Tow vehicle- do you use GPS or just a compas and a map ?

I have been using plain ole maps since '67. Not got lost yet. I have a gps the wife bought, but do not use it to plan or navigate. Will not spend money on gps's to find one that does what I want. I find trip planning programs a waste of time. Just me.

Interesting question. I find my self using my iPhone GPS more and more even if I know where I am going, just to measure time and find side locations. However GPS only shows you where you are and the next turn. If we are going cross country we always carry a road map, just to get a feel of what's the next town how big is it etc. Road maps also give you a great sense of accomplishment from beginning to end. As far as the compass, my dad can point to North after being blindfolded and spun around 10 times. I did not get such a trait, thus the factory installed compasses on my vehicle of of little use.

dewey02 wrote:

Teamfour wrote:
I learned marine navigation old style, but on land and water, nothing can beat GPS.

Until it stops working...

I carry a spare, or two, counting Android phone. I still have the Garmin I used in my TrailBlazer. My Silverado came with the navigation radio, so it has one built-in.

We go to a CG in the Southern NC mountains. They tell you on their website, AND when you call. DO NOT use a GPS to find our Campground. You will get lost
And they are right. It will take you down a dead end road with no place to turn around. Fortunately we just followed the signs, small as they were. Our friends, used their GPS. Yep, they got lost.

Plain ole paper map........

Got one of them GPS Units when we hit the road.
After the second time it put us on the wrong road(s).......one that turned into a pipeline road and another that dead-ended into a cemetery Miss Garmin got muffled, tied up and stuffed in a bag.

Besides.....I just could NOT stand hearing "Recalculating, recalculating" one more time.

Used to teach navigation in Search and Rescue. GPS's are great until they lose a signal, or the batteries die. As with anything else, they're just a tool, and you need to know how to use them.

Another thing we'd do is spread a map on the hood of a car/truck and show the students how a compass would deviate when brought onto the hood, then taken away. The same can be seen on a picnic table in a campground.

Vehicle mounted GPS has definitely come a long way from the Garmin 12XL that I became proficient with.

I used to just use maps. I can usually tell direction pretty easy. Im always aware of north. Then I started using Google maps to print off directions and then eventually I got a nice GPS and I almost always use the GPS on trips now. I always have backup methods. I always have a compass in my vehicle, but generally I keep a directional map in my head no matter where I am. Worse case Ill stop and ask directions. Not to mention the whole family has iPhones with maps...

Teamfour wrote:
I learned marine navigation old style, but on land and water, nothing can beat GPS.

I agree but its not perfect..;)

Hard copy maps are good to use and there are errors with a GPS. But my GPS has virtually every road and street in Canada and the US in addition to many millions of addresses. How could you possibly carry that much paper with you?

My Garmin is an extremely useful tool. But like others have suggested it's not always be the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Teamfour wrote:
I learned marine navigation old style, but on land and water, nothing can beat GPS.

Until it stops working...