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Posted by Gillespie on November 15, 2007 at 2:31:07 am EST
In reply to COMPASSES posted by juancho on September 30, 2007 at 11:23:39 pm EDT

I have been a scoutmaster for several years, and have always emphasized compass+Map use on (almost) every campout or hike we go on, for exactly the same reasons you mention. Plus, a compass never needs batteries, and will work anywhere in the world (except the magnetic poles, I guess). In southern Utah's slot canyons, I always come across people wandering around trying to get some sort of signal onthe GPS- doesn't work in deep, narrow canyons where the signal bounces around. I have often had competitions with boys who thought they could do better with a GPS than I could with a compass at finding my location. I always bet that if I win, they they cannot use a GPS again until they have mastered the compass. I've not lost yet. On one occasion, on an extended bacpacking trip, we found a group that was disoriented (lost) because they had a GPS, but the batteries were dead and had not brought a compass. Some people should not venture past the trailhead... really.
Thanks for the refresher post.

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