[pct-l] GPS or Not

[Bighummel at aol.com]

Forget the GPS, even consider leaving the compass . . . although there  
certainly are times and conditions that may require you have one and know how to  
use, particularly if you're lost.  Map reading is THE greatest and  most useful 
thing to know for a thru-hike, section hike or long term weekend  hiking, 
IMHO.  I once gave a map and compass class for the Boy Scouts and  didn't let the 
scouts use their compass but showed them how to orient a topo map  by visible 
features and to follow your location on it as you walk.  I was  chagrined by 
a scout master for doing this, who questioned my qualifications  (hee, hee!).  
 
Getting good at this has its rewards.  In the North Fork of the San  Joaquin 
River last summer we cross-countried for a full day on what should have  been 
the trail but it was unmaintained and completely gone.  Late in the  afternoon 
we came across a trail sign for a trail junction but only one trail  was 
leading away from the sign in only one direction!!
 
A compass has its place in dense forest and in snow or fog, where features  
are obscurred and thus reading a map without the compass is difficult. Some  
years none of these weather conditions exist, other years it does.  
 
Greg "Strider" Hummel
(who makes subsurface topographic maps for a  living!)
<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free 
email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL at 
http://www.aol.com.