What do you use to navigate?

“While searching for a new coordinate scale I was wondering how others navigate. Do you use just a map and compass? or a GPS? do you use a scale along with either of these items?”

“I use a map and compass whenever I run out of blazes to follow...”

“map, gps, and common sense”

“Map, compass, instinct..”

“In the past few years:

1. GPS (Garmin eMap) which includes topo map downloaded to memory.

2. Maps (sometimes I carry multiple maps, depending on what is available)

3. Map & Compass

I carry all three.

I used to have a Casio Alti-Thermo watch which was great for getting elevations. If you one on a know trail, then altitude in combination with a topo map can be used to navigate in poor visibility situations.”

“Map, compass and common sense.”

“a map and my innate sense of direction. i carry a compass and use it occasionally. i've never felt the need for a GPS, although my husband has one.”

“Map(s), GPS on occasion, and I, too, have a good sense of direction and lay of the land... hmm, does that amount to common sense? lol”

“Usually only a map... I also carry a compass in case I should have to take a bearing, which I have done on several occasions, just to make sure I'm where I think i am, and only once was I 'lost' and had to rely on the compass to point the direction to go, only because the trails were mismarked, either on the signs or on the map.”

“i like the word artex used...instints”

“Same here with the compass. I hardly ever use it, have it just in case. Mostly, I navigate by topo map and physical features of the land.”

“I usually don't go on trails, so I take a compass bearing from my car into the woods. This gives me a gen direction for the trip out. I wouldn't dream of entering the woods without a compass. I carry multiple compasses, altimeter & many topo maps. I use a GPS in UTM for verification of where I think I am. In my later years I've gotten pretty good at using the sun for direction & somewhat for time. I have a tendency to get turned around near the peaks as I circumnavigate them & also carry a mini-compass on my watch/altimeter band. My wife got me a compass watch, but I don't use it much. I trash a lot of liquid filled compasses as I travel in very cold weather & leave them in my car in hot. This tends to create bubbles which I hate & return the compass or buy another.”

“I guess.”

“Chicken feathers, VooDoo chants, divining rods.”

“putting on a blindfold and spinning around a lot helps, too.”

“nothing beats a GPS to get to the trail head but I rarely use it on the trail except for noting items that I would tell other people about (ex marking a waypoint where the trail needs some maintenance or where there is an unusual plant)

map and compass - I usually take a good look at the map ahead of time and occassionally when on the trail - the compass is mainly for backup in case I get turned around or decide to bushwhack

sun - probably what I use most, I am accustomed to using the sun as a rough guide that I am still heading in the correct direction

moss - occassional use when the sun is behind clouds

stars - rarely used although I will locate the north star from camp just to orient the map while looking it over in camp”

“I use a coliedascope.”

“Oooo, ya might collide with trees and such!

Map and compass works for me.

I like taggin' along with Pennsy.....he's got all the cool stuff that a family clown like me can't afford.”

“Neurons.”

“I use a third person that knows how to navigate. At least up until I know how to REALLY work a compass with a map. I have problems remembering the map symbols (what's a ridge, etc...)

I do have a gps, but still did not figure it out yet. I know I'll have to buy the book.”

“Microwave radation.


8)

Space is full of it.”

“I follow Sarabelle.”

“Actually, I once had to follow Claudell home.

We had spent the afternoon walking and walking through the woods. Darkness fell, and I was *kinda* sure where we were, but had no idea which way was homeward...
Okay, I was totally turned around.

It occured to me to command Claudell to "go home!". He was tired and hungry, so it was almost like cheating.

He turned toward home, and away we went...”

“I just use a map mostly, occasionally a compass. I carry a gps, just to get a fix if I need to, (I've had a nasty fog come down before) - but I've not really ever had to use it.”

“that I would see this thread today. When I got home from the Carson Crest on Sunday, what to my wondering eyes would appear but a Garmin Rino, that GPS with a radio, on my coffee table. My wife picked it up for me while I was out playing. I normally just navigate with a compass and map, more map than compass. When I'm hiking in the Carson Range and North Sierra, I don't need either because the terrain features are so indicative of where I am heading, if I'm walking uphill it is west, downhill is east, sun on my back is north, sun in my eyes is south.
I can't wait to check out the GPS though, gadgets are cool!!”

“Map.
Compass and map if walking crosscountry.

I have a GPS that I was given 5-6 years ago, but I've only used it while fishing Tennessee Reef, FL Keys. Even though the reef is within view of two sea bouy towers and a huge building at a marina - which allows getting fixes with the chart and triangluation, or whatever - it's still cool to use it to find certain features amongst the reef.”

“I usually just follow the blazes painted on the trees.”

“I'm with Violin. I haven't backpacked enough to get off trails, although I've had a few intersections stump me for about 30 seconds of poring over the map. I have a GPS and put the trailhead in it as a just in case, but other than that I just check elevation with it.”

“Follow the person in front of me.”

“Once I used a pair of dice.

On a weekend trip I started at my truck by throwing 2 die. Each number = 30 degrees, i.e. a four means hike 120 degrees, 11 = 330 degrees, etc. Every two hours I tossed the dice again for my new direction (with a 'no reverse course' rule).

Just by chance by Monday afternoon I was only about two miles from my truck. I could have been hours away but lucked out.”

“Sometimes I tie a blindfold over my eyes, untie my boot laces.”

“but other than that I just check elevation with it."
~StickmanWalking

According to my GPS, Tennessee Reef is 80' above sea level - LOL!”

“Map, Sun, compass, watch, blazes.

Or map, log, compass, watch, sextant and tables.

I use the map to sort of 'know' where I am. I check often with trail features, sharp changes in direction and with physical features, peaks, lakes, streams.

Sun as a sort of compass and know my general heading. Am I going round in circles or major change in direction.

Compass to take bearings to identify big objects, which peak/lake is that? Also used when visibility is limited to determine which direction to go.

Watch to tell where I am on the trail. I have been walking x hours so I should be here.

I like to know where on the map I am so when weather goes bad the compass is some use. The watch also tells me how far in hours I am from wherever which is a lot more important than miles.

The "Or" stuff is for ocean sailing, I have done a fair bit of navigating at sea on small yachts, just love 'selected stars'.”

“In the early years I didn't use nothing but as I ventured farther away I started using a map and compass. I continued using a map and compass for years. I took up horse back riding and started riding through the mountains around northern Al. On horseback I didn't follow the map very closely. I soon learned that If I just let Dixie ( my horse ) go where she wanted, she would make a bee line for the trailer. It didn't matter where we were she always knew the quickest route back to the trailer. This got me thinking about a gps. I paid $485 for one back then. Now I was at least as smart as my horse. After I used it for a while I realized how handy it was. I have had 3 since then and paid a lot less for a lot better units. I mark locations for my grandkids (I don't have any yet) to return to some day and see and experiance some of the places I have been lucky enough to see.

BAMA”

“"but other than that I just check elevation with it."
~StickmanWalking

According to my GPS, Tennessee Reef is 80' above sea level - LOL!"
gojo
11:55:35 AM
05/19/03

Well that definitely instills confidence in a product!! I was wondering when Kentucky gained a 14er!”

“Map and compass and was fiddling with my buddy's GOS for a while.

Some friends got my wife and I a Gecko Garmin GPS for our wedding. The thing weighs only 3 ozs! Be good for getting lost in South America. The compasses are backwards down there!”