Don't Get Lost in the Woods

[Bobson]

I'm not sure this is on topic, but I hope so. If not, I would appreciate being redirected to a different information source where I can find useful, real-world advice by people who use this stuff regularly.

I'm looking for a navigation tool - probably a GPS (?). My only experience with GPS systems is car types and those that come preloaded on iPhone and Android smartphones. I don't need a unit that will let me plan my route and all this other nonsense.

I want to be able to park my car somewhere, hike out for a two or three-day excursion in the woods, criss-crossing long-abandoned logging roads, and have the unit record my route as I go, so that if I get turned around, I don't get lost out there. I'll be bringing a USGS topo map and compass with me, and I'm already signed up for a class (at REI) on how to navigate with those tools, but I'd really like to have a reliable GPS-type unit with good reception and battery life as my primary resource for getting out.

Any suggestions? Do I really need to drop $400+ on something like this? Like I said, I don't want or need route planning. I just want my route to be recorded as I go, and given back to me when I indicate I've gone far enough.

The ONLY thing that would be a useful feature is if it can send coordinates to a predetermined person at regular intervals of some sort, so that if something were to happen and I have to hole-up and wait for evac, my wife would have my most recent location. This would be nice, but is certainly not mandatory.

 

[SleazyRider]

Myself, I enjoy using the topo map and compass, and have used them when others' GPSs have failed to acquire satellites and such. I'd strongly encourage you to use a simple, clear-plastic, inexpensive Silva compass that you can simply lay on the map, align the map with magnetic north, and look around you to get your fix.

I do, however, bring along my ancient Garmin E-trex GPS. It's an earlier model without all the bells and whistles, but more than adequate for my needs and have never felt the need to upgrade. By "upgrade" I mean hill profiles and such. Personally speaking, I'd go for the simplest and least expensive Garmin GPS available, and keep it stashed in your backpack.

Sorry, but I'm an old-school guy who strongly believes that navigating by compass is part of the overall outdoor experience.

 

[hq]

Sorry, but I'm an old-school guy who strongly believes that navigating by compass is part of the overall outdoor experience.

It definitely is, but while hunting, there's a distinct advantage in using a GPS with accurate topo maps. It gives you a good idea about the terrain ahead of you and makes adjusting your route accordingly a breeze. Even though I have background in military ski orienteering (and a couple of trophies to prove that I don't suck at it ), I still use GPS as my main navigation tool and recommend one to anyone planning a hunting trip. Map and compass as a backup are a given, of course, and learning how to use them effectively is a must.

I currently use touchscreen Oregon 450t, mainly because I already have Garmin topo maps for the majority of Europe and southern Africa, and battery life with decent rechargeable NiMH batteries is approximately 10-14 hours. It's also tough as nails, mine's been exposed to rain, snow and heat, it's been handled harshly, dropped, submerged and it just keeps working. I'm not sure if newer models can transmit their location wirelessly, 450t can't. It can (and will) keep track of the route you've walked and the data can be downloaded to a computer later on.

 

[bikerdoc]

Once you take the class you will have a new found confidence.

 

[LT.Diver]

Get a good compass and some topo maps and practice. gPSs are great, but when they fail you will need your map and compass skills. I'm willing to bet that 90% of my hunting buddies have no idea how to properly use a map and compass. They've grown too accustomed to their smart phones and GPS units.
I think map skills should ranked right at the top of survival skills. Right along with fire starting, knife skills, shelter building, water purification, and so on.

 

[HexHead]

Don't forget, with an analog watch you can find North.

 

[Captcurt]

Use GPS and Compass.

I have always been a map fanatic and study topos of the area that I plan to hunt. I have used map and compass to triangulate a turkey roost location from a mile away and across a river.. I heard him gobble two mornings when I was in different locations. I took bearings on him, plotted his location on a topo, and was within 200 yards of him the next morning. Didn't get him, but that is SOP.

Where a GPS shines is in retrieving game. I shot a buck in the middle of nowhere on a ridge that I had never seen before. I marked his location as a waypoint and road my ATV right to him. I doubt that I would have found him again if I hadn't used the GPS.

 

[wombat13]

I suspect that pretty much all the handheld hiking GPS units offer what you need. I believe they call it "waypoint" recording or track recording.

If you are really concerned about having to wait for evac, this is what you need:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006JXY0CQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This will send your location to emergency responders via satellite. I bought one of these for my BIL. He works as a logger (alone) and is often working in areas with no cell phone reception.

 

[guyfromohio]

Drop a pin with your smartphone at your parking spot. Buy one of those $10 external chargers for battery back-up and be on your way.

 

[Robert]

All you NEED is a accurate 7.5 min topo map and a compass. A GPS is a great tool but is not a requirement for accurate navigation. Knowing how to read and use the map is far more important. I carry an old Garmin Summit in my pack but almost never take it out. I hardly use my compass. I am one of those freak people who just knows where I am pretty much anywhere. And being a former cartographer with GIS software helps in that I can build my own maps of anywhere I want.

Classes are good but they are a start. Take your new found skills and get outdoors and put them to use, before going hunting.

 

[hq]

All you NEED is a accurate 7.5 min topo map and a compass. A GPS is a great tool but is not a requirement for accurate navigation.

You're right about that, but if I've understood correctly, this thread isn't about the bare minimum one might need to get by, as indicated by the OP.

 

[Laphroaig]

I don't own a GPS and navigate by a topo map. I can generally use landforms to locate myself, and refer to my map periodically to keep oriented. One thing I would add is that if you wait until you are lost to get out your topo it might be too late to accurately locate yourself and navigate back to a known point. I suppose if there are visible landmarks you could triangulate your location but if none are visible you could be screwed.

When GPS first came out a hunting buddy had one. As we played with it, leaf cover often rendered it inoperable. Is that still the case or have they improved?

Laphroaig

 

[SleazyRider]

I pose this question to the forum, which is slightly off topic but not by much:

Is a the "GPS" contained in a cellphone truly a GPS (using satellites), or does it find ones position---accurate as it may be---by triangulating from cellphone towers? This could make a big difference to those using a cellphone as a primary navigation device, especially when hunting remote areas.

 

[rcmodel]

These are about as simple as it gets.

http://www.bushnell.com/hunting/gps/backtrack#

rc

 

[buck460XVR]

I pose this question to the forum, which is slightly off topic but not by much:

Is a the "GPS" contained in a cellphone truly a GPS (using satellites), or does it find ones position---accurate as it may be---by triangulating from cellphone towers? This could make a big difference to those using a cellphone as a primary navigation device, especially when hunting remote areas.

I dunno, but even after 50 years of using a compass, I've found that the GPS in my cheap smartphone will get me back to the truck very easily. It also has a program that shows where I walked during the hunt. BUT....I've found that using it does run the batteries down fast and I would not go into the woods without a compass also.

 

[hq]

When GPS first came out a hunting buddy had one. As we played with it, leaf cover often rendered it inoperable. Is that still the case or have they improved?

Vastly. SiRFstarIII chipset of 2007 was a major turning point for the better and I can't even remember when my last 2-3 handhelds have lost satellite signal. They're been with me pretty much everywhere; north of the Arctic Circle 2-4 weeks a year, equatorial mid-Atlantic, southern Africa etc. I've thought about getting a GPS+GLONASS dual standard device but regular GPS seems to work so well that I haven't really needed anything better. Average accuracy of 15-50ft has been good enough for me.

 

[ironworkerwill]

I've found that the GPS in my cheap smartphone will get me back to the truck very easily. It also has a program that shows where I walked during the hunt.

About 4 years ago I was going to show my two boys some things about getting lost. Long story short, the phone got us lost(or me using the phone lost us). Technology makes leaps and bounds I now, but that day technology made me look very foolish. The phone I have now works much better.

 

[Bobson]

Is a the "GPS" contained in a cellphone truly a GPS (using satellites), or does it find ones position---accurate as it may be---by triangulating from cellphone towers? This could make a big difference to those using a cellphone as a primary navigation device, especially when hunting remote areas.

I'm not sure. I have an iPhone 5S which I really like for what it is, but the "GPS" app isn't actually called GPS - it's called "Maps." My guess is that it's a triangulation based on coverage towers.

Drop a pin with your smartphone at your parking spot.

I tried this in the last hour. Drove to the beginning of a logging road I know well. The road is not represented on the iPhone's "Maps" app nor on the USGS topo map I have of this area - which is good, because I wanted to see how the "pin drop" thing would work if I ventured off a known road. I walked about a few hundred yards from my car, backed off the logging road and onto a smaller trail behind it, then went about half a mile from there. The phone did not record my progress beyond the parking lot (the road represented on the map). Once I went to turn around, the pin was still there and I could see what direction I needed to go to return (good), but the phone gave me no more direction than, "Return to ____ Road, then turn East" (not so good).

This option would be less than ideal. It would get me back to my spot, but would require me to either know the route back, or go cross-country through whatever lies in my way (brier brambles, wide, rushing creeks, whatever). That would be sufficient in certain situations, but it could leave you pretty well screwed in others.

[The phone] also has a program that shows where I walked during the hunt.

What's it called? My phone won't record my path unless I'm traveling a road represented on the map.

 

[Bobson]

These are about as simple as it gets.

http://www.bushnell.com/hunting/gps/backtrack#

rc

Any idea how it works? I mean, does it actually record your route, or just the initial location?

In other words, I get out of my car and save the location. Then I follow a particular series of trails that are essentially a tangled web. When I say I'm ready to go back, is the arrow adjusting to show me the same route back, or is it just pointing the shortest route back to my car (as the crow flies)?

 

[Blue68f100]

I have an very old Megallan 315. This unit is aver 20 yrs old so lacks the resolution as the newer units do. It's only rated at 30' accuracy. Which could run you off a cliff if your not careful. It has the capability to recording your track every so many feet. And you can set markers at any time. So I would expect the newer ones to be a lot better. I used this unit mainly on the lake to mark some deep water fishing stops. Once I got close I used my depth finder to find the actual spot. My new Depth finder has GPS built in with SD card for maps. It will put you dead on. Tells you actually how may feet your away from the marker.

I expect the newer hand help GPS to be just as accurate. My only concern would be battery life. If you have to change batteries you may loose your current track but the markers will still be there.

I use maps when I go to an unknown area.

 

[readyeddy]

The Bushnell Backtrack records three positions and gives you the direction (arrow) and distance from the three points. It will not record your path. It uses two AAA batteries and costs around $50 on Amazon.

I use it when hunting and so far it works. It's very simple and surprisingly accurate. Not perfect, but it always get me back to visual of the truck.

 

[buck460XVR]

This option would be less than ideal. It would get me back to my spot, but would require me to either know the route back, or go cross-country through whatever lies in my way (brier brambles, wide, rushing creeks, whatever). That would be sufficient in certain situations, but it could leave you pretty well screwed in others.

Basically this is how a compass works and how folks have been finding their way thru the woods for hundreds of years.

What's it called? My phone won't record my path unless I'm traveling a road represented on the map.

I think it's called "map my hike". My son downloaded it for me.

 

[Bobson]

Basically this is how a compass works and how folks have been finding their way thru the woods for hundreds of years.

I hate to admit - but will - that this actually didn't occur to me. You make a good point.

 

[twofifty]

Bobson, for your purposes and a reliable affordable GPS unit, look at Garmin's E-Trex series. There's an E-Trex 10, 20 and 30; they are a bit dated, have few bells and whistles, but don't go through batteries like crazy. Edit: this is the series recommended by SleazyRider.

I've used the E-Trex 10 and it does all you need. You could probably get a used one for $50 online.

As far as courses are concerned another alternative is to use your GPS unit, your compass (adjusted for local declination) and a 7.5 min topo for your town.

Walk about town and at major features that show on the map (church, school, bridge, RR crossing, interchange) triangulate your position with the compass (sighting off other major known features) and then confirm using the GPS.

You will need to make sure to pre-set your GPS for that particular map's North American datum, otherwise the GPS's output will be off by quite a lot.

Another exercise to gain confidence is to go for a long walk in a public park, place small pieces of flagging on trees and capture each of those as a waypoint on your GPS. You could even label the waypoints, which makes them more useful. Then retrace your route and retrieve the flagging.

 

[twofifty]

I don't own a GPS and navigate by a topo map. I can generally use landforms to locate myself, and refer to my map periodically to keep oriented. One thing I would add is that if you wait until you are lost to get out your topo it might be too late to accurately locate yourself and navigate back to a known point. I suppose if there are visible landmarks you could triangulate your location but if none are visible you could be screwed.

When GPS first came out a hunting buddy had one. As we played with it, leaf cover often rendered it inoperable. Is that still the case or have they improved?

Laphroaig

The antenna are much improved, and the better units can be set to receive US and Russian signals, which means that many more 'birds' can be spotted through openings in the forest canopy.

I'm a died in the wool compass user, but like you pointed out when the fog rolls in over featureless terrain, the GPS is king....till the batteries run out.