Big D2

Another way technology has improved our lives but at the same time gotten us lazy to learn mapping properly the good old fashioned way.

It is addictive, last year during our Red Rock Challenge (9000km), as soon as we left Toronto, we pretty much put the maps away and relied on the GPS. We had 3 on board, and believe it or not one of them failed. So don't kid yourself, as the posts say electronics fail.

We've had several issues. One time we got stuck out in the desert past midnight. There was an offshoot to take a short cut of the trail to go back to town. So now with 2 GPS units, and a map we could not find it. And all we were looking was for a trail wide enough to fit a truck throu. We ended up back tracking the whole trail. An let me tell you that this saved our lives. In the desert everything looks the same at night and if you're 6 ft off course, you're screwed.

Next time we were doing a night run in Northern Ontario. I thought we had the trail route on the GPS. What we couldn't believe was at the number of trees we had to cut throu with an axe. After a few hours, I zoomed in and it turns out we were about 80 ft of the trail, making a parallel route. So yes this was operator error, but without it we would have been out there a good few days.

So yes, technology helps a lot, but the basic skills should still be learned.

DavidEllzey

IMO that group would have been no better off with maps and compass. They made a series of poorly thought through, uneducated decisions and the lack of different tools were not the problem. Now an argument could be made that the GPS gave them false confidence, or at least it gave someone in the group that confidence and the others followed that person.

Someone who does not know how to navigate with a map will also end up at a sheer cliff.

In the wilderness a GPS is a great tool, but I also take along a paper map and button compass as a back up. I still use a paper map all the time as its much nicer on the trail to read instead of the small electronic one on the GPS. But to be truthful I do hundreds of miles a year hiking and have never been forced to use a map and compass due to a problem with my GPS.

On a side note, especially on hiking forums its trendy to bag on GPS units. I think its mainly due to people who have gone through the trouble of learning how to use a compass for wilderness navigtion not being happy that someone can buy a solution off the shelf. However I think this argument should be redirected away from equipment and toward training. Regardless if someone prefers a GPS or compass, they should have some sort of training to acquire the basic skills of wilderness navigation.

Dave

Flyin'Squirrel

is there a thread comparing gps units for offroad purposes?

doojer

Welcome to the board!

I'm not sure if we have a thread exactly like that, but the place place to check would be the GPS & Geocaching sub-forum:

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/gps-geocaching-100/

If a thread like that does not exist, feel free to create one!

Flyin'Squirrel

thanks doojer

geocaching, never heard of it, looked a little into it and it sounds kinda cool tho

smokey

Sounds like a handful of errors helped in this situation. Not understanding where they were going or what they were getting into before going, trusting a GPS, not filling up on gas, poor common sense maybe.

I wheel and spend a lot of time off road on foot. I carry a portable GPS and always have spare batteries and a compass just in case. I also do research of the area before going. I am old school and just because I have a GPS doesn't mean I totally trust it. Technology does fail at times and I don't want to be unprepared if that happens.

I also agree with a previous post where people have gotten lazy and trust the technology too much. I know of people that rely on a GPS when you ask them if they can determine direction like N-S-E-W they have a hard time doing it.

My philosophy is always be prepared and have a backup plan.

mdantonio

Dave, Hi! I am certainly NOT anti-GPS. I own two of them. A Garmin NUVI for inside the Jeep and a Garmin VISTA for "on-foot" treking. I'll generally secure the GPS coordinates and copy them onto the TOPO where they will remain secure. During daylight it's very easy to verify the coordinates via simple terrain association. (Is what you actually see around you what the GPS coordinates say are there?) I always used the comparision of a gun and a knife...guns seldom cause any problems but a knife never misfires, jams, or runs out of ammo! Always have a "Plan B" when in the wilderness. Take care... Mike

bake13b

This is an old post but make sure that if you are using a GPS that your map datum is set correctly or you will think that you are on track and the GPS will say that you are but sadly you will be way off. I am a fan on the map and compass method.

Desert Fox

I have been navigating in wilderness and desert areas since about 1970. Here are a few tips I use which have never let me down:
- I have a Garmin 276C, into which I have loaded Topo maps for the regions I most frequently visit. I update the Topo maps yearly. This GPS unit has never failed me. I use it as backup.
- My primary tools are topo maps and a Lensatic compass. Here are a few things to consider. (1) You need a large flat surface on which to place the map.
Maps are big. (2) After you take three, or more lines of bearing, you need to transfer these lines to the map. A long straight edge is required. I have used many items to do this from a yard stick to a six foot steel measuring tape. You will also need a set of parallel rulers to initially scribe the reciprocal of the bearing you observed from the object on the map. You will transfer this bearing from a compass rose on the map. (This is getting far to complicated for this string. And I am not even going into declination. Bottom line: read a book or take a class on open field navigation if you are going to spend time in the wilderness or desert)
- In addition to the Topo maps, I also carry AAA and DeLorme maps with me.
Spend and hour comparing the maps and noting landmarks on each map before you depart on your trip. It is very important that you know where you started from. Record this point on your map.
- Buy and read every trail guide you can find about the area into which you are going. They usually provide trail detail down to the tenth of a mile and include photos and GPS coordinates for you to use. You can learn a lot from these books if they are current.
- If you are leading a group of fellow Jeepers and they are depending on you to get them out and back safely, pre-run the trail a week or so in advance.
Never go alone. Take another Jeeper with you on the trail pre-run.
- As others have said in this string, common sense is an essential element of open field navigation. I could write ten pages of tips on the subject, but won't bore you. As the Boy Scouts would say, "Be Prepared" I would add, "Don't do anything stupid"
- Yes, a good GPS unit, with up to date Topo maps, is a dependable navigation tool. But is is only as good as the knowledge of the operator and the life of the batteries.

bake13b

all you need is one map as long as it is accurate..... ask your local forest station. They have up to date maps on thier/our land. If you solely rely on GPS take extra batteries. No need to go in to True N, Grid N, or Mag N.