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?
 

I follow my nose...... where ever it leads me.:) Were I to travel to the far west or big unknown country I'd carry my compass since I don't have a GPS. Most of the time I forget it. I've only been to places I didn't want to go twice,:eek: and then only for an hour or two.:eek:[:-]

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I use both depending on where I am hunting and how far I am going. Most of the time I just use my compass. I always reference my compass when I use my GPS. Where I hunt in the river bottoms it will often take a GPS a few minutes to update when I start to walk out. However, you can take the bearing from the GPS and use the compass to start out on that bearing and the GPS will then catch up and update. If not the GPS you will often send you in the wrong direction for a couple of minutes until it updates and then send you in the right direction. In my case if I go the wrong direction for a couple of minutes it may cause me to have to cross a slough that is too deep to cross or go way out of the way to get to somewhere that I can cross. So I always carry both.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I never go out in the Big woods/wilderness areas without my compass. Im on my second GPS and I enjoy using it as a way of storing information, preplaning routes and marking possible sites I find on the map and want to explore later.
I hunt out of state a lot and hunting many spots I only visit when I draw tags, having a waypoint list helps save time and refresh my memory.
Plus I like the technology, it's amazing what the average man has access to in this day and age.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Compass. Doesn't need batteries, doesn't have to be moving to work. A compass works the second you pull it out and doesn't have to connect to satellites. A compass is free of government intervention. It'll work in the thickest folaige and even under water. Most models weigh less and take up less space than a GPS. In conjunction with a topo map it will take you to desired locations.

I do use a GPS for blood trailing and marking new spots that I'd like to return to. They are good for finding the area on aerial photos and topo maps via the internet. They are not as accurate as they claim to be, however. They are IMO much more reliable in open terrain than they are in wooded areas.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I don't take my compass much since I got my GPS, but it always a good idea to have a back up. After I have been to an area once I really don't need either. I like to take my GPS in case I hit something big and have to go get help dragging it out. I'll mark it on the GPS and it makes it easier to get right back to.
B

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

GPS to mark potential stand locations, and other points of interest. Compass to make sure I will make it home.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

If I'm in my own neck of the woods I usually only take a compass, and that's more or less just for stand orientation and wind direction check.

However, I have been hunting numerous times in some pretty wild country, where if you get lost you are most likely going to spend the night. When I hunt places with vast amounts of wilderness I always carry both and extra batteries too. In my opinion many people can't navigate very well in a wilderness setting with a compass only. Generally, some sort of orienteering training is required if you are planning on using map and compass only on a wilderness hunt. Many people cannot read a topo map to save their life, so in a situation like that the compass is not all that much help. However, if you save waypoints on your GPS (like the location of the truck, or main trail) it is a snap to navigate. When it's time to head out of the woods, turn on the GPS and select the go to function for the waypoint you want to navigate to. The GPS will give you the bearing and distance, then all you do is use your compass to maintain the bearing. Works every time.

With that said, it is still a good idea to learn how to use map and compass only. The GPS could always break... Jim

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I use neither and haven't really ever had a problem. In a unfamilair swamp or prarie I could see a GOS being handy though

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

For scouting stand locations, I like to use my GPS. But the problem with a GPS is you have to walk at a certain pace to get it to register your movement. Even though I use my GPS, I always carry my compass as well. It has never led me wrong.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Mike...If you use a compass in conjunction with the GPS then it eliminates the problem associated with GPS only navigation. Many people attempt to use the GPS as a compass. The GPS was never intended to work like a compass. When standing still, the GPS can't tell what direction you are facing. However, when combined with the compass you truly have an outstanding navigational system. Add a topo map and Lewis and Clark would be green with envy. Now here's where your saved waypoints come in and how to navigate with ease.

Lets say I wanted to walk to your house from mine. I already have your house saved as waypoint number 1. I then tell my GPS to navigate to waypoint number 1. (your house) At that point the GPS tells me what bearing in degrees I need to take to walk a straight line to your house. Let's assume it's 150 degrees just for arguments sake. I then rotate the dial on my compass to line up with 150 degrees. Now I turn my body to line up the magnetic needle with the orienting arrow. At this point I am facing 150 degrees. Now I just walk and use the compass as my main navigation tool. If I leave the GPS turned on, it will track my movement and give bearing updates as I proceed. If I get off track I will instantly know since the GPS is continually updating my location. At that point, all I have to do is spin the dial on my compass to the new bearing and keep going until I arrive at your house at which point I hope you have some cold beer for me because it's a long walk to Texas.:D

Sorry about being so long. I always get the feeling that many folks don't know how to get the most out of there compass and GPS. I hope this helps anyone who may be having trouble navigating.....Jim

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

many of the newer GPS units these days also come with a bulit in electronic compass, that works just like any normal compass would, you do not need to be moving, or see the satellites for it to work... only downfall is that it does drain battery power on the unit a little quicker when you are using the compass...

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I learned to use a compass in the marines, and I have never used one here at home. But I got my GPS about the same time I started bow hunting so I starteded hunting many differant spots and I just love the gps sure it has some drawbacks but it is nice at times. I like to use it scouting and hunting. I love it before the sun comes up walking in and taking me right to my stand in the pitch black. And same for coming out of the woods in the dark. A couple of times I have been in some preatty thick stuff and checked my GPS and realized that I was all turned around. It might not always get me within 5 yards but it gets close enough for me to know were I am.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Its really hard to beat GPS. Its not just the direction feature. Its being able to walk around and scout. While scouting you can mark icons for various things like - heavy used trails, lightly used trails, deer beds, food sources, natural barriers, creeks, and the list goes on. When your done and look at your map, you've got the BIG PICTURE! This make sense and become sometimes quite obivious. Then its easy to go back and find your new found spots or things you want to double check. If your in a big area or a new area, they are quite valuable.

GoodLuck!

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I always carry both, and extra batteries. You can't beat GPS for scouting, marking trails and stand locations, etc. Its also great to just be able to hit goto and get back to your truck. I'm not into orienteering, and the compass can generally get me back to the road I came from, but the GPS has saved me some steps on more than one occasion. Also, you can't take your compass home, plug it into your computer, and mark a topo with your favorite locations, show the tracklog for where you've been, call up an arial photo or topo map of new areas that you just scouted for the first time...

Also, I've looked up new areas on the computer, picked out interesting spots on a map and noted their GPS coordinates. Take those coordinates and plug them into your GPS (or just download them) and you can get to a spot you've never been to before. I even use the GPS to mark where I should start looking for somewhere to park the truck when hunting a new area. With free software such as EasyGPS or USAphotomaps the GPS is a very powerful tool. Its great to have the ability to mark your stand locations on a map, print it out, take it to the woods with you or give to your wife so she knows where to tell the authorities to start looking if you never make it back (assuming if you want to be found).

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

Here is a good orienteering book for those who would like to learn more:

Be Expert with Map & Compass by Bjorn Kjellstrom

Good luck! Jim

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I have and carry both JIC.

RE: GPS or Compass, which do you prefer?
 

I should have mentioned this in my earlier post, Dave 590 who post on the Political and Offseason area has writen a book on map reading, using your GPS and compass. I have read his book and found it to be clear, easy to follow and it has good understandable illustration. I was in in recon in Nam an had plenty of training and first hand experience with maps and a compass but still found his book to be useful.