a gps and or compass

I use my GPS these days for navigating the woods and always have a spare set of batteries with me although my Garmin etrex 30 is very easy on batteries. Having a little backup compass along as well isn't a bad idea.
 
I have been using iHunter app, lately , I have my gps on my quad ,
I never leave with out a compass around my neck , before I had a gps, I got my self lost and found my way out with a compass
I always before I start in take note of direction now so if needed I can use my compass , it never runs out of battery’s
 
Last year I got it in my head to really learn orienteering.

GPS is easy, but I didn't like feeling dependent on something that could fail so easily - dead battery, bad reception, satellites go out, etc.

Not to knock anyone who uses GPS, I just thought I feel better if I knew how to do it old school.

So I bought a good silva orienteering compass and a few books, and then I kept going out an practicing and practicing. Once I learned the basic techniques, I would head out on established trails, having sat and mapped them out the night before, and I would walk the marked trail as if I was following my own compass and map, to see if I would have ended up in the right place!

I got the hang of it, and it was a lot of fun learning.

Now I print out any map I need from the caltopo site, mark it up with my route, landmarks, bearings, etc., and then hit it with a coat of tent waterproofing spray - a quick and easy way to make regular paper good for use in the bush.

I much prefer using my compass now. Feels like i'm more involved in what i'm doing.
 
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.
 
I have both but rarely use the GPS. I carry a Suunto MC-2G, an excellent baseplate compass. Older Silva Rangers are good to if you can find one without a bubble. The quality of the new ones has dropped off substantially.

A GPS is a useful tool, but I would never rely on one as a stand-alone.
 
The GPS apps on phones are pretty great now and you don't need cell service for them to work. I also carry a backup compass and there's one on my garmin instinct watch as well.
 
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.
Click to expand...

Thats a sobering story. So easy to picture oneself in that exact scenario.
 
I use ihunter on my phone most of the time, as the satelite image is very nice to navigate with, but in any big woods where getting lost is possible usually a gps as well and never out without a compass in my pocket.
can't trust a gps or phone to not go dead when you need it the most, but a compass will always work. Had batteries die way to fast when its cold out to rely on them for the only option.
 
GPS, phone and compass. Always a compass. There is no reason to hamstring yourself when we have all sorts of tech available, but tech will fail on you at some point, and a compass weighs ounces.
 
After almost spending a night in the bush completely unprepared probably 8-10 years ago. Always flagging tape and cell phone. Going into stand on my well known trail, just tape and cell phone. If tracking game or exploring a little add gps, to the already mentioned tape and cell. I flag all blood when tracking if sparse, remove later. Gps comes in handy if you need to start doing circles around last found blood or found game and want to know closest, or easiest route to trail. If extremely remote add in compass and study gps to know waterways, trails, and roads in area just in case. I’d rather get out, then be prepared to stay a night in bush.
 
Have and learn to use both.
Batteries die or fail in the cold, and the compass and a map will assist when the gps dies.
Above story a good lesson for all, as it happens quick and unexpectedly, to those that aren't prepared.
 
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