What are your views on bushwalkers using GPS?

[walkinTas]

Your compass always work (unless ....

Maps and compasses are technology too, and they can also go wrong. (have been ever since they were invented) Ever lost your bearings? Ever been trying to read a compass near a large Iron ore deposit? Spilled fanta on your map?

A book is a great way to take a story with you when you go walking, or you could take a kindle, but the battery might go flat, or it might get wet, or you might not know how to use it properly. Thing is, neither of them are any good to you if you can't read.

A map and a compass are only useful if you know how to use them to navigate. A GPS is only useful if you know how to use it to navigate. (ie. you know how to read them) It's a poor tradesman that blames his tools!

If I blind-folded you, took you for a ride in a helicopter and dropped you into the middle of unfamiliar bush, with a compass, a map and a GPS? No track saved on your GPS! No back-track to follow out? Could you take the blind-fold off and use the tools to determine where you were? Could you find your way out? Which tools would you use?

Spilled fanta on your map?

Seriously! You take dehydrated fanta, right?

[Nuts]

The last couple of walks, iphone and printed tasmap A4s with a coordinate on each axis. My camera has a gps as well.. I guess iv'e always based navigation around studying maps beforehand and getting a feel for where i'm heading, only resorting to checking when unsure. Can't say i care much for the stupid, dumb, darwinist comments here. Iv'e met old timers who rarely needed more than their eyes.

Last edited by Nuts on Wed 25 Apr, 2012 12:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

[photohiker]

Many people generally consider a GPS to be a safety device. This is not the case. Instead of pushing risk further away, an otherwise unable person feels the additional tool of the GPS makes them safer and goes unprepared into a potentially dangerous situation. The GPS brings unprepared people closer to danger rather than pushing danger further away.

A GPS may tell you where you are, but that is useless unless you know where that is relative to everything else.

It is true that maps and compasses are also tools, but to follow that analogy, a bobcat operator probably knows how to use a shovel, but a simply shovelman will likely create more danger should he attempt to use a bobcat. In order to use a tool, one must have a certain qualification, and that qualification ought contain an awareness of the principals if the task as well as the tool's operation.

I was with you until the bobcat and the shovel...

The point is that you need to know and understand the tool to be useful with it. Same goes for Map, Compass, GPS. If you have and understand all three, then you are probably better off than someone who relies on just one...

And, Nuts is right. Local knowledge tumps all of these devices.

YMMV, go with whatever you're happy with and be happy. Does it really matter if the next person on the track is comfortable using a different tool to you?

[walkinTas]

If I blind-folded you, took you for a ride in a helicopter and dropped you into the middle of unfamiliar bush, with a compass, a map and a GPS? No track saved on your GPS! No back-track to follow out? Could you take the blind-fold off and use the tools to determine where you were? Could you find your way out? Which tools would you use?

The point is that you need to know and understand the tool ...

The point entirely!

Same goes for Map, Compass, GPS. If you have and understand all three, then you are probably better off than someone who relies on just one...

....or someone who can't use any of them properly?

[corvus]

Hands up those who can determine North by Sun(even in cloud) or Stars or even approximately by growth on trees and rocks in some instances
corvus.

[walkinTas]

@corvus, I hear what you are saying...

Firstly, the walker needs to know where s/he is standing - "current location". If one walked there, then one should have a rough idea. Especially if one is paying attention and checking frequently. If one has a map and compass one should be able to confirm the "location" - i.e. the geology of the land matches whats on the map. With a GPS and a map (or a GPS with on-board maps) it is possible to know the "exactly" location (yes, +or- 10m, exact enough), and the map and compass should confirm it.

Secondly, the walker needs to know where s/he should be - "destination" relative to current location. The bit in between is called navigation. Sun, stars, trees, rocks, compass, maps, gps, intuition, local knowledge.... what ever works for the individual.

If you know where you are, then you are not lost. Simple really! If you know you are not exactly where you hoped to be, you might call that "momentarily geographically embarrassed" or more generously an "off track detour", but while you know where you should be and how to get there, then you can call it "heading in the right direction".

On the other hand, if the walker doesn't know where s/he is - as in, can't point to the right spot on a map - can't recognize any of the landmarks - hasn't any idea better than "I think that's the track, isn't it?" - then any choices made about directions are at best guess work.

Another way of putting all that! It is not good to go bushwalking, especially not walking alone, if ...the only idea you have about "direction" is to follow the track ...the best you can do with your GPS is tell if you are "on the track" ...all the map does is name the obvious landmarks along the track ...all you can do with your compass is work out where north is.

[Ent]

Thanks to the wonderful staff at the Launceston museum I can tell where South is at night using our famous star system. With a watch and sun out have a reasonable approximation of North. But honestly with overcast skies not so easy, I would imagine that even in cloud a shadow would be cast and moss less likely to grow on the sunny side of trees but for using this practically not so sure of?

Track following is one skill I marvel at. What is a blaze and what is not? What are natural rocks and what is a cairn? Getting better at it but far from the level of others. Also struck the issue of red/green colour deficiency on the weekend. Easier to spot red markers when flat walking but when countless tree roots conspiring to bring you down not so easy. I never could grasp why older people could not see things on maps clearly but now I am nearer fifty I understand! Bit like people not understanding colour blindness.

Also good chance to trackback using a GPS. Interesting to compare the plots and where the GPS went tropo. Actually the 62S at is worse would be within fifty metres of true position. As for maps and contour lines I love my GPS plot on the WAs where we took a wrong turn. The Basecamp suggests that had we gone say forty more metres then we would not have needed to back track. Um? from been there that looked like at least fifty metres straight down then up. The contour lines did not appear as dramatic on the computer screen as in real life.

One bloke at the LWC was magical. He took a GPS position found himself on the map and never bothered to look again yet was as good as ten metres accurate. He tracked by calculating how many metres and at what angle to the grid lines he moved. Still all this precision meant nothing unless he knew where the track started. No doubt local knowledge is king but you do not always have the privilege of someone in your group been there before. Gradually seeing the importance of track notes as well. It was great on the Reynolds Fall walk to know where the potential campsites were.

I stand in amazement at the old navigators and sea captains. Also fascinating reading of Mark Twain experience as a river navigator and the reason behind his pen name. But then they lived in a time when home some time in April or May was good enough. What drives most people is a level of precision to be back for Sunday tea.

Having worked first in a company full of old bushies most admitted to been lost and most made the obvious statement that they got home eventually but not necessarily the same day that they had planned. Most of us have time constraints that means walks have to end at a certain time so navigation and walking times have become rather critical. Bit like walks are now planned far in advance of weather forecasts.

Cheers

[colinm]

I had some fun recently - wilderness, never been in that bit before, doing a daypack excursion. Knew the GPS batteries were low. Had the fresh replacements in the daypack. Swapped 'em over at lunchtime - oops, the replacements were utterly flat. This was an out-and-back, so no drama, and the second set of spare batteries were good (but were back at base camp.)

I suffered the sanctimonious 'yeah, yeah, see, this is why GPS is inherently bad.' My response was, well ... I know where the second set of spares are, and can get back to them ... and we have enough to spend the night on the track, right? Right?

Turns out none of my companions had thought to bring a tarp, or string, or matches, or (most importantly) a head torch.

So this brought it home to me: GPS rely on batteries. So do head torches. Is this a good reason not to use head torches? What's the alternative? We make a bear grylls style wooden torch? How do we light it? Lighter? Matches? Flint? Chert+Steel? Two bits of wood and friction?

In my opinion: carry head torch + spares, and lighter, and matches, and flint.

Similarly, for navigation: GPS + spares (+ spares of spares), and map and compass and keep your eyes open.

Why artificially limit yourself? By all means, use every available technology, plan for the worst, hope for the best.

[Moel Hebog]

Personally I view GPS as another tool to aid navigation alongside map & compass and altimeters. When I did my UK Mountain Leader training course and assessment all navigation was by map (OS 1:50000) and compass. Those who had altimeters on watches were allowed to use them but were docked points if their nav was off by more than 10m. This was a big error if you were looking for a ring contour. Later when qualified and leading groups I would plot out the day's route (including escape routes) using a map and roamer before manually put the route into the GPS. If there was an emergency and I had to split the group to go for help/RV with Mountain Rescue, the GPS would be used to confirm the location of the casualty and logged as a waypoint. I would then send a minimum of 2 persons with the GPS to go to RV with MR who would them be able to give the grid to the Rescue Heli and the ground party. In such a situation GPS is invaluable, PLB's etc aren't available in the UK.

My personal opinion is that anyone who wants to explore the great outdoors has a responsibility to themselves and others to ensure that they have the the skills to enjoy the experience safely. Skills = knowing how to use a map & compass, locate N using the sun and stars etc.