a gps and or compass

I've got a Garmin Explorer + Inreach with a built in basic GPS and I have a Silva pocket compass on me at all times.

I use the compass all the time and keep the Inreach in my pack for emergencies and to send text messages home to report in daily that I'm okay. Never used the GPs function yet.
 
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Canada Topo app for iPhone. Completely free and no ads. Download all the maps before hand and you can use them all including your GPS without cell service.

I keep a compass in the truck for anything off the beaten track. I'm certainly no expert with it, but I'll take a quick bearing of the road direction before I head in and set the dial to it because I'll probably forget that number. I should refresh on it for sure.
 
Short answer: BOTH.

Longer answer: I usually have: garmin watch (GPS and Compass,) inReach (GPS and compass,) Suunto MC2 compass in a pocket, a button compass on a lanyard, and an iPhone (GPS, maps, compass.)

If it's a new area or the navigation is somehow really complicated I'll carry paper maps and a dedicated mapping GPS unit in addition to the usual. I'm usually in areas where there is an obvious baseline to navigate to and from - like a river, major trail, mountain range so navigation is never really tricky. I never rely on my phone if navigation is critical or possibly lifesaving.
 
always have a compass, Suunto.

I also carry my cell phone, but that can be hit and miss for mapping.

I have a 2 little old Garmin e-trexs in my hunting bag that every year get fresh batteries, it's not much the internal maps have not been updated in over a decade, as I can't find the cord and if I did those cords were 9 pin connectors and everything is now USB so not compatible. I have a few waypoints saved on them of areas that I hunted, but not much from the new areas that I am exploring, just the map in my head and google earth when it works.

before I start tracking game in the woods I make a note of where things are and which way I would need to go to get back to someplace where I can get back to the truck or quad.
 
I have not hunted much (just started this year) but I've done a lot of wilderness camping and fishing on the Great lakes. I use both a GPS and compass, along with iPhone maps as a luxury. Before getting a GPS I relied on my compass but got "lost" on Lake Erie once while fishing out of sight of land for a few hours. While coming back to shore, we ran out of gas on the main outboard (long story) and had to limp in on the 9.9 hp kicker. By the time we got to shore it was after 11 pm and the lake was rough and we had no idea where port was - even though we had followed the correct compass bearing. The problem was that we had no idea how far we had drifted east-west and it was a bit nerve-wracking trying to find a safe place to beach with big waves and potential rocks. I ordered a GPS the next day. This was 20 years ago and I usually have a Garmin ETrex handheld along with a spare GPS just in case. It's bailed me out many times when snowmobiling.
 
sgt.rock said:
I had a scary encounter with my hunting buddy this fall and I promptly bought a gps when I got home. I got lost in the woods trying to track a wounded moose. It was one of those situations where I only thought I'd have to go 50m so I took NOTHING with me but the rifle and my phone. I kept getting a little further (following bloods drops on red/orange deadfall leaves. ) I got pretty far before the blood disappeared. Then suddenly, I couldn't find the previous blood drops to go back because the bright red blood turned blackish, the light dimmed in the HEAVY cover, and to top it off we got charged by the bull moose which made us run in different directions. (He came crashing out of nowhere, knocking down everything in front of him, scared the holy crap out of me. He almost gored me as I dove over a big fallen tree)
Anyhow, I had no water, food, matches, flashlight, asthma inhaler or ANYTHING. My coat was still back in the truck as I thought the moose was gonna be super easy to retrieve. My phone only had 25% power so using it as a light source was not gonna work. The built-in compass in my phone went haywire when I tried it. (Not sure if it needed a signal to work or not, but we were in a no-coverage area.)
I was in pretty rough shape when we stumbled on a steep cliff. Darkness was about 90 mins away and with no warm clothes, food, water, light, fire, or really anything, it was seeming our luck was running out.
The moose that charged us was still nearby, so I said we have to stop going in circles, pick a direction and just go. We got to a nearly sheer cliff and I said we either climb down or just give up. We chose to climb down. When we got to the bottom, our luck began. I found a dried up riverbed and started walking up the stream. About 20 mins before dark, I saw a big culvert. Climbed up and found the road. It was quite a deserted area. No truck traffic. We walked about 5km along the road before we came to our truck.
I am not joking. Dont cheap out. Get a good GPS. My cheapness literally almost cost me my life. A man died there this spring after getting lost in the same weather conditions.
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This is great reminder of why making a small survival kit that you always carry is so important
It needs to be small/light enough that you are comfortable ALWAYS taking it

If it becomes a everything pack you will just leave it behind. I'm struggling to figure out what i need and what to store it in
 
I never rely on GPS or anything electronic. Just like in the movies,they fail when you need them the most like it's a rule. I carry two compasses,one as a backup in case I happen to lose one. I learned my lesson as a young teen ice fishing on Quinte. We walked out almost a mile from shore, popped holes and got comfortable until late afternoon when a snow storm moved in. Unable to see which way was north to go back to the vehicles,if it hadn't have been from a tiny cereal box compass I got as a little kid that I'd tossed in the bottom of my pack,no telling how long it would have taken us to get back.....if we even got back,at all.
 
I was looking at getting a compass .and some books about orienteering. what do you recommend?
 
I always, always carry a GPS and a compass when I head into the woods. I always carry survival equipment as well. Fire starter stuff, at least 3 different sources, first aid stuff, emergency blanket, extra food and water, etc. Every hunting or hiking backpack I have is preloaded with the basics so I can't forget something no matter what pack I decide to go with that day.
 
Trimmer 905 said:
I never rely on GPS or anything electronic. Just like in the movies,they fail when you need them the most like it's a rule. I carry two compasses,one as a backup in case I happen to lose one. I learned my lesson as a young teen ice fishing on Quinte. We walked out almost a mile from shore, popped holes and got comfortable until late afternoon when a snow storm moved in. Unable to see which way was north to go back to the vehicles,if it hadn't have been from a tiny cereal box compass I got as a little kid that I'd tossed in the bottom of my pack,no telling how long it would have taken us to get back.....if we even got back,at all.
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Yes. I have one in my pocket and a spare in my daypack.
 
Map of the area in a protected bag or laminated.

A good magnetic declination adjustable compass.

A spare compass...you're either prepared or you're not.

Know how to use them. Trust your tools.


GPS is for confirmation only when navigating.
 
rar said:
I was looking at getting a compass .and some books about orienteering. what do you recommend?
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Compass: Suunto MC-2. or any similar quality compass with a mirror.
Book: Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (any edition, but the newer eds. will have more info on GPS.)

protip: check out some books from the library first before deciding to drop $$$ on a good reference that you'll have for a long time.
 
Maps.me is a good one. It can be used in the off line mode. Worth checking out. I use it all the time.

For back up, good ol’ magnetic compass and a topo map.
 
After some time, batteries will go dead. A compass and a map only require a source of light. Also, I had an episode where a friend and I went out trail riding in the forrest, and his gps ceased to get signal. We had to use common sense and the position of the sun to help us get back to the starting point. Unfortunately we were delayed by meeting up with a river we couldn't cross.
 
We did get lost on a mountain side when I was younger. Ended up spending the night in the bush covered up by a bunch of pine boughs which I cut courtesy of the saw in my swiss army knife. Thank God it was June. It made a believer out of me.

I now always carry a Garmin GPS and backup Silva compass. I carry back up batteries which are fresh and the batteries in my FM radio are also compatible.

I find that the GPS gives me a certain situational awareness with the occasional check so I've always got a pretty good idea of where I'm at in relation to the truck or main road, so if it somehow became inoperable I could still take a decent reverse heading with the compass and get back.

I also always take the time to waypoint the truck or starting point before setting out, something I think many folks forget to do.
 
I use my wits and powers of observation in the bush. If that's not enough, I also always carry a compass and use that. Have never relied on a GPS to get around, but do agree that they're very useful. They also dull your attention and diminish your experience in the bush. Way too many hunters spend way too much time consulting their GPS ( or phone) instead of paying attention to everything around them. They miss a lot of what's going on. BUT a GPS is a wonderful help to mark your vehicle to return to by the most direct route, the carcass of a critter you have to pack out later, or to communicate your exact location to a bush pilot for pick up. Used as an addition to good outdoor skills, I'm all for GPS. But people who rely on their GPS instead of developing actual skill in the bush are courting disaster when batteries fail, or some other mundane electronic problem.
 
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