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Written by Thumper 6   

 I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day!  My kids are out running this morning (cross country practice) and my wife and I just finished with a brisk walk of our own.  

As I am sipping on some coffee, I thought I would ask what you all use to navigate out on your hiking adventures.  I use a combination of hand-help maps, compass, and GPS.  The GPS is mostly for my enjoyment as I love technology.  I grew up in the Army though and so I always have a hand-held map and the trusty lensatic compass.  I have a couple of GPS units...one that I have had for several years, a Garmin Rhino 130 which has been a very good GPS unit...but the one I am using exclusively now is the Delorme PN-40.  It's a great little unit and the thing I like the most about it is the combination of the maps and imagery I can load and use.  It's simply amazing how much stuff I can cram into this GPS and I love having the USGS Topo Maps loaded so that I can check my hand held against it.

I have worked with my kids to get them to understand how to navigate with a map, understanding terrain features and how to recognize where they are at on the map.  Having the PN-40 has helped alot because I can load the imagery of where we are going and refer to that to demonstrate a point.

Anyways....was just killing a little time and wanted to hear what the rest of you do??

Thumper

 
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Comments (5)
iTopo Maps
1 Monday, 07 September 2009 10:21
Rylan
Great question Thumper, I've been playing with my latest navigation this week. We have a poll on the site asking about iPhone Apps for camping and several folks recommended iTopo Maps ($10). I love it! Download any topo or street maps to use when out of cell range and the iPhone's built in GPS will place a marker on the map where you are. You can add waypoints and any details about them you need. I'm looking forward to taking it on my next AT trip but I've gotten $10 worth of entertainment from it just this week Very Happy
Navigation
2 Monday, 07 September 2009 11:42
thumper6
Rylan,

Roger...I actually have somthing like that on my ITouch....and it is very nice little app...

So...you use the GPS function in IPhone in lieu of a GPS unit?

Thump
Never had a GPS
3 Monday, 07 September 2009 11:55
Rylan
I use my iPhone for a lot when hiking and since I'm already carrying it if I can just add another app to accomplish a need then I don't have to purchase & carry something else. I hear the iPhone GPS isn't as good as a stand alone GPS but it gets the job done for me. If you've followed the podcast much you'll know that I've wondered along the trail in the wrong direction more than once! Maybe I should've gotten a GPS unit earlier Wink I do have a compass / whistle that hangs on the front of my pack that has corrected my direction when I've messed up.
Anti-Techie
4 Thursday, 10 September 2009 06:21
Jolly Green Giant
I actually avoid tech items on the trail which is often a philosophical difference from others. Basically, my theory is that I hit the trail to escape from "worldly" stuff and I find that being able to focus on the wilderness is much more appealing to me. I think it is also safer as I'd rather hear a bear coming than startle him because I'm listening to music and I'd rather know how to read a map instead of luging around a GPS and relying on it to always point me in the right direction. Other than a camera, the only technology I carry is my watch (Suunto Core) which tells me the weather, time, barometer, and other information which can help me plan my day. I think I've carried a phone a grand total of 3 times on the trail and each time it was pretty much useless as it didn't have any signal.
Makes Sense
5 Friday, 11 September 2009 20:49
thumper6
JGG,

I certainly can understand where you are comming from. I don't listen to music when on hike...like you, I love to listen to the sounds of the woods...

My family and I were hiking up near Big Meadows (SNP) about a month ago and were just enjoying being out together and sure enough, we came across a black bear and her three cubs....

Anyways...back to the subject. I don't carry the GPS to navigate as much as I carry it to mark my route (track) and check my map. I take alot of pictures and I like to get back and goetag them...so the GPS helps with that. It really does not take up that much room and I just clip it on to a D-ring and put it away.

regards...
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