Sell me on GPS

M

milani74

Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
1,237
I've been bah humbug about GPS's because I think that a map and a compass is the most reliable means to navigate. I dont like carrying around maps of all the areas that I hike in so for giggles, I went and looked at them today at a local store. I noticed there were several on the shelves that did multiple things that made me re-think carrying one. Garmin makes one with a SPOT locator and you can even send text messages via satalites. Garmin also makes ones that are 2 way radios that you can listen to the weather forecast. The down side is that you have to pay $150 a year for the SPOT service on top of the $400 for the hardware. Granted, that was one of the top models, but there didnt seem to be many in the sub $100 that had topo maps.

So, I want to hear from those of you who use GPS's, why you continue to carry them, and which models you would recommend.

Thanks!
 
I'm impressed by the capabilities of the GPS units of today. They are incredible! There are a ton of aftermarket topos for them, they are quicker than the ol' fashion style. The only downside are batteries and relying on tech. I love the fact that when you get home you can plug your GPS into the computer and look at all the places you went on Google earth, place little pindrops and notes, look at pictures tagged by GPS coordinates, etc etc. They are awesome! I'd say pull the trigger on the GPS, but keep the maps handy as backup, I doubt you'll regret it.
 
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Map and compass (and knowing how to use them) are still more reliable. However, I do use a Garmin GPS60csx mounted on my motorcycle bars. I can have a large portion of South Australia stored in the gps as maps rather than having to tow a trailer-load of maps. Power isn't a problem as I have it spliced into the bikes electrical system.
I still like to carry 1:50000 maps and a compass for the areas I'm intending to hike in (though the gps does come with me too).
Your needs may differ.
G
 
I have a Garmin. Hardly ever use it. I don't even have batteries in it most of the time.

For some folks, they are a Godsend, but for me, they are just something to lug around. I can use a compass and map to my complete satisfaction.
 
Ive got the Garmin eTrex H, which is the base-model. Im a advocate of the "Keep It Simple" principle. It dosent do much other than show waypoints, routes and a back-track option. It isnt topo-compatible. On the plus side, its rugged, reliable, waterproof and simple to use.

Personally i dont like a¨the top-of-the-line GPS's with a 100 bells and whistles. My GPS is meant to show me where i am, and take me back home if i get lost. Thats it. The more options and features it has, the more dependant one becomes on it. And all the extra features only add complexity, and they are rarely used.

On serious planned hikes though, i always carry a 1:50.000 map and a compass. A GPS can come in handy, when its getting dark, cold and you need to find your way home.

A map and compass is king though, and one should always know how to use it. That being said, if you are like me and go on multi-day solo-hikes in unknow terrain and in any weather, then a GPS could be a good addition to your kit.

As you can see on the pic, its pretty basic, but does what a GPS is supposed to do.

11-05895.jpg
 
I use a map and compass and a GPS. I like to be able to plot exactly where I am using the UTM system. I trust my navigation skills but to pull a map out and look at my coordinates and be able to plot exactly where I am is also a piece of mind. I believe in using every advantage that I can. I was always a map and compass guy but after having to teach GPS and coordinate systems to our ERT team I see a place for both in my pack! Just my 2 cents. I carry a 1:2400 topo. The maps on the gps are ok but not near as clear as a paper map.
 
I have a Garmin E-trex HC ,also a pretty simple unit to use. Like most other here I like tha ol' compass and map, and that great to get to where you are going and back, but what I like about the GPS is, say you stumble upon a great little hunting spot, or some other little treasure deep in the woods, with the GPS you will be able to pull EXACTLY into that spot regardless wether its day or night.
I've found several places I thought were great places to hang a stand, but as much as I know the land I hunt it is still hard to find those same spots w/o a GPS that has a waypoint mark. Also a big bonus if you re hunting unfamiliar places for the same reasons as listed above
just my 2 cents
 
I have a Garmin eTrex, and I seldom use it. It is very slow picking up a signal, and if I'm in a pine forest (pretty much all of Colorado), it often can't get a signal through the trees. I was next to a very tall cliff once, and it gave me a wrong position, which I later found out is possible, but not common.

Overall, I'm very unimpressed. Mine is about 10 years old, and everyone says that the antennae technology has improved greatly, but I'm not buying another one until I see someone else's in action.
 
sodak said:
I have a Garmin eTrex, and I seldom use it. It is very slow picking up a signal, and if I'm in a pine forest (pretty much all of Colorado), it often can't get a signal through the trees. I was next to a very tall cliff once, and it gave me a wrong position, which I later found out is possible, but not common.

Overall, I'm very unimpressed. Mine is about 10 years old, and everyone says that the antennae technology has improved greatly, but I'm not buying another one until I see someone else's in action.
Click to expand...

The eTrexes with the "High Sensitivity" unit, were introduced in 2007. It's appearance is almost identical to older yellow Etrex units, the difference being "High Sensitivity" in red letters just above the screen.

The signal reception on them is flawless. A "cold" start will give you a signal in 2 mins. A "hot" start picks up the signal in 10-20 seconds. Ive used mine in deep forests, inside the car and in the city between tall buildings without any problem. I can even get a signal (after 4-6 mins) sitting at home on my couch, about 8 feet from the window.
 
Mannlicher said:
I have a Garmin. Hardly ever use it. I don't even have batteries in it most of the time.

For some folks, they are a Godsend, but for me, they are just something to lug around. I can use a compass and map to my complete satisfaction.
Click to expand...
This is my take. If you want navigation stick with map and compass. The only reason to have a gps is for the bells and whistles.
 
A map and compass are still necessary, but there are times where gps is very, very useful. Here are 3 instances that I've come across where a GPS is most useful or possibly superior to a map and compass:

1. Your terrain is relatively flat and unmarked, but you need to go to a specific point for something (cache, study site, benchmark, etc.). This is especially useful on the water.

2. You need to record the exact route you are taking, rather than just a general direction. Again, very useful for water work & satellite mapping.

3. You need to know where the nearest ______ (hospital, gas station, food, hotel, etc etc) is to the highway you're on.



Granted, I've really only used gps for work/research, but that's only because I'm too cheap to buy one for myself. :D
 
Pretty much the only way I use it is this: When I get to the trailhead/parking lot/place I want to get back to, I mark it. Then I turn it off and put it away. If I get into trouble, I can turn it on and find my way back, otherwise, I pretty much don't use it. YMMV.
 
sodak said:
Pretty much the only way I use it is this: When I get to the trailhead/parking lot/place I want to get back to, I mark it. Then I turn it off and put it away. If I get into trouble, I can turn it on and find my way back, otherwise, I pretty much don't use it. YMMV.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much how I used to use my older model. I ended up buying a high tech one and really do like it. As every other person said, the GPS is no substitute for a map and compass but it can be an excellent augment to one. On my new one, I find I can get away with using a GPS with its included topo map 99.9% of the time and pretty much use my physical map for 1) backup on failure of my GPS or 2) to get a bigger picture compared to the tiny screen of the GPS to help plan routes and such.

Look, maybe it is lazy, but having a 1:24,000 detailed topo map pre-loaded on your GPS which shows you not only where you are but lets you scale up and down the map is damn nice, even if you just really use it to help locate yourself on your hard copy map. Mine also comes with a 3-d profile view which is a bit gadgety, but it really does help you 'read' topo data by switching it back and forth and looking at your terrain. Another cool thing you can do is make a custom map. For example, lets say I have a trail map from the park. I can scan that it and then use Google earth to geo-position it and export to my GPS. I can then flip back and forth between the custom map and the topo map. Its nice. Not essential, but its nice. People have already mentioned it, but I do find it really useful to mark not only location of my car and camp, but also interesting areas I come across. I also find it pretty cool to download my GPS tracks and look at them after the trip was done, especially useful for computing distance hiked etc.

Finally, I have noticed some real improvements in GPS technology today compared to past units I've owned. The electronic compass of older units was crap. Not only did the electronic compass seem to suck up battery life very quickly, the darn things were never that stable and the pointer needle keeps jumping all over the place. I'd always have to increase my pace so that the GPS - triangulation compass would kick in to give any accurate heading. Anyhow, I never trusted the e-compass on my GPS' in the past. This new one is rock stable and gives really good accuracy relative to my magnetic one. My new unit also doesn't need to be level to give a good reading which is kind of cool. Its easier to get a heading at a glance with than a regular compass. Battery life is also improved. I get 8 h steady use on a set of double A's. Not bad and by switching to rechargables and keeping a set of 12 I have all the juice I need on a week long trip that also serves my flashlight.Signal reception on the newer units are also both faster and better. My new one actually tracks satellites in buildings now whereas my older ones wouldn't. My old ones would sometimes get confused in heavy fog and high canopy whereas the new one doesn't.

The downside is that these new fangled units can be expensive. Mine was quite costly, but I enjoy the unit and it lets me enjoy the outdoors. Not needed, true, but as somebody already mentioned, why not take every advantage you can have especially when doing more challenging back-country navigation?
 
GPS sucks! I get lost all the time using GPS. On average I get lost at least twice a week using GPS. On hiking and camping it's even worse and gives me a false sense of security. Map and compass for sure. The best thing about a map is that it allows you to get the big picture. Sort of like standing on top of a very tall building and looking out the window to get an idea as to where you are.
 
scarysharp said:
I have a Garmin E-trex HC ,also a pretty simple unit to use. Like most other here I like tha ol' compass and map, and that great to get to where you are going and back, but what I like about the GPS is, say you stumble upon a great little hunting spot, or some other little treasure deep in the woods, with the GPS you will be able to pull EXACTLY into that spot regardless wether its day or night.
I've found several places I thought were great places to hang a stand, but as much as I know the land I hunt it is still hard to find those same spots w/o a GPS that has a waypoint mark. Also a big bonus if you re hunting unfamiliar places for the same reasons as listed above
just my 2 cents
Click to expand...
This is one of the main reasons I was suprised at and had me rethink getting one; hunting in unfamiliar terrain. Being able to pinpoint a location and how I got there would save time. That, my night land nav skills are not that great. I can pace count ok and get to a general spot, but specifics are a crap shoot. Its darned hard to find that exact tree at o'dark 30 without a trail. So for this reason, is topo maps even a necessity?
 
kgd said:
This is pretty much how I used to use my older model. I ended up buying a high tech one and really do like it. As every other person said, the GPS is no substitute for a map and compass but it can be an excellent augment to one. On my new one, I find I can get away with using a GPS with its included topo map 99.9% of the time and pretty much use my physical map for 1) backup on failure of my GPS or 2) to get a bigger picture compared to the tiny screen of the GPS to help plan routes and such.

Look, maybe it is lazy, but having a 1:24,000 detailed topo map pre-loaded on your GPS which shows you not only where you are but lets you scale up and down the map is damn nice, even if you just really use it to help locate yourself on your hard copy map. Mine also comes with a 3-d profile view which is a bit gadgety, but it really does help you 'read' topo data by switching it back and forth and looking at your terrain. Another cool thing you can do is make a custom map. For example, lets say I have a trail map from the park. I can scan that it and then use Google earth to geo-position it and export to my GPS. I can then flip back and forth between the custom map and the topo map. Its nice. Not essential, but its nice. People have already mentioned it, but I do find it really useful to mark not only location of my car and camp, but also interesting areas I come across. I also find it pretty cool to download my GPS tracks and look at them after the trip was done, especially useful for computing distance hiked etc.

Finally, I have noticed some real improvements in GPS technology today compared to past units I've owned. The electronic compass of older units was crap. Not only did the electronic compass seem to suck up battery life very quickly, the darn things were never that stable and the pointer needle keeps jumping all over the place. I'd always have to increase my pace so that the GPS - triangulation compass would kick in to give any accurate heading. Anyhow, I never trusted the e-compass on my GPS' in the past. This new one is rock stable and gives really good accuracy relative to my magnetic one. My new unit also doesn't need to be level to give a good reading which is kind of cool. Its easier to get a heading at a glance with than a regular compass. Battery life is also improved. I get 8 h steady use on a set of double A's. Not bad and by switching to rechargables and keeping a set of 12 I have all the juice I need on a week long trip that also serves my flashlight.Signal reception on the newer units are also both faster and better. My new one actually tracks satellites in buildings now whereas my older ones wouldn't. My old ones would sometimes get confused in heavy fog and high canopy whereas the new one doesn't.

The downside is that these new fangled units can be expensive. Mine was quite costly, but I enjoy the unit and it lets me enjoy the outdoors. Not needed, true, but as somebody already mentioned, why not take every advantage you can have especially when doing more challenging back-country navigation?
Click to expand...

Thanks KGD. My question would be which one did you get, and if you had to do it over, would you pay that much for it again knowing that technology might outpace your wallet?
 
milani74 said:
This is one of the main reasons I was suprised at and had me rethink getting one; hunting in unfamiliar terrain. Being able to pinpoint a location and how I got there would save time. That, my night land nav skills are not that great. I can pace count ok and get to a general spot, but specifics are a crap shoot. Its darned hard to find that exact tree at o'dark 30 without a trail. So for this reason, is topo maps even a necessity?
Click to expand...
Sounds like you talked yourself into one. ;) And yes, carry a topo if only for backup. If your gps craps out you may have to wait til morning to get a bearing with it but at least you'll be able to navigate...eventually. :D
 
Ha. I guess so. I still dont know which model is overkill and which I will actually use. That, and it comes down to money. You would figure that with cell phone all having LCD screens, it would translate into cheaper gps's!
 
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