GPS or Map and Compass

This isn't really pertaining to a specific trail but should I bother spending alot of money on a gps or should I just get a map of the area and use a compass. My thinking is that the map will be updated more than gps maps. Also, compasses are alot less and I suspect they will do the same job. Any opinions would be great!

Both are great to have, and by that I mean if you are going to carry a GPS, carry a map and compass too. If you KNOW how to use a compass well, you're better off.
Like American Express - I never leave home without my Silva Ranger compass.

Simple is always better. Compasses are waterproof, they usually float, they're lightweight, inexpensive - compared to even the cheapest GPS receiver, and compass batteries never go dead!

As far as maps being more current than the GPS, you never know. Some topo maps I've seen online haven't been updated since the 70's. Some GPS programs can be updated monthly.

In a nutshell my advise would be to get the most current map you can find, of the area you are going to. Buy a GOOD compass, learn to use it well, and enjoy you're trip.

Check compass reviews here:
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/navigation/compass/

There's some good conversation here too:
http://www.trailspace.com/forums/backcountry/topics/40445.html

Morpheus,
I agree with f_klock on all accounts. It's easy to use a compass, but more complicated than some people think. If you haven't used a map/compass much, spend some time learning how to use it before you even think about a GPS. Many outdoor organizations (Mountaineers, Sierra Club) and many stores (REI, etc.) have classes that will teach you the basics. The conversation that k_flock referenced is a great starting place.

Once you've got the map/compass down, you may start to see why a GPS can be so useful. A GPS doesn't do the same thing as a compass, and the two can be very complementary. If you're carrying a GPS, however, (and again I'm repeating f_klock) you should always carry (and know how to use) a map and compass as a backup.

Cheers,
Jim

f_klock is correct as to the priorities. But when he said

Quote:

compass batteries never go dead!

I teach land navigation to groups such as Sierra Club, scout leaders, and so on. The basic outline is 1. finding your way *without* map, compass, or anything except your brain and powers of observation; 2. maps from sketch to topographic; 3. compass; 4. altimeter; and 5. GPS receivers. My courses are very much hands-on with a lot of time wandering the woods and hills, meaning actual practice, not just time spent getting "lectured at."

My working background includes about 10 years working on the modernization program for the Navstar Global Positioning System as a system analyst and designer, first for the Ground Segment, then for the Space Segment (satellites), plus various receiver applications. So despite having made contributions to the GPS (which means the whole Navstar Global Positioning System, not merely the GPS receivers), I emphasize that your skills and knowledge are the most important part of staying found, with map next, then compass, and somewhere toward the bottom, the GPS receiver. It is a great tool, but you need the rest of the picture before it does much good.

The maps that can be loaded into a few models of GPSR are not of the quality of the USGS and other countries' equivalent agencies topographic maps, plus you are viewing them on a tiny tiny screen that washes out in direct sunlight. There are a few GPSRs that can display downloaded USGS maps (Magellan's Triton, Delorme's PN20, and a couple of Garmin models). The Triton takes the National Geographic Topo! maps, which are direct scans of USGS maps, and are of almost acceptable quality. Unfortunately, the Triton series right now is a bit buggy. The PN20 is incredibly slow, and the resolution is pretty coarse. Garmin continues to go their own way, which sometimes is good, but not in their topo maps.

Bottom line, as the previous posters said - learn map and compass, then consider one of the expensive electronic widgets. A good place to develop navigation skills is competitive orienteering (which isn't all that "competitive" for most participants, who use the meets for an enjoyable stroll in the woods that is sort of a treasure hunt). Look on http://www.us.orienteering.org/ for events near you and an orienteering club near you which will teach you the skills and help you practice them.

I carry the same old Leupold Sportsman compass that I bought in 1969 and use a time-direction system with my almost as ancient Rolex Explorer II watch. I can find my way back to my starting point and I carry a notebook plus pencil to record way points.

I seldom need a compass in most of BC due to the very unique topography which makes it easy to remember landmarks, but, it is wise to carry and know how to use one. I do not and nevr have used a GPS and likely never will.

I agree, the two compliment each other well. I'd say carry both and at a minimum be able to use the compass to find you're direction to some major reference if the GPS lets you down. For example if you're lost, but know there's an east/west road or trail 5 miles to you're north, you can at least use the compass to get you there at which point you can follow the road/trail. Of course theres a lot more that you can do with a compass than that.

If a GPS isn't in the budget, then at least have a road/major river/trail that you can find with the compass that will lead you back. Often, I like to park near where two roads make a 90 degree intersection so that if I don't end up exactly where I want I can follow the road to the intersection. If I'm parked in the middle of a strait road and I miss my target, It might be hard to tell if I am right or left of the car. If I do park along a strait road, I'll intentionally use the compass to aim right or left of the car so when I reach the road, I know which way to turn.

It is not a question of gps OR map/compass. Never go on a trip without map and compass. They will never fail you. Gps is great, but like any other instrument it may break down or loose power. Without map and compass you may be in big trouble.

They weigh and cost very little. But learn to use them! Not only from A to B, but deciding where you are based on crossing lines to visual objects. Also learn to estimate your own speed and direction in the map.

About 95% of my trips I do not use gps, even if I have one. Except for extreme conditions where a gps is the only device that tell you where you are. In dense fog, in the dark, in snowstorm they are a must. But you only need the cheapest ones to tell you where you are. Those with maps is nice, but not necessary if budget is tight.

Before gps came, hikers just had to have patience and equipment to be outside one more day if they got lost.

I'll probably never carry a GPS unit. Map and compass have served me well, plus I like to collect and use maps.

rexim,
I like to collect maps, as well, plus books about maps and mapping. Unfortunately, between the maps, books on mapping, and navigational and survey devices, I am running out of space for the climbing, camping, ski, and bicycling gear. It appears that, between the 30 min, 15 min, and 7.5 min quads, special maps, topo maps from 4 EU countries and Australia, Chile, Mexico, Canada, Tanzania, and Antarctica (that includes a couple iterations of Damien Gildea's mapping project in the Sentinel Range, which is where Mt. Vinson is located), I have something over 1000 paper topo maps (I finally decided to put them in storage boxes, rather than stacked on what at one time was supposed to be a dining table). Some of the historical books on mapping are really fascinating - one I have uses a particular place in Europe plus North America to illustrate the progress made in mapping techniques and mapping knowledge - did you know that California was once a very elongated island, just off the coast of North America (or so the Spanish maps showed it for almost 100 years)? And I'm sure you have seen the Medieval maps of "the World" that are drawn "oriented" with Jerusalem at the top of the map (origin of the term "orienting" a map). In sorting things out, I found a book on "perspective mapping", done by the brother of a couple men who were in the university climbing club Barb and I belonged to, all 3 of the brothers having rather unusual names (a story for another time and place) - Tau Rho Alpha (he works out of the Menlo Park USGS office, just up the road from us - http://jclahr.com/alaska/aeic/taurho/index.html), whose brothers are Sigma Alpha and Kappa Alpha (the names are real, just that their father had a rather strange sense of humor, deriving from some peculiar family history)

Maps are really fascinating. And the ones you mark up during a trek make great souvenirs of the hike. Try that on your GPS receiver.

If you must choose only one option, choose the map and compass option. However, a GPS is a great tool and you don't need to spend a huge amount of money to get a high quality GPS. As a starter, for basic functions, there are many on the market that are new for about $100. I've seen several that were $350 or more even a few years ago that can now be bought on various forums I frequent for less than $100.

If you wish to use a GPS for its most basic functions (I deem the basic functions to be marking waypoints and determining current grid coordinates) then the most basic models from a known manufacturer are all you'll ever need.

I don't believe a GPS to be a suitable or satisfactory replacement for map and compass. I do however believe them to be an excellent compliment to map and compass.