Do you carry a map & compass?

[walkinTas]

I am curious! When you go bushwalking do you carry a map & compass, or just maps, or just a compass, or do you navigate some other ways an so take neither. No one can tell who answers which ways so pick the one that suits you best.

This is a separate question from the "navigate with a GPS" question. You might like to respond there as well.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Always carry both.

thankfully I have not had to use my compass once yet though....

[corvus]

Like ILSWT I carry both (digital compass on Protrek Watch) and paper map and rarely used now ,thick mist/fog excepted.

corvus

[ILUVSWTAS]

How do you find the digital compass Corvus?? I have one on my GPS, it seems accurate, but I find it hard to trust it.

[north-north-west]

'A' map? How can one be enough? For some walks I've had as many as ten in my pack. Can never have enough maps - if all else fails, they give you something to pore over when you're weathered in . . .

Last edited by north-north-west on Sun 10 Apr, 2011 8:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[corvus]

How do you find the digital compass Corvus?? I have one on my GPS, it seems accurate, but I find it hard to trust it.

Have done the comparison with my Digital and conventional Silva and Lensatic and it reads 350 degrees N (which is within the margin for error if it is not exactly horizontal ) as opposed to 360 degrees so I am happy with that .
Not checked it with the GPS but I am a bit of a Luddite with that ,correction total Luddite

c

[Lindsay]

Depends on the walk. Day walks I carry a map but no compass. Longer walks I carry both. Never actually needed the compass yet, but when you do'nt have it you'll surely need it.

[tasadam]

Always carry both.

thankfully I have not had to use my compass once yet though....

Of curiosity, why "thankful"?

[Clownfish]

I carry a map and compass pretty religiously, even for day walks.

The only exceptions are short, very basic, tourist type routes like Dove Lake or Liffey Falls.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Always carry both.

thankfully I have not had to use my compass once yet though....

Of curiosity, why "thankful"?

Because although I do know how to use one, They are fiddily and annoying.

[Son of a Beach]

I always carry both. I generally don't need either, but I love looking at maps, and I always want to be prepared in case I decide to go off track, or do something different to originally planned (or indeed in case I lose my way).

I've only very recently started using a GPS for the first time (and being on my phone, its battery is unreliable). I've used the map and compass a few times. The first time was when we were doing the Reedy Lake track to Lees Paddocks the first time. The turn-off from the Arm River Track was almost invisible at that time, and we completely missed it. So we decided to go cross country and meet up with it. We navigated our way to Reedy Lake (being the most obvious nearby feature on the map near the track), and were relieved that our first attempt at off-track navigation worked well.

I've since used the map and compass several times deliberately to explore areas and navigate my way around a few trackless areas, just for fun and for practice. So it's mostly in areas with easy walking, and enough views to be able to navigate by. I quite enjoy doing this now.

Since getting a mapping GPS (on my phone) more recently, I now use a combination of both, but try to use the GPS only to confirm that I am indeed where I think I am. Most of the time I'm right, but occasionally I have found that I've misjudged location or direction. So it's good for me to keep practicing!

[doogs]

I always carry both. when I started walking it was the era just prior to the GPS becoming widely available. I have had to count steps in white out conditions on a bearing, and got to where I needed to go, rather than over a cliff. I am someone who doesn't totally hold trust in technology and it would be just my luck that my GPS wouldnt work on the first day I didnt take my compass. I cant do without maps as my GPS is a basic model without mapping, and on a cold wet and windy day like today there is nothing better than unfolding a map to check out future trips.

[stepbystep]

Always have a compass, sometimes on daywalks don't worry about a map if a companion has one, but always take multiple maps on overnighters - I think all bushwalkers like pouring over maps, I'm tempted to remove the maps from my work computer, think I lose an hour a day with the damn things...

[walkinTas]

Carrying a compass is very popular! I must admit I don't always take the compass. I will print maps for most trips, especially overnight trips and I always pack the GPS (just incase I get lost).

[Nick S]

Only time I've got the compass out was on cathedral plateau. Camped near the cliffs with an awesome view but woke up in thick cloud. Was walking back the way we came (or so we thought) but didn't recognise any of the route, so we finally pulled out the compass and realised we were about 30deg off.
Would've found out soon enough as we were headed toward more cliffs but it was good fun to use.