Is GPS ruining our ability to navigate for ourselves?

[Todd T]

Why waste your brain on dumb navigation? Instead enjoy the scenery

I find this to be the exact opposite of the truth.  GPSers are more likely to walk around with their heads down.  GPS navigation gives you the rat’s-eye view of the maze.

[Jeff McWilliams]

I find this to be the exact opposite of the truth. GPSers are more likely to walk around with their heads down. GPS navigation gives you the rat’s-eye view of the maze.

Seems like a broad generalization and not always true.

When I hike with both a paper map and a mapping app (e.g. Gaia GPS), I’ll make a guess of where I’m at on the map and then verify it with Gaia, and then put the phone away again.  With a few exceptions:  section hiking the JMT with all of Wenck’s waypoints for known campsites loaded, I would look at the phone more often to see how close to a CS I am, did I overshoot, etc.   If I reached one that was already occupied, then bring up Gaia again to see how close to the next one, pull up its description, etc.

The only time I have ever had my head truly buried in the GPS was when GeoCaching, where you’re completely tied to finding the hidden cache by GPS.

On the other hand, I’ve had my head buried in a paper map (& compass) plenty during Orienteering meets.  Controls are often purposely placed in confusing areas on our courses, so that being even slightly off bearing could take one up the wrong gully of three gullies running in parallel, or to the wrong shallow depression.

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