it....and maybe without either, (at least on land). But I'd never be fool enough to put myself into a position of finding out! (Short of falling from the sky at 30,000 ft. when the airliner breaks apart....or someone carting me off at "gunpoint" and dropping me off!)

My point being....that the equipment mentioned in the original post will allow someone to navigate in unknown terrain....but only if the person knows how to use it. And nearly as importantly as the knowledge is having confidence in both the equipment....and your skills. More than a few people, with navigational aids, have "gotten lost", panicked, and died (and many more put themselves into foolish predicaments each year because of either the lack of navigational aids, skills, or confidence).

I am equally certain that given the right (ie. wrong) set of circumstances.....nearly anyone can get themselves into trouble. So why tempt fate? Obtain the tools, learn to use them, and practice enough to gain/maintain proficiency and confidence. Then practice some good old fashioned common sense when you venture into true wilderness!

Over the years I've been in situations where I wasn't sure exactly where I was...sometimes I was responsible for having put myself there....and sometimes I was not. But I did learn not to entirely trust anyone else with my safety...even in the military. (Maintain as much awareness of your environment as you can under the tactical considerations.) For in the end....it doesn't really matter "who" put you there....it only matters if "you" can get yourself out! And all the equipment in the world will do you not "one wit" of good if you don't maintain your composure.

If your question was asked...competitively?!? I don't know if I'm as "good" as you or not. I only know that I am good enough to get myself out of situations...that I get myself into!

Hope that answers your question satisfactorily.;)

P.S. Hey.....maybe that would be a good idea for a forum....one of those "wilderness walks" scenarios?

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

akbound, I agree, and no there was no challenge intended.
The latest GPS receiver chip sets contain some pretty neat stuff and they get better every year, they are at a point today where accuracy has improved and the ability to receive in areas of heavy cover without error due to multipath problems is fantastic. If the WAAS service is ever perfected and all of the birds funded we will have a great system but folks still need to learn how to use them properly and to read a map and use a compass.
My personal GPS is a Garmin 12 XL which I have owned and used since the model was first introduced in 96, it is time for a new one and I am leaning toward the 12 XL again only because I already own an external antenna that fits them and many of the less expensive models can't be used with the external antenna. The software in the old unit cannot be upgraded either which puts me at a bit of a disadvantage at times.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Hi again Coastie,

You did notice the wink.....didn't ya? I didn't take your previous post(s) in any kind of a negative way. It did cause some interesting thoughts to occur for me, though. I remember being in situations where due to circumstances either I, (or sometimes we....as in squad, etc.), would have to sit down, throw out a poncho, pull out the topos, and "start from scratch...sorta" ....because "someone" hadn't been "paying attention". Or in an instance or two....someone (ie. the man with the maps, compass, etc.) didn't know what they were doing. And early in my life, military career, that someone was occasionally me.

I also remember seeing my first "GPS" unit. It was mounted in the back of a CUC-V, (a pickup or Surburban adapted for military use....when the U.S. Army was phasing out the Jeep and hadn't yet fielded the Hummer). The "GPS" unit was vehicle mounted...must have weighed between 50 to 100 pounds....was "classified" so getting a really good look wasn't certain for "just anyone".....and we (my unit) were (was) using it to determine positions for setting up an ECS (electronic control center) for a PATRIOT missle battery. I was part of an Infantry element assigned to 10th ADA in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) which eventually were to become part of the first PATRIOT missle battalion sent to the FRG. Because I was the RSOP NCOIC I assisted in "turning the angles" and "laying in the guns". (Yes...they're missles...but venacular changes slowly ...if at all....in the military.) But I really digress.....what I remember most of my very first exposure with that "unit" was in order for us to accuractely determine that first "point"....there was a fixed appendage on the vehicle that you placed "over the exact spot" on the ground that you were using as a "marker". Those units were receiving the military signal....not the "mixed" civilian signal which if I recall was "intentionally off by as much as 100 meters". GPS technology was considered that sensitive at that time.

We have indeed come a long way. Because I am currently "rusty" on my GPS skills.....many personal things in our lives conspired to limit my "outdoors" time the last several years. And because technology grows by leaps and bounds....frequently "upgrading" several times annually, I am now in the middle of a good read on GPS. And have a couple more books planned for the next several months.....because I am once again looking for a good unit that will best serve my anticipated upcoming needs. (For use in Alaska when we get back.) With the exception of using my nephews "new GPS" for estasblishing some waypoints I haven't used one for the last three years. And the last Garmin I had was at that time a $99. entry level that has since "gone" to a brother-in-law. So before my next purchase....I'm learning features new and (refamiliarizing) with "old" 2 or 3 years ago features.....and trying to determine how many features I really could put to use. And of course trying to sort out capatability/expandability features I think that I can really utilize. (What can be frustrating is that by the time you've finished reading any book that has been brought to hard publication, (ie. is in paper form of some kind), the newest GPS technology has already evolved. Particularly in mapping, computer compatability related issues. H**l, even Honda is selling several ATV machines with GPS built in......batteries may not be as big an issue in future consideration. But now what is.....is the question...I have. Are the units on the newest Honda ATV's compatable with a current handheld....and the info electronically transferable? And are these "in turn" compatable with other vehicle mounted and PC intercapable/transferable. (How is it transferred?) This has thrown another consideration into my already "belabored" learning process. (I am either getting "old and slow"....or technology is growing exponentially faster?!? And the scary part is.....I'm "slow enough" to not know which it is![X(])

Oh crap!!!!! I just realized as I sit here and type this (gosh, geewiz, an ephiphany)! I'm much more likely to get lost in this "technology".....than I am in the woods with just a map and a compass! Good grief! My head hurts....... I need another cup of coffee!:D I've got it finally figured out.....most of us are "lost" before we ever step foot into the woods.......and got to get out "there" to find ourselves again! (Did I already say....my head hurts!)

I need a break......and that cup of coffee! See ya in a "kick back".

P.S. Oh....and by the way....did I forget to mention that I'm also looking at and considering Marine suitable machines...in case I end up with a Zodiak...in and around Alaskan coastal waters and Prince William Sound? Ooooohhhhhh....my aching head[:'(]!

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I keep reading these posts and it seems to me the more you write the more you prefer a GPS.

Don't get me wrong, a compass in skilled hands is quite effective, as well as updated maps, which is not so easily attained.

First of all the reason I and others picked a GPS is not soley for getting into or out of the woods , I use one because of its versatility under any condition. I use a digital one, you do not have to move in order to recieve accurate bearings or info. It also has no trouble with thick timber or mountain sides. I get quick accurate readings under the severest conditions here in Idaho, even on the Salmon River breaks.
A compass is great for going in or coming out. It ends there! A gps enables me to lock in wallows, waterholes, heavily used areas, downed elk without any red flagging tape and return. Try that with a compass and a map.
We hunt thick areas, you cannot see out and pick out landmarks, it so heavily timbered I've never even taken binoculars hunting in the 13 yrs I've bowhunted elk. Now a compass will not help you to return to a downed elk in country as this. Also I can click on the gps and it will give me info on an easier route or area to remove a critter by previously locking in certain waypoints, which I have done over the years. In other words regardless of terrain, fog, heavy snows it will still give me accurate info to return to places I otherwise would find it impossible to return to.
I do carry a compass but it never comes out of my pack. Batteries will last me 12 months, I never walk with it on, I merely get a location shut it off and move on, so batteries are not an issue, besides there are indicators that let you know batteries are getting weak. I've owned a gps for years now, and for my situation it has served as invaluable. Maps are great, but require to much time and hassle to mess with if a gps is handy. Buy digital, there's a big difference between them and non digital. elknut1

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Compass rides in the bottom of a vest pocket.

GPS does all the work.

Use Topo! to print your maps and you can have your waypoints all printed on the map and you can put your hunting area right in the middle of the map instead up at the corner where 4 maps come togehter.

For elk hunting where you frequently travel miles both ways in the dark there is little comparison. If a blizzard occurs or your horizon is reduced to near zero there is also little comparison. GPS is better.

On mine there is ample warning the batteries are going low plus it will simply shut off before running out and losing the information. Our GPSs, Petzl Headlamps, minimags, and radios ALL run on the same AA batteries. We carry a full set of spares and batteries are NEVER a problem. You can change out the batteries and NOT lose the information.

Compasses are not impervious to damage, if you have ever had some of the liquid leak out to where the air bubble under the bezel is too large then you know what I mean. My boys and I each carry a GPS usually with only one on at a time. If one gets damaged (has never happened) then there is plenty of back up. I have dropped it on rocks and had the horse (shod) clip it with its foot and send it rolling with no problem except scratches -- takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I have also dropped it into water, picked it up, shook it off and continued on with no problem.

If you ever get an elk down if heavy cover in an unfamiliar area OR if you drop your back pack and sprint for an interception opportunity, then the GPS waypoint system is truly heartwarming as you will be able to return to thoses spots fearlessly.

Best part about GPS over "compass only" is when you get back from exploring an area you can down load your waypoints into the mapping software and see where you REALLY went instead of where you THOUGHT you went, an entertaining difference.

EKM

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: ELKampMaster

Compass rides in the bottom of a vest pocket.

GPS does all the work.


Unless you leave it in camp??

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Coastie,
Correctamundo!
Same problem if the compass is left behind!

Did that route twice using neither, then came that fateful trip.

Little Older and a Little Wiser,
EKM

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I use the GPS, compass and topo maps all together. I create maps of my area using maptech terrain navigator or topo usa, print them with UTM coordinates, pick likely spots and use the GPS to navigate to them. I use the compass to follow the bearing given by the GPS so I don't have to leave it turned on all the time. I've found the GPS very handy for marking downed game or my truck and returning in the dark. I've used a GPS for 5 years and never had a failure despite leaving it on my bumper twice and sending it tumbling. Extra batteries are lightweight. The maps are handy because the straight line path given by the GPS is usually impossible to follow in the woods. If you hunt the same area all the time, the need for electronics is reduced, but for new areas its a great asset.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

If you need a gadget whilst yer hunting, you ain't familiar with the country an' didn't do yer pre-season exploration (notice I didn't say scouting, cause I don't believe in scouting animals). Them GPS thangs are useless to somebody what knows the country. I'd be ashamed to pull one out of my pocket. Same with a compass, lessin' I'm searchin' for somethin' an' I know which way it is from where I'm at. Nothin' spoils a dude's confidence in his guide like seein' him whip out a compass, and rightfully so. Huntin' ain't time to be explorin'. Yer sposed to know the country so you can find yer game. When I go explorin', its warmer, an' I don't need no friggin' game.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Hi BeaverJack,

I'm assuming that unless you never hunt a different section of land.....that at some point in your "scouting" you had to set foot on that ground for a "first time"....at least once. And of course if you ever hunt out of state for the first time....you've haven't seen it before. And then of course there are those of us that yearn to get out and "explore" places we've never been before...on a regular basis. Not to mention boat trips, plane trips, and maybe even just an unexpected change in environment...that makes taking a known route impassable.....calling for a "new detour".

If you've been hunting the same country all your life....and don't know that section after the first several years...I'd tend to agree with you...you aren't likely to be helped much by any navigational aids. But many people regularly enjoy challenging themselves in new environments. And in these cases the enumerated navigational aids can be indispensable.

The "old timers" didn't have these devices available and usually managed without them. The best of them spent their lives living outdoors and knew wilderness lore like the back of their hands. (Many less experienced people fared less well....."Danner Party" perhaps being one of the more infamous.) Most of the people in the outdoors today....are lucky if they get a week or two dedicated to being outdoors. And many fewer still manage to get that two weeks "straight". So there is a very definite need for these tools.

Hey elknut1.....I never intended for any one to interpret my comments to mean that the GPS isn't the more precise and/or useful tool. Only that I don't entirely trust it well enough yet to be my "only" navigational tool. And that if "forced" to choose "only" one.....it would have to be the compass with topo map. Short of my breaking the compass (I have an M2 mil spec compass) which would be a feat in itself....it will always work (plus I have a smaller, less elaborate spare either on my wrist....or affixed to my clothing). But even if I lost it or broke it....I'd still have the topo. Could I lose them both? Yea...but if we start playing that scenario then we have to assume we would have lost the GPS and batteries. GPS are wonderful tools....but have not yet reached the point that they are as "bulletproof" as a good compass. Close maybe....but not quite. And the batteries are the real "achilles heel". You can carry spares, and should, but even a dozen batteries are not an infinite supply. And for the people most dependent upon a GPS, they are the same people that will leave the GPS "turned on" all the time. Thus even further reducing battery life.

But like I said in an earlier post...for those that travel off road for vast distances like Alaska and some other western states.....some ATV's are now being equipped with GPS "built in the system". So the issue of battery life may well be "less and less of an issue".

In the final analysis....any one that regularly spends time outdoors (further than the back forty).....or any one traveling to destinations unknown, have everything to gain by knowing how to use both GPS, and map and compass. (And I think that is how it will remain until we have chips implanted in our bodies that are powered by body heat and capable of instantly downloading "maps" into a receiving device!)

That last sentence will start a "whole new thread of debate"!;)

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

AK,
Humans are already more "borg" like (StarTrek) than they may to care to admit:

Optics enhance vision, embedded microchips allow basic vision, hearing aids enhance hearing, radios enhance communication, gps overwhelmingly enhances navigation, orthopedic surgery builds/rebuilds skeletons, plastic surgery implants correct natures mistakes (one of my favorites :D) and this here internet forum/chat room is a crude beginning of the "hive mind" and your being able to connect to the "collective". :D;)

That which is now "mounted" on the outside may well work its way to the "inside" over the next 100 years.

EKM

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

BJ

I've noticed some of your comments in the past indicate you hunt very open terrain and probably it's a place you've hunted most your born days. Well I too hunt this same area now for 13 years, I feel I know it pretty good. But by god most the time you can't see out worth a dang. If you hit an elk in this country and he's down there's a very good chance you ain't going to return to it without some sort of aid. I mean it's that thick and twisted with small steep fingers running every direction, no main draws or creeks here. I've left several bugles and articles of clothing over the years and am still yet to find them. And I've hunted this area 13yrs. Now I'm not stupid, but it seriously is that tough to find a spot you'd like to come back to, you won't do it without flagging or using a GPS. I don't use them for just getting into or out of the woods, but if I had to, I wouldn't let pride get in the way of good sense. Come over and hunt a weekend where I do, or just tag along, it'll make a believer out of you real quick. This is big roadless country, we cover 2 to 7 miles each way everyday, and yes we take an elk now and then, and it's sure nice to be able to go back and find them without flagging.
Better yet maybe I should head over your way and hunt some of that open country where apparently it's a lot easier to negotiate.:D No horses though!:) elknut1


akbound

I see where you're coming from, and you make some good points. I'm just not one to concern myself with trivial things like what if I forget it or lose it, etc. elknut1

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Hey elknut1,

Pllluuuueeeaaasssseee.....invite me!!! I'd love to go elk hunting with ya! And if we decide we "might not find our way back to it"....let's just set up camp right there until we eat the whole dang thing! I'm about "done with" finding my way back to "civilization";)!

Seriously though....I have unfortunately forgotten things before.....(seem to be doing it even more often lately).....so I make lists before I travel anymore. I just believe in redundancy in systems. Especially in something as important as navigation. I personally think the GPS is the biggest improvement in navigation in the last three or four centuries. It has made precision in navigation possible that wasn't even dreamed of before, (for all the reasons you've mentioned). And it improves all the time. (I just have this slight mistrust of anything that runs on batteries.....as my "only" system.) But I absolutely agree with you on its incredible utility...and again as I said earlier....would never choose to go without one!

My comments regarding choosing the map and compass....are only in regard to "keeping in the spirit" of the original question. If only one could be available. For all the tasks that the GPS does extremely well....none in essence are "more important" than enabling you to "find your way out". And for that "most critical" of all navigational tasks...your "tools" should be as fool proof as possible. Recovering your downed animal becomes unimportant....if you can't first find your way out!

So in summation....I think we both agree that the GPS is a far more capable tool than a compass. Or even a compass with a topo map. I think we both agree we'd never choose to "head out" without a GPS and spare batteries. I think we are in agreement that having the skills to use navigational tools are important. And I'd venture a guess that we both agree that having a topo map and compass along would go a long way towards insuring that we have "covered our bases" in case of unseen contingencies. So...in essence we are in agreement!

Dave

P.S. And I agree with you that I have seen terrain "so tough" that it is nearly impossible to find your way back to an exact spot in a timely manner...except by mere accident.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I'm glad you brung up ol' timers an' their ability to live without gadgets. Seems to me, folks are losing lots of skills that used to be part of a hunters set of skills. Not jus' dead reckoning and finding their way in unfamiliar places, but also stalkin' skills, survival skills, shooting skills. You name it. We're replacing the traditional part of hunting with techno crap, making it a lesser endeavor in the process. Tell me, who can really take pride in a trophy gained with such gadgetry? No thanks, I'll keep relyin' on my injun nose an' my open sights. I ain't never been more an' "bewildered" in new country, dark timber or badlands. Hell, if I was to git too temporarily bewildered, I'd jus' look at it as a chance to catch up on my fishin' while I ponder whether I really wanna go anywhere else at all.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Just want to let Elknuts1 know that I have navigated with map and compass, both in the fog and the dark, numerous times. It's required in boot camp and basic training in our local search and rescue team. Also, a front page article in our local paper in July of 2002 had a photo of a 21' cutty cabin beached on an island in Lake George. Seems the boat pilot misread his gps. OOOOps!

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Neither is idiot proof!

Misread your GPS or misread your compass --- same result!

Next,

EKM

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I'm infamous for "Forgetting" stuff, it has become a part of my personna I guess. The whole thing of this boils down to learning as much as we can about all of the tools available and using them to the best of our ability. If you own a map a compass and a GPS, take them all with you and above all, become familiar with them and use them all of the time. There should be no excuse for having to CHOOSE between a compass or the GPS, if you own both, carry both. They are both lighweight, (relatively) inexpensive and don't take up much space. Anybody that would "Choose" between these two items is just plain lazy.
You are only "Lost" if you have to be someplace at a particular time and there are others expecting you to be there at that time. Beyond that, you, personally, may be inconvenienced at times but as long as it is not life threatening it is no big deal.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

BJ, you never cease to amaze me, a man of apparent intelligence that insists on coming off as an ill educated boob. You know as well as anybody else on this board, that every one of those "oldtimers" couldn't wait to trade in their out of date, out moded musketry and other equipment for something that provided them with a better chance of survival and an extra modicum of comfort. Carson, Bridger, Johnson, Glass and the rest would have killed for 1/10 of the available conveniences we have available today. Their "trophy" was coming home with their hair intact.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Thankee kindly fer yer recognishun 'bout my higher learnin'. Got plum thru 3rd grade afor I had to quit so's I could work grandaddy's moonshine rig. But I done ok. I don't recognize all them names of ol' timers. Mus' be from some other county. I don't know if yer right 'bout them ol' timers wantin' all the fancy trappins in exchange fer their skills. Ol' Bill Weaver hisself tolt a friend of mine thet he only made variable scopes an' those over 4x 'cause people thort they needed 'em, and would pay him to have what they "needed". Bill was one ol' timer who liked the challenge of a real hunt, but he was a capitalist too, I reckin'.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Hey Coastie,

Try not to be too hard on BeaverJack for wanting to come off appearing as an "ill educated boob". Some of the worst boobs I've ever known were of the "educated" variety. At least BeaverJack is displaying good taste in the "company" he chooses;)!

You gotta love this country!:D:D:D

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Oh......and by the way....EKM, I would never have "guessed" you for a Trekkie![:-]

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Some points......
GPS does require a compass to confirm data.
GPS don't work under all conditions.
Knowing where you are is easier and faster with GPS. But that's no good without a map.
A compass is far more reliable. (I used them years before I ever heard of GPS)
Topographical maps are as important as the other two. Unless you have a bigger picture than the one you're looking at you're probably going to stumble around in the woods for a while.
Until my retirement a couple of years ago I taught at a military (Army) SAR school. I continued to sit in on land navigation courses that were offered, reviewed map symbolism, and sought to increase my knowledge. The truth is that GPS, compasses and topo maps work well together and provide redundancy in the field. I often carried 2 compasses and two GPS units in the map case.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Never fails. A feller says somthin' contrary, an' those with low self-esteem or lil' peckers start a personal attack. I won't guess which is ak's problem. As for packin' all them gadgets so you got no chance to be lost, well, there's sumthin' to be said for bein' fleet of foot in my book. When I was guiding dudes, they usually ended up trimming down their daypacks considerably after the first day of hoofin' with me in the mountings.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Hi BeaverJack,

Actually I suffer from both, (in case you'd like to verify?!?);).

But I believe you misunderstood my intent....I was offering a sincere compliment. In that.....some of the biggest boobs I've known in my life were of the "educated variety". There are few things more insufferable than someone that "knows so much"...they honestly believe they have nothing left to learn!

So I am left to believe that you actually thought I was taunting...as opposed to being sincere.....which was not the case. I will leave it to you to decide whether or not to believe me. I've offered an explanation....but I have no control over how you choose to receive it.

I do however, hope that you believe what I have said, as it was sincerely meant that way! And I continue to look forward to exchanges of views in the future.

Dave

P.S. My lil' pecker...took no offense!