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What do you use for navigation?
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Home › Forums › General Forums › General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion › What do you use for navigation?
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Mar 1, 2009 at 10:40 am #1234441
Just currious what other people use to navigate?
I use a Brunton 8096-AR compass and a Garmin 60GSX GPS.
Mar 1, 2009 at 12:58 pm #1481760USGS topo map and suunto baseplate compass, can't remember the model…
Mar 1, 2009 at 1:26 pm #1481765I use a topo map, the compass and the altimeter on my Suunto Vector wrist computer.
Mar 1, 2009 at 2:30 pm #1481778Generally I carry a Silva Ranger 27, a very compact sighting compass which conveniently doubles up as a mirror.
Mar 1, 2009 at 2:50 pm #1481784Suunto A-10 compass.
$12, 1 oz., all I could ever need.Mar 1, 2009 at 3:43 pm #1481788Silva 2 Explorer and topo map of area.
Never did like GPS units.
cheers
Mar 1, 2009 at 4:11 pm #1481797Suunto GPS Plotter Compass. Has a UTM scale for my Garmin eTrex H. Also, the scale makes nice arrows which make it easier to sight the bearing, and the global needle allows me to tilt the compass up enough to read the bearing while quasi-sighting.
Mar 1, 2009 at 5:02 pm #1481809I carry a Garmin 60csx, full colour screen and top maps.
This isnt the lightest thing to be carrying but I really enjoy the calculations it provides (altitude, kms/h, distance travelled to name a few).
Perhaps the main reason I take this out with me is so that I can download the waypoints and load into Google maps. It's great to be able to see where I have been and to be able to share with others.
Also take a photo-copy from a map of the area…just incase technology fails me.
CheersMar 1, 2009 at 11:02 pm #1481869Suunto MC-2 and USGS Topo maps. I've got a Garmin etrex Venture HC, but have never used it. Probably won't either.
Mar 1, 2009 at 11:59 pm #1481876…
Mar 2, 2009 at 12:07 am #1481878i almost always have a map, and almost always it's a topo
i've usually carried a compass along, but i don't think i've ever actually used one to navigate – always just used a map along with visible landforms for navigation, even when going off trail
Mar 2, 2009 at 5:55 am #1481890I'm carrying an old Silva Boy Scout compass that I've had for almost 30 years. That and a topo map and I'm good. Recently, I've been playing with a Magellan Triton GPS. It's a fun toy, but my compass doesn't need batteries.
Mar 2, 2009 at 7:21 am #1481906I use a 7.5 minute topo map. If I need the compass or GPS I am aready lost.
Mar 2, 2009 at 9:38 am #1481959If I have a trail I use it. If not the sun moon and stars. When I am in completely unknown areas I might bring a map but usually not. I dont recall ever using a compass. I dont like to be rushed so I dont set too many expectations of where I want to go. I just let my body do what it feels like. Since I usually dont know where I am I never feel lost. Ali
Mar 2, 2009 at 12:18 pm #1482002Ali, the body navigator ; )
Mar 2, 2009 at 7:08 pm #1482135Garmin Vista C with topo map and UTM coords., and a paper topo map (with UTM grid). Sometimes I bring a UTM grid tool for more precision (like "Where's that darn water spring anyway?"). I also bring a Brunton 26 (small sighting compass) primarily for its mirror, and an itsy-bitsy Montbell compass/zipper pull on my lanyard.
But it's not really navigation; I could probably navigate without any of the above, since I stay mostly on-trail. However, and as others have pointed out, I enjoy the geographic snapshots I take, to know exactly where–and when–I was at any point on the trail, and to record special waypoints for future reference. Further post-processing of the GPS data meets all my mental masturbahtion needs: average rate, time/distance between points A, B, C, D…, and even break times.
I'm a bit dismayed that the latest GPS units are simply heavier and larger (OK, larger screens are good), which have delayed any thoughts of upgrading.
Mar 2, 2009 at 7:49 pm #1482156I wish I was technologically savy enough to post my trips on to google maps using my garmin 60gsx. I tried to do it before, but alas, I failed…
Mar 4, 2009 at 11:21 am #1482677I use a map and my Suunto M-2D. I'd love a GPS, but there are too many other things to buy first and I'm not ready to go cross-country yet anyways. So really, I navigate by following the trail.
Mar 4, 2009 at 11:41 am #1482683If you're practiced with your map and compass you should have no trouble going cross country. GPS is not required.
Mar 4, 2009 at 8:48 pm #1482885I have no problem navigating with a map and compass, however, I do like bringing my GPS as well. Not only is it helpful for obtaining your coordinates and location quickly (which you can cross referance to your map), but on a more entertainment note, it makes it easy to record your hikes. I use it to save the hikes I've done so I can come back to them in the future (especially if its an "off trail" track.) If I really needed to, I'm about 99% positive I could successfully navigate myself through the wilderness using nothing but a safety pin, a leaf, and a little bit of water… But that's just plain inconvenient.. ;-)
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