Happy birthday hikermor!

When I’m out hiking, I do fire up my GPS app and drop a waypoint on the car, the trailhead if they’re not very close to one another, and other spots. Since my phone is my primary camera I’ll both shut down other functions (killing all unused background apps, turning off cellular data) and also carry a fully-charged USB power pack.

I did get turned around while hiking alone a few years ago without dropping a waypoint first. A little bit of “Stop Think Observe and Plan” and I was able to re-orient well enough to hit the road I was looking for and all was well.

Hikermor. I didn't know it's your birthday. Happy birthday!

Jeanette Isabelle

Happy Birthday!

While continuing to look for a better Android phone GPS app I was reading a few articles on how to get unlost while on the Appalachian trail. I've never been there, but it sounds like it could be confusing and very bad news if not resolved.

I think of the woman who got off the trail, made camp waiting for help, and died, and not found for many years. Would a GPS have helped her (assuming she didn't set a trail waypoint before stepping off trail to attend to "nature's call".

I doubt that sure current trail GPSes have sufficient resolution to show on/off such a trail.

The off trail lady who died is an unfortunate example of unpreparedness and lack of knowledge. She apparently had difficulty earlier on the trip in orienting herself to her surroundings. I doubt there is anything particularly difficult about the AT compared to other areas.

Basically, you need a good topo map, along with the skill and experience to use it. If you get messed up, sit down and carefully work out a strategy; don't just sit passively and wait for someone to ome and rescue you.


GPS is a great tool, don't get me wrong. As an archaeologist, it is great for definitively locating sites and items of interest. But it is not infallible or perfect.

I once located an arch site in a rock shelter on the side of a prominent canyon within a bend in the canyon, clearly indicated on my topo map. I took a GPS reading. When I plotted the numbers, the location was several hundred feet to the west, in the middle of the stream bed. Cliffs and tall buildings, etc. can deflect GPS signals and throw locations off, sometimes significantly for some purposes.

GPS technology really shines when you are in relatively flat, featureless terrain where signals are not deflected and you don't have visible landmarks for orientation.