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

I've used a GPS for the last 6 or 7 years. I started with a Garmin and now I use a couple of apps on my Android phone. I always have a paper map stuffed into a storage compartment somewhere but I've never needed it since I started with GPS.

I use my computer to originally plan my trip or route than I use the GPS while I'm driving.

GPS is critical where we travel in the USA and overseas. We use maps with GPS location information so we don't miss a turnoff on some rural road. Often places are not on the maps whether they be AAA type maps or National Geographic maps or topo maps or USFS maps so I use the latitude and longitude for the location with the GPS to navigate to them. Many guide books to ghost towns for example will depend heavily on GPS coordinates for routing.

I use maps for trip planning and print out key sections along our route where we will leave a main highway. But the further off the major freeways you travel the less valuable the maps become. I will use maps to locate a place to cross a river as the GPS routing at times is less than optimum or may even be in error if a bridge did not get added to the GPS database.

GPS is great and a huge improvement over maps and a compass which depend upon first knowing exactly where you are to provide guidance to get you to your destination. I grew up using charts and a compass to navigate and later used a satnav to confirm my position which I could do at most twice a day as the satellite passed overhead and sometimes I would go days without a fix. Having GPS and getting an exact fix in seconds is something it would be foolish not to use when it is readily available and a GPS unit costs under $100.

45Ricochet wrote:

Lessmore wrote:

I'm retired now and one of things I like to do is to drive down back roads...all seasons...although where I live winters seem to last 6 months. I walk down forest trails and always have a camera in hand (for wildlife/landscape photos) and a compass in the pocket of my beat up old Carhartt jacket. With these two pieces of equipment I'm ready for anything.

Les

Yeah me too Les. This time of year I watch for grizzle though. Their not very polite in spring :W

:B That is a problem....big, hungry impolite predators. Grizzlies...where are their manners. Sometimes I wonder if they were brought up in a barn or something ! :B

Les

I use my wife for navigation. They know how to ask for directions:)

Lessmore wrote:

I'm retired now and one of things I like to do is to drive down back roads...all seasons...although where I live winters seem to last 6 months. I walk down forest trails and always have a camera in hand (for wildlife/landscape photos) and a compass in the pocket of my beat up old Carhartt jacket. With these two pieces of equipment I'm ready for anything.

Les

Yeah me too Les. This time of year I watch for grizzle though. Their not very polite in spring :W

45Ricochet wrote:
Your funny Les with the compass and maps :B
Our youngest grand kid (5) was here over the holidays with the kids. Little guy picked up our cordless house phone and asked " what is this? I told him it was a phone and he looked puzzled. I showed him how it worked by calling my cell number. Didn't think much about it till he took it with us to town and at the restaurant he said your phone is broken :B Well I reach down for the smart phone and tell him, no it's working fine. He pulls out our house phone from his backpack and tells me it's don't work. I told him I would fix it when we get back to the house, sure enough I got it fixed for him.
Just a grandparent story !

That's a good one. I don't have grandkids yet, but most of my peers do and I get a kick out of hearing their stories.
:B

BTW I only get out the compass when I'm hiking, indoors it's a bit off and degrees matter in the woods as the cell service usually don't work.

I'm retired now and one of things I like to do is to drive down back roads...all seasons...although where I live winters seem to last 6 months. I walk down forest trails and always have a camera in hand (for wildlife/landscape photos) and a compass in the pocket of my beat up old Carhartt jacket. With these two pieces of equipment I'm ready for anything.

Driving I listen to the nice lady on the radio speakers, the DW is usually steering me wrong down some lonely road with 15% grades with beautiful scenery. :B

When I was a kid I was a Cub (Scouts) and one of the badges I earned was the outdoor proficiency. I learned how to use a compass and my dad swore by them. He always had one in his cars ...remember those ball compasses you could install on your dashboard ?
As a result of all that experience with compass (and maps) with my dad so many years ago...I find I don't leave home without one....or them.:)

Les

Your funny Les with the compass and maps :B
Our youngest grand kid (5) was here over the holidays with the kids. Little guy picked up our cordless house phone and asked " what is this? I told him it was a phone and he looked puzzled. I showed him how it worked by calling my cell number. Didn't think much about it till he took it with us to town and at the restaurant he said your phone is broken :B Well I reach down for the smart phone and tell him, no it's working fine. He pulls out our house phone from his backpack and tells me it's don't work. I told him I would fix it when we get back to the house, sure enough I got it fixed for him.
Just a grandparent story ! BTW I only get out the compass when I'm hiking, indoors it's a bit off and degrees matter in the woods as the cell service usually don't work.
Driving I listen to the nice lady on the radio speakers, the DW is usually steering me wrong down some lonely road with 15% grades with beautiful scenery. :B

blt2ski wrote:
What is a sextant?!?!?!?!? might be figuring out that gps or map thingy ma bob......

so I am still in the dark ages you say?!?!? hmmmmmmmmm

Marty, the Sextant came after your period which as you say was the Dark Ages. ;)

The sextant was used by later world explorers like Magellan....now I know where that GPS company got it's name. :D

Les

What is a sextant?!?!?!?!? might be figuring out that gps or map thingy ma bob......

so I am still in the dark ages you say?!?!? hmmmmmmmmm

I haven't used or looked at a hard-copy map in 10 years. Always use my GPS. If I find myself needing or wanting to take a route of unknown quantity, always take the time to research online before headin' out. Accidents and weather change things up everyday--no matter whether it's federal, state, county, or dirt. Works for me . . . YMMV.