What do you think of GPS units?

[arctic hobo]

Personally I've never liked 'em. They're not that detailed and they run out of batteries faster than you could ever replace them. One of my main points of pride is that I can look at a map and instantly see it from an on-the-ground perspective, so except in very confusing terrain I've never had a need for one. But looking around this forum everyone seems to have one, and seem to love them and use them too, even if just as a backup. It just occured to me (I'm not condemning anyone!) that it's not really very bushcrafty, being a bit of a high-tech gadget that at the end of the day isn't essential...? :?:
So I thought I'd make this poll to see how you all feel about them! Feel free to post all your points of view :wave:

 

[Celtic Dragon]

By the looks of things on here, most of us are gadget freaks. I don't have 1 yet, but do intend getting as a backup, and 1 for the car too. I to pride myself on being able to use a map and compass, and be able to give grid refs, but I don't have maps of the entire country, which is where GPS would help me no end (bread crumb trails)

 

[RobertsonPau]

I've used one a few times in the past and think they are a great piece of kit, often give superb accuracy. Some that I've used give a ten or twelve figure grid ref which sounds impressive but exceeds the accuracy of non military spec systems IIRC so can be misleading. I've not used the more recent versions so I don't know if they are the same. Not got one but want one. Shiney, mmm want one, mm now.):

But I don't think they should be seen as a replacement for map and compass skills, not that I'm suggesting any body here would think that way.

Paul

 

[arctic hobo]

FYI, the error that the US military originally put into all civilian GPS units has been removed, so they're all now the same accuracy :biggthump

 

[fiacha]

great bit of kit. would never rely on it alone for navigation, but I usually have it on when i'm in unfamiliar territory as a reference.

use it most when I am hunting / fishing on the loughs;
location of river mouths (3 miles of reedbeds look very similar in heavy fog)
hazards
good fishing spots
bad fishing spots ! ie the spot where I always loose my most expensive plugs :roll:

and geocaching

 

[Celtic Dragon]

FYI, the error that the US military originally put into all civilian GPS units has been removed, so they're all now the same accuracy :biggthump

You are right AH, they have. Still strikes me as funny that the US troops still get lost with it, I'd hate to think what they are like with maps

 

[Abbe Osram]

I cant vote but would vote if there would be a sentence saying:
Would like to try one but cant afford one. I would give my poll on that one. I am still working with map and compass but would like to pin point position of my traps so I am dam sure I find them after a lot of snow.
My dream with a gps is that I can run around hunting or trapping without all the time checking with my maps. But I don't know if GPS is good for that ......never had one because they are so dam expensive here.

cheers
Abbe

 

[Motorbike Man]

I have one and use it a lot. If you use it carefully, batteries can last a while. I tend to use mine every now and then rather than having it switched on permanently so I get a few days out of a set. Having said that, I can still use and still carry a map and compass and think it's essential to do so, just incase.

 

[hootchi]

I don't have one, probably couldn't afford it anyway but don't want one. I think they would be useful if you have one but I can cope well enough without.

I suppose it's like phones ages ago, people thought they weren't necessary but where would we be without them now. :?: :roll:

 

[MagiKelly]

I have one and would have no real use for it on land but out on the Loch's in my Canoe it is fairly handy.

 

[greg2935]

Very good point Abbe, there is no way I could justify the price at the moment either, I wouldn't mind having a go with one though, just to see what they are like.

 

[Pict]

Most of the places I go to do bushcraft have very distinct terrain that is tough to get lost in. I have never had a problem finding my way with map and compass. Remember, mankind went to the moon calculating his way with a slide-rule. I ask you who has the better math skills, those old men or the new kids who can only punch buttons?

In areas where the terrain is very flat and closed in with few reference points, or on a desert, a GPS could be a life saving back-up to solid navigation skills. If yopu don't have a map and compass and know how to use them a GPS could very easily get you deep into the bush and leave you lost.

A close friend hunting in Idaho once switched from his second day campsite to his first day campsite while navigating with his GPS after a long days hunt. He started out from "Camp 2" but told the GPS he was headed to "Camp 1". The thing sent him deep into the bush before he discovered the error. The GPS will never be foolproof as long as you are foolish enough to not learn basic navigation. Mac

 

[MartiniDave]

I have a Garmin Etrex, got it for geocaching but use it quite often now for general navigation. I do back it up with a compass, especially amongst trees where it can get confused about direction.

Dave

 

[PC2K]

i don't even have the funds and time to go anywhere far away, let alone afford a GPS. I know the local "woods" good enough, don't even need a map or compass... GPS's might come in handy if i go further aways, but that not to csae yet... first i got to find a buddy.

 

[george]

I never use it for navigation on land - only for pinpointing positions and checking my map nav. (I think I'm here, what does the GPS think?) IMO it's so easy to make basic mistakes with them like Pict's friend in Idaho, if you try to do too many complex things with them.
However on the water it's a different story, I find them indispensable and along with a depth sounder they can save hours of sitting at the chart table with a calculator. Because of the amount of maths involved in navigation on the sea I'm much more likely to make a mistake if I try to do it myself rather than let the GPS end the depth sounder take the strain.

George

 

[bambodoggy]

use it most when I am hunting / fishing on the loughs;
location of river mouths (3 miles of reedbeds look very similar in heavy fog)
hazards
good fishing spots
bad fishing spots ! ie the spot where I always loose my most expensive plugs

Nice one, I'd say this and Abbe's proposed use to note his trap locations would be about the very best use for a GPS in terms of bushcraft.....fog on water can be very tricky I'd imagine.

I had an old green screen civvy one but didn't find it very good, it was very slow and not that detailed.... then I got issued a nice Magellan one while I was in the TA....now that's very nice and very accurate....but to be fair by the time I've dug it out and got a reading off it I am quite capable of reading of my 6 or 8 figure GR from just a glance at the map. When I joined we learned basic nav right up to micro-nav and I'm actually faster with map and compass than I am with the GPS....having said that, for military purposes it is good for calling in air support or artillery (not too bushcrafti)....

I wouldn't even say it was good as a back up....as I said, I can read a map properly...why would I need a back up? I don't light two fires so I have a back up in case one goes out or carve two bow drill sets etc....why would I do it with Nav... :?:
To me it's a safety line that can very easily be done without (although don't get me wrong, it has it uses in very unfamiliar territory) but more worrying it can give less map skilled the confidence to do things that are really beyond them....fine till it all goes wrong... :shock:

Long and short: It's a nice toy to have and quite a good idea for long expeditions in very wild country but no substitute for good map skills. It certainly has it's place in the Military and for the above uses I have mentioned...it's also good in cars if you travel the country a lot (but again a good map will surfice)....remember that in a lot of built up cities the GPS won't work as the tall buildings block out the signal... Basically unless you plan to use it like Abbe wants to or Fiacha does (or as our Scotish friends do at sea and in their lochs) then you'll find you're wasting your money...you'll use it for the first few months and then less and less until it sits at the bottom of your bergan only carried because you feel guilty for buying it and not taking it...

Well....that's my opinion anyway... ):

 

[Doc]

They are very very good if you use them correctly, and very, very bad if you don't.

Their best use is for confirming that your estimated position (based on traditional map and compass skills/dead reckoning) is correct. This can help hone your skills further. They are also handy as a clock, speedometer, record of distance, sunset/sunrise calculator, and for finding the car again when parked at festivals, etc.

Someday, I 'll go on a cruise and bring a sextant and almanac and have a go at celestial navigation. A GPS would be great to check the results.

The worst thing about them is they can encourage a lazy attitude to navigation. Without a GPS, I am always looking around, referring to the map, occasionally getting a precise fix by resection, counting steps, etc. If the mist comes down I really, really need to know where I am.

When I have a GPS with me, I have to consciously fight a tendency to be less rigorous about all this. And this despite 20 years of map and compass and 1 year of using a GPS. There must be a great temptation for newcomers to use a technological fix rather than spend time acquiring skills. I would submit that the bushcraft philosophy 'know more, carry less' applies here.

I have heard reports of people calling for rescue on a mobile phone, and being unable to say where they are, beyond a GPS lat/long fix. They had taken a GPS but no map.

They don't work well in forests.

Last point; I recently found my Silva type 3 compass had a 175 degree error (probably stored incorrectly or dropped- oh well, good excuse to buy a type 54!) Rocks in Knoydart and Skye may be magnetic. Even a compass cannot always be trusted.

 

[JimH]

So I thought I'd make this poll to see how you all feel about them! Feel free to post all your points of view :wave:

From a bushcraft POV, I have one but hardly use it. It's a cracking road navigation tool, and I bought it for use on the motorbike. It has done sterling service in that respect, but the model in question (Garmin 3+) is a bit heavy/bulky for routine carrying out and about.

Having said that, I was thinking whilst I was out at the weekend that its route log would be a perfect adjunct to a bushcraft diary about my local area and the resources therein. Perhaps if I start blogging, I'll carry it to give readers some context.

In 10 years time when they are [a] more sophisticated/downloadable and a 99p addition to your digital watch/phone we'll all wonder how we got on without them...

Jim.

 

[den]

I have never had the need to use a GPS on land in the UK. Used it in the desert a bit but only to confirm what i have already found with map and compass. A nice aid to confirm where you are thats about it with me.
The reason i bought my last one was for locating my buoys when dropping pots all over the deep blue sea.

 

[Stevie]

I have a Garmin Etrex, got it for geocaching but use it quite often now for general navigation. I do back it up with a compass, especially amongst trees where it can get confused about direction.

Dave

Mine's a Garmin Etrex Venture. It's a nice piece of kit but my compass still comes first. The GPS is a back up. It was very useful in the fog on one occasion though...couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of me!