I've been considering getting a basic GPS and becoming proficient with it. My traditional map/compass skills are pretty good. But I'm starting to question how useful GPS would be for use in the areas I live & hike in (Southeastern US forests/mountains).

As I understand it, a GPS is great for telling you where you are, where you've been, and the bearing to take to get to a known point. But you still need a compass and a map (either on paper or in the GPS) to actually figure out how to proceed. That's fine; I never thought a GPS replaced map/compass skills anyway.

GPS seems best suited to cross-county travel where you are not limited to trails. But in the Southern Appalachians foot travel is often unthinkable without following a trail. Cross-country through laurel thickets & steep contour lines is usually not an option, especially if you're lost/injured/tired. The primary tool here is a topo map that accurately shows the hiking trails. Then you've got to pay attention to what trail you're on, the compass bearing and the topography you're seeing.

If you were on the trail the GPS would tell you exactly where on the trail you are. But how useful is that, really, unless you never paid any mind to how you got there? I'm not sure it justifies the cost & hassle of the GPS.

For emergency use, the GPS would be great for telling rescuers where you are, but you must first contact them with a radio or cellphone. How practical is that? If you are in unfamiliar territory (i.e. James Kim's fateful drive), what are the odds that you'll have a 1:24,000 topo map of that area handy?

I guess I'm having trouble seeing the utility of GPS unless the terrain you're on allows you to traverse it at will. I realize I am most likely very wrong; any pointers would be appreciated.

I have been a GPS user for years. Essentially, if you know the area, they really arent gonna do you any good. And, it will only give you your coords, which you will have to compute into whatever datum your map is (most GPS units have multiple datums, just ensure that it is set up for the topo you are using). It is a tool for quickly figuring out where you are IN CONJUNCTION WITH your map/compass. Again, on familiar territory, this is largely useless.
The higher end ones allow you to load a map. I have a Garmin GPS 60Cx, which I loaded topos for the whole of new england onto a memory card. With this, I can find a place I havent been to, and, in theory, hike using only the GPS. downside is that the topo programs I have to show alot of trail detail. Of course, I would have a map with me regardless. Topos have alot more info on them than the GPS can hold, as well as giving you a much larger viewing area.
If you are looking for a basic, no frills GPS, I suggest a garmin etrex (yellow), or, for a little more money, the garmin 201, which you can attach to your wrist like a watch. Neither of them are capable of supporting map software, but, having a map with you, you can easily plot your grid.
Hope this helped a little.

> But you still need a compass and a map (either on paper or in the GPS) to actually figure out
> how to proceed.

With most (but not all) GPS units you can prepare a route on a PC, then download it as a list of waypoints. You can then follow the route with the unit giving you bearing and direction to the next waypoint. They will show the bearing in terms of your direction of travel, so in principle you can navigate entirely by GPS with no map or compass.


> If you are in unfamiliar territory (i.e. James Kim's fateful drive), what are the odds that
> you'll have a 1:24,000 topo map of that area handy?

You shouldn't need one for reporting your position. The unit should give you longitude and latitude, or an OS grid reference, or whatever local S&R can use. They can then look you up on the map.


> f you were on the trail the GPS would tell you exactly where on the trail you are. But
> how useful is that, really, unless you never paid any mind to how you got there?

It might help decide whether to continue forwards or return home? Or how close you were to an alternative route.


> I'm not sure it justifies the cost & hassle of the GPS.

You can take it along as backup, and not get it out and switch it on unless you want to check your navigation. Then the hassle is just the weight of carrying it.

Most will track the distance you travelled, your speed etc (when turned on). I took a unit skiing, and, even though I was constrained to groomed pistes, it was fun to see how fast I was going etc. Some people upload their tracks to a PC and analyse them. In other words, the benefit can be more than basic navigation.

Also when skiing it's possible to take a wrong turn and find yourself in the wrong valley; I don't know if that can happen with trails. Are you saying that you never, ever, get lost while hiking? I reckon I can become geographically embarrassed just about anywhere.

Glock-A-Roo,

A map and compass are invaluable even if you have a GPS with you.

That said, this is cool about them:

.....even the low-end GPS's, approx $100, can store waypoints. If you have extra batteries with you, run the GPS "on" during your hike, setting waypoints every so often. Most GPS's, when left "on", will track your route, showing a bold line over the route you've traveled. All you need to do to get back where you started is "follow the bold line". I know that sounds over-simplified and it is, almost. You can name your waypoints, too, i.e. "dead tree", or "windmill", etc.

If you're willing to spend $170 plus, you can load maps of your area. Depending on how much you spend, you'll be able to zoom in on the maps. Barometric altimeter, thermometers, etc., don;t mean much to me, so I wouldn't spend the $250 & up you'll have to pay to get them (unless they're important to YOU). I mean, you're going to get elevation with all models and as far as temperature goes... well, you can tell if it's cold or hot outside. Also, if I want a barometric altimeter with me, I'd probably want a small gen., a microwave, and maybe a TV with a small DVD player too. It's easy (in my oh-so-very-humble opinion) to get carried away with technology insofar as GPS's go. They have voice models too, mostly for vehicle use. You've heard them on TV. How about on the trail? I DON'T want a sexy female voice saying "Turn left at the dead squirrel".... I don't need any temptation in the boonies <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

The screen size on all of them is small and hard to read.... not that that's all important. Color is nice, but it costs and helps only with mapping software. All of them are hard to read, especiall y in bright light. Now, I'm not damning them, just trying to give you a user's view of the things to help you decide what's important for you.

You'll do this anyway because you're smart: go to Walmart, REI, Sportsmans Wrhse, wherever they'll let you, and play with these things. Sometimes you'll get lucky, the emplyees working the counter can be invaluable (especially at REI - they seem to almost always have good tech knowledge of the items in their particular department).

My "e"pinion? get a basic model Garmin or Magellin, under $200. You'll get some mapping ability which is pretty cool. For $100, you'll get a cool little tool that you'll learn to appreciate, albeit w/o sophisticated maps. Carry a map and compass anyway just because you should.

Good luck (hope I didn't muck things up)

I've used hand-help GPS units for nearly 10 years. I locate historical airplane crash sites. See http://coloradowreckchasing.com

You need the GPS coordinates to stand on the wreckage. 100yds of error and you won't find it. In some cases, it's 10 yds error.

GPS is no substitute for map and compass skills but it's a wonderful backup for those moments when you just aren't certain. In all my offtrail hiking (20 years) I've only really used GPS to save me once. In that instance it saved me from hiking off down the wrong drainage when things were looking kind of alike and I was really tired so wasn't thinking as clearly as I needed. I would have eventually figured it out but it could have cost me another hour of effort.

I really, really use GPS when I travel to strange cities. If I have time I'll preload locations of my destination, the airport and the hotel. If I don't have time I'll still use it to preclude going in circles - you know, the rental car at night in the rain in a strange city scenario.

Recently I programmed a lightplane flight over abandoned Atlas D, E and F ICBM silos in my GPS. The handheld made it easy to fly all the different legs to the sites and to be sure we were actually on top of the desired target.

GPS is good stuff. Give it some time and use your imagination.

unimogbert

Just the fact that the GPS tells you exactly where you are (in terms of coordinates) and where you are in relation to other waypoints is a tremendous benefit, regardless of whether sticking to a trail, street, sheet of ice, desert, lake, or ocean. A good knowledge of exactly where you are can be of great benefit when making decisions - where to stop for the night, which direction to go for help, etc...

Of course it your trail or streets have good signage or you have good reference landmarks, then you likely will be able to know you position without a GPS.

A knowledge of how to convert those coordinates to a particular place on a paper map - and vise vera - is very useful. Of course the map needs to have appropriate coordinates on it to be useful. This is discussed in detail at http://www.maptools.com .

I can't think of ANY location except maybe the dessert or oceans where people can move in straight lines without some kind most reasonable path to follow or obstacles to traverse.

As you say, a GPS - by itself - won't get you rescued, though it can provide information to help you make smarter decisions.

I'm pretty good with map and compass, but earlier this year we got a Magellan Meridan GPS, with their Toposend mapping software, and I am becoming spoiled. I can download topo maps, with trails, etc, on it, and just follow the little arrowhead, it always tells me where I am, where I have been, and what is up ahead. On the road, I can tell it to delete the topo lines, but add street names, gas stations, restaurants, you name it, you got it. Stuff that you can't find on one paper map. When we got it, we were messing around in the Mojave National Preserve of CA, and the GPS showed dirt roads and trails that were on none of the three different paper maps we had of the area.

If you look on ebay, you can get both the gps and the software for about half of the MSRP...

1. You can record where you left the elk.
2. You can record where you buried your camp for next year.
3. You can go to the pond you first saw on GOOGLE EARTH.
4. You can keep track of a whole lifetime of traveling.

I think the GPS is a good backup. Also, when one is in a panicked state, having something that shows you where you are with 99% certainty is invaluable.
Just my $0.02.

One think I like about a GPS is at the beginnng of the trail I can get the coordinates and store them. Also the coords of particular landmarks I pass throughout the day. Then if I get lost I can use the GPS to find those exact spots again.

But it is a mistake to rely completely on GPS. Batteries die etc. The government can even turn off the system to civilian use during a national emergency. You still need a compass and map.