GPS

[Screerider]

Magellan used to be a popular brand as well. I have an older Garmin which has been good but I don't have any brand loyalty. I've seen the Magellan at Costco in the past for a good price. I would go with whichever one has the best current software.

edit: Looks like Garmin has the better reviews. I'd get another e-trex.

[Screerider]

http://inreachdelorme.com/product-info/inreachse.php

From LOL to SOS and every message in between, DeLorme inReach SE makes any adventure better. With inReach SE, you can both send and receive text messages at the ends of the earth and everywhere in between with the handy color screen and virtual keyboard. When you're off the grid and out of cell phone range, you can quickly and easily share your journey with family and friends, let them ping and message you, and always receive a delivery confirmation that your message was sent -- all thanks to the Iridium satellite network with 100% global coverage. And in the event of an emergency, you can trigger an SOS, receive delivery confirmation, and then have an two-way text conversation with the search and rescue monitoring center until help arrives.

[Florian]

That inReach device looks pretty cool. Maybe i'm glad i've held off purchasing a Spot or PLB all these years.

-Florian

[Screerider]

Here's a good thread on the InReach.


http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... d_id=75378

[Screerider]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCp-JSVSNZM#t=150

[Hikin_Jim]

Interesting introductory article on Navigation by Andrew Skurka. I notice that a GPS is not part of his list of gear needed by a good navigator. It'll be interesting to read what he has to say as the series unfolds.

HJ

[climbant]

Skurka has been against GPS for awhile. He's put in his blogs all you really need is a map and sometimes a compass. He didn't seem to mean only sometimes use a compass, rather you don't always have to use it. I still like the simple GPS to supplement map and compass. Maybe if I was in the woods as often as Skurka is, I would think differently.

[Hikin_Jim]

Is he actually against GPS? I'm not against GPS per se although I am against the myopia that it can foster. A 1" x 1" screen is not a good way for a serious navigator to view his or her surroundings. In my opinion, it's really important to keep the big picture in mind when doing back country nav, particularly off trail.

I'd like to get a GPS primarily to:
-Document my trips
-Communicate locations accurately to others
-Calculate mileages

A GPS would also be handy in a white out or if one were in a hurry. Doing nav by hand does take time and effort. The reward is a better knowledge of the big picture of your surroundings and freedom from the dependency on an electronic device.

HJ

[Myth]

+1 on the big picture. A 1" x 1" screen is not very useful for serious navigating.

I use my GPS almost exactly like you would like do. I love having the GPS track to look at afterwards, and I like taking way points of interesting things.

When off the beaten track, I use a map and compass to set course. I want to know what the topo lines are doing up ahead, and on that little screen, I can't tell. Zooming in and out only helps so much.

I also find a GPS useful on the return leg of a trip - either making sure I take a different route if I'm out scouting for interesting things and I want to maximize coverage, or to determine how much longer until I'm back at the trailhead.

[climbant]

Jim, I don't know if he sees as punishable by death, but reading through his blogs he seems to really not like them. I carry a GPS for the reasons you list and to get a UTM to supplement map and compass. It's funny that I made a nav mistake this morning hiking out to Carey's Castle in JT, a hike I have never done before. Usually I would pre plan an off trail hike with a map making notes on where to go, geographical features, bearings, etc. This time I made waypoints and imported them into my GPS. So as I'm hiking I come to a fork where I'm sure I need to go right, but glancing at my GPS the waypoint was further up the left fork. OK maybe I'm getting the forks messed up, continue on. Go maybe a 100 meters and realize I'm definitely not in the right canyon. Take out map, compass, and UTM ruler and do a check and yup I screwed up. I almost made the double mistake of not trusting the map but slapped myself back to reality. Back track to the other canyon and off I go. This was a human error based on me screwing up a waypoint, but the map was right so I got on the right canyon easily. Had I not had the paper map my day would have been much longer.