What are the benefits of a GPS while camping?

Question

I have never used a GPS device when I go camping. I have only navigated with a map and compass but I think a GPS might be fun to have. In the woods it seems one of these devices would be handy to fine tune my bearings when I can't see any noteworthy landmarks. Do they even work under a forest canopy? Are they worth their weight? I will always carry a good topo map and compass I just want to know if a GPS device would be a good piece of gear to add to my kit.

Answer 1

they are great for navigating, especially when there are no landmarks in sight, they'll usually work under forest cover, but not inside a building or other solid mass.

Answer 2

A GPS is a convenient device. There's many models that work well under tree cover and in canyons. You can get a decent unit such as the Garmin 60Cx that's small, lightweight, reasonably waterproof/durable and runs off standard AA batteries for over a day, for under $200. I personally wouldn't go into unknown terrain without one.



A GPS is good for tracking your progress, maintaining a breadcrumb trail to your origin, getting a position fix where there's no discernible landmarks, and finding the nearest "civilization." You can also use it as your primary navigation tool, but I recommend against it because map and compass navigation is an important skill. It can also make for additional fun by using it to Geocache. And if you do get lost or injured but have cell phone service, it can help rescue teams find you more quickly and accurately.



That said, there are three rules to planning for back country trips: Redundancy, Redundancy and Redundancy. As others have and will probably warn, a GPS is an electronic device and is subject to failure, and the more stressful the situation, the more likely it seems it will fail. Batteries can run-out, it can be dropped and broken, or might just stop working for no reason. And unless you get a very expensive model or buy/find and install more detailed maps, a GPS will not provide all the terrain features you have on a good 24K topo map.



Since you already know how to use a map and compass, adding a GPS can be a handy and fun addition. Just don't leave the compass and maps behind. I always carry two compasses (a type 15 and a small, wristband compass), two sets of maps (topo plus a copy of the topo with my planned route highlighted with notes), along with the GPS, and will switch back-and-forth to make sure I keep my map navigation skills from getting rusty.



So there are some worthwhile benefits to carrying a GPS while camping, but not to the exclusion of a map and compass.

Answer 3

I do a lot of cross country trips and have always used a map and compass. For the past few years I have been carrying a GPS as a second opinion. I wouldn't want to rely on it exclusively, I have had them give false readings for a variety of reasons. One reason is errors in the maps used to create the mapping software. Sometimes a glitch makes the unit lose calibration, I've seen readings vary by as much as two miles. On a trip last year with 4 different GPS units in the group they all gave slightly different readings, at some points the differences could have been critical.



They are nice for the return trip, make it very easy to retrace your steps and save a lot of head scratching. I have never had a problem locking onto the the required number of satellites to get an accurate reading even in the thickest of forest.



More than 35 years backpacking experience, over a 1,000 nights in the back country.

Answer 4

there are pros and cons with those:

PRO: they really help your way around the forest areas or when you need to get from point A to B. usually the more detail or quality of the GPS, the better. what it does it places way points along the way,for example: lets say your at your campsite, you will mark it point A then you hike to the nearest lake, you then mark it Point B. when you return to your camp, the numbers of the coordinates will start to go down.....aiming to all zeros. ex. campsite 00-00..lake 20-04, the number will go 19-03..19-02..19-01, and so on and so on, until you reach your destination.



CONS: usually some rely heavily on satilletes in the area, so if you lose signal, you may have to wait to get a better reception or satillete. also,if your areas a slopes downward, the small natural humps might block of signals coming from attennas.

battery life varies from usage.



*quick tip......you get what you pay for!*

Answer 5

I carry a GPS unit with me on all my outdoor trips but I seldom use it for navigation. I use it to mark places I find that I want to later tell others about.



I write blog entry for most of my outdoor trips to let others know where I went, how to get there, and what points of interest I found. The coordinates from the GPS help me accurately mark map images that I post on my blog.

Answer 6

The GPS is a good idea when you're going to a place where you're unfamiliar with. Also you should get a backroad map book, and this usually has GPS coordinates in it, and allows you to do camping, as well as hiking in the areas that you're wanting to camp in.

Answer 7

l pretty much just mark the parking lot on the GPS do I can always find it no matter where I am. of course I also carry a map and compass but its good to have to mark water holes, swimming holes or great view points.

Answer 8

Think there an excellent devise as long as you know how to use it - know it would be very handy in prospecting in the desert here in S. CA & AZ.

Answer 9

honestly I wouldn't bother its just extra weight you have to lug around.