[quote="Suzanne"]I never knew there was a re-set on the E-Trex. I quit using mine pretty much, it gets a sporadic signal in the woods and I've tried a track-back a few times and got questionable results. Works great in the desert, where I never needed it. What is really annoying is the tiny display and scale of the track. It's interesting to me that people can even use it while hunting or hiking. Unless you're going to a known destination, it's sketchy at best. I'd be afraid to use it as my only direction finder. I'd use a map, compass and altimeter for best results. I used to find old mines that way in the desert and water holes for fishing. Tha's another story....


Suz try getting the unit out BEFORE you leave the vechile sit it on the roof to acquire a fix on your position mark the position and then go walkies. that way you will find it will get the next position fix quite quickly.
I have the usual parking spot as a way point and also clearings and major crossings. usually when hunting I will get the GPS out when having a break and look for nearest way points. it tells me their altitude and direction relative to my current position which sort of helps me decide where to head to next.

Well, actually, I got compass stuck on every single one of my rifles.
Once the GPS gone crazy on me, and it took me 3 hours to get back from a 30 minutes hike.
Never again, hence compass resin-ed on rifles.

I have a favorite quote from an interview with Daniel Boone that was conducted when he was an old man. (I paraphrase) The interviewer asked the famous explorer and woodsman if he ever had been lost. Mr Boone replied "No I can't say I have ever got lost but, occasionally, for a week or two, I have been mighty confused.

navigationally embarrassed for an hour or two but never lost.
lost is a relative term. each person has a different idea of how much they need to know. eg lost in the supermarket= cant find the plurry condensed milk!!! or more relavant I live in the south island of New Zealand and hunt on the east coast. I know I have to travel a hell of a long way in the wrong direction and up hill to boot in order to get myself seriously misplaced.
most and I do mean most rivers and creeks end up at the sea. so if you follow them you will get there eventually and will find civilisation before then. if you hunt/navigate using a backstop feature eg a road/ridge/river/range of hills/walking track as a starting point and a catch/back stop when you are heading back you shouldnt have too many issues.

If you are in an unfamiliar area, and you have a map and compass, then a smart man or woman would do up a Navigation Data Sheet. A pace counter is one of those "nice to have, but not necessary" that can make life easy as well. Just so long as you have a way of measuring distance.

It is easy enough to plot your intended path on the map, work out bearings, distances and record natural features you will cross, and follow that Nav Data. You can even do one "on the hop" if need be, so long as you have taken note of distances and direction (bearing) traveled. You can always plot a back bearing and follow it back to your start point.

Another reason I like having a map is if you do become "geographically embarrassed", using the map and identifying features around you, you can do a resection to determine your position and then, plot a back bearing "home".

Additionally, if you encounter an obstacle you cannot cross (swamp, river etc), then you can plot a path around it by (using your compass) turning 90 degrees, travel a set distance, turn a further 90 degrees, again travel enough distance to take you past the obstacle, then turn 90 degrees again so you are traveling back towards the continuation of your original track. If you have been careful with your plotting and walking, you will be back on your original track. Or, you can "aim off" to a known feature on the map (road, track, building etc), walk to that feature and then you will know which way you need to "turn" (left or right) to get back to your original track again.

One thing I have learned over the years is people tend to wander off a bearing if they are not careful. This usually happens because people (for what reason I have no idea) tend to always walk to the same side of trees etc, continually moving slowly off line until they are actually heading away from their intended finish point. This is where reading a map properly and comparing map to ground helps.

I know most, if not all of this is common sense that most already know...but to do it properly you need a map and compass. A GPS is a great tool, but it is not the "be all and end all"...it realistically is only another tool to be used in conjunction with a map and compass. All three items together should keep you well and truly on the right path.

There endeth my navigation lesson for today.

Cheers, Vince

"All three items together should keep you well and truly on the right path."


With a little Faith...

and a better definition of the "promeshed land"...

I use my gps and my 20 mile long ball of string

Cheers, Vince

Tremblay wrote:

I use my gps and my 20 mile long ball of string

A few years back during deer hunting season we took a newbie with us into the woods, I spotted him placing red ribbons every 30' or so and I decided to have a little fun with him heading back to camp. I took the ribbons closest to camp and moved them in a line that put him approximately 1/2 mile off target which was our campsite. Needless to say I received a phone call on my cell from him telling me he was lost, I told him to stay put and would drive out to pick him up since I knew where he was. After the whole camp busted a gut laughing I then headed out and picked up our lost buddy and for the life of him he could not figure out how he got so lost using the ribbons...

PS. He still doesn't know to this day and uses a good old compass and map.

And for those people in the woods without a compass, you can use an analog watch to find the approx heading.

Commpass Using A Watch

OV, with a friend like you, who needs enemy?

now a ball of string is very very handy if you are going to cut a track through the thick stuff. it keeps you in the same pathway and believe it or not common old bag sewing string thats easy enough to break with your hands lasts as least 4 years I know cause mine is still up trees where we cut a track up to the "lookout"

Solar flares and sunspots may interfere with your GPS for a while here too.

That and in December when the magnetic poles flip flop when the Mayan calendar runs out the wobbly may point the wrong way ...

That might happen but my ball of string still works

Tremblay wrote:

That might happen but my ball of string still works

...unless you are out hunting with OV1...and he rolls it up behind you as you go.

Cheers, Vince

NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT VINCE