Compass? GPS? Phone?

[Wapiti_Hunter]

Just wondering what everyone uses in the wilderness to "find their way." I learned from a young age to use a compass, and years later my cousin, who is a career army ranger, taught me to perfect my compass use. Since technology is pretty awesome now I have begun using my phone to assist in my guidance. There is an app on IPhones called GPS Kit. I think it cost me $20 and it does everything a GPS can do. It can drain your battery if you use it to follow you all day, but I simply mark my camp and randomly check to see where I am at. And you don't need service to use it.

What do you guys use??

 

[WapitiBob]

I use a gps. A phone won't do what I need and with the gps on all the time a phone would need a charger hooked to it constantly. Some guys like the phone though so it depends how you would use it.

 

[go_deep]

GPS, but always have the compass, because technology never fails.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

GPS and compass

 

[Slugz]

GPS....Rino Garmin

 

[JimP]

I have a fancy GPS but when it comes down to it I'll pull out the old Boy Scout compass and map to figure it out.

 

[Horsenhike]

All three. GPS is the one I keep out and use to stay off private land.

 

[bghunter]

GPS, compass, map, and phone in case of emergency.

 

[badgerbob]

I use a gps to navigate. I have OnXmaps on my phone to stay off private land, only turned on when I am approaching borders. I cruised timber for the FS early on and learned to rely on a compass and map, both will be with me and referred to from time to time just to check things out.

 

[Scotch]

I use all 3 depending on where I'm at, and what I'm doing. I generally have at least 2 of the 3 with me.

 

[kidoggy]

internal compass

 

[JimP]

internal compass

I've got a pretty good internal one but I have gotten turned around a couple of times and then my instincts have taken over and took me in the right direction.

Sometimes I even surprise myself.

 

[kidoggy]

there have been a couple occasions when the fog rolled in whenI had to take a moment and consider my options. but I have hunted the same areas for some 40+ years and know the country pretty well.

besides JIMP, your sig line says it all.lol.

 

[tim]

on my 11 day diy Alaska float hunt, gps and map combo where vital. same with extra batteries.

 

[fackelberry]

I use a GPS now. About 10 years ago i was up in the mountains and fog rolled in, could only see the bottom 4ft of all the trees so everything looked the same. Needless to say i thought i was headed the right direction, ended up walking 2.5 miles the wrong way. Luckily i hit a forest service road and some nice non-resident Colorado hunters drove me back to my truck. They were amazed at how far i walked in that rugged country. I have had a GPS for about 8 years now. Here is another story for ya. This past year i shot a huge whitetail buck 2 miles from my truck in an area you had to walk into. I caped him out and deboned all the meat and left it to cool over night. The next morning i left an hour before sunrise in the dark so i could get to him and get him packed up and out before it got hot. Well i decided to take a new route to him which involved walking a quarter mile through 10ft high willows in the dark. As you might assumed they ALL looked the same and after an hour i wasa so turned around i just stopped, pulled out the GPS and sure as hell i was going the wrong way. I even doubted the GPS, i have hunted there a bunch but never went through the willows. So i figured technology is smarter than me so i followed the directions it said to the buck. and yep it was right. So i NEVER leave home without it, kinda like the 1980s Mastercard commercial! For us that remember. HAHA!

 

[JimP]

I had a couple of friends one of whom was a pilot miss the truck completely while following the instructions on a GPS while hunting in Arizona a few years ago. They realized that they had passed the truck when they came to the paved highway that we turned off of.

I have always figured that when you need it the most any electronic will fail you, and that is why I don't just depend on one or the other and always have a compass in my pocket.

 

[Prerylyon]

All 3.

1. Standalone GPS as the primary nav.

2. Phone app, just because.

3. Compass (after the satellites get nuked)

Re #3: Do learn to use it if someone doesn't know how to. Orient to a map, mag decl, plot route, etc.

Also, learn some basic orienteering related to sun position, etc


Regards,


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

 

[fackelberry]

I wonder if one brand of GPS is more accurate than others? I think some use like 3 satelites and some 4. Seems some wont work right if they cant connect to all the satelites. Mine hasnt failed me yet, I mean it wont put me right back into my boot tracks at the truck, but it will get me close enough i can hit it if i throw a rock. I have never used a compass. Probably a good idea! I just use GPS, maps and try not to rely on my internal GPS as much.

 

[Wapiti_Hunter]

I have been thinking for years about getting a GPS, but since I have the app on my phone I have held off. I simply open the app to see where I am and turn it back off, never having it track me. What is a solid GPS that won't cost me an arm and a leg?

 

[TimberJunkie]

I carry all three. Most days I just use my phone. I have Avenza maps and I make my own maps with Arc Map and load them into my phone. Not everyone has the ability to make their own maps, so you can buy them too through the Avenza map store.

I usually use it because lots of the land I hint is checker boarded and I don't want to trespass. Onyx maps would work well too. But I would have to pay more for that. The GPS is just a backup and the compass is last resort.

If you are relying on a phone, get a good backup battery. I have a few. At least 12000mAh. That will get you about 3 recharges.

As for the receivers and how powerful and accurate they all are. I use three different kinds of GPS systems for work. A Trimble Juno, Garmin 62csx, and a Samsung phone. The phone honestly works the best, but all systems use very similar satellite receivers.

Research what you like the most and try them all.