Hand Held GPS

[Rich/WIS]

Living adjacent to the Daniel Boone National Forest and hiking all over the area thinking of buying a hand held GPS. Looking for something reasonably priced that I can input starting points and set direction and distances. The USDA was not liberal in posting the boundaries and want to avoid wandering into areas that are private property as well as not getting lost. Some of the forested areas are pretty dense and have discovered that it is easy to get turned around and end up wondering "where the heck am I".

[Omega]

Living adjacent to the Daniel Boone National Forest and hiking all over the area thinking of buying a hand held GPS. Looking for something reasonably priced that I can input starting points and set direction and distances. The USDA was not liberal in posting the boundaries and want to avoid wandering into areas that are private property as well as not getting lost. Some of the forested areas are pretty dense and have discovered that it is easy to get turned around and end up wondering "where the heck am I".Get a Garmin, I currently have two, an old 60csx and a 64st. They both can load non-garmin maps and with a little tech knowhow you can load many national forest and trails right into them. I have a bunch of saved links to map sites, let me know and I'll did them out for you if you get one.

[waksupi]

This is a subscription, but is good for unknown areas.
https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app?msclkid=fbff07fd87da19de5bb065f0b51b136f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Core%20-%20Branded%20-%20Desktop&utm_term=onx%20hunt%20maps&utm_content=onX%20-%20Hunt

[Jim22]

The combination of a handheld GPS and Google Maps is your friend. After deciding to look for water sources I pored over thearea I was interested in. Sometimes ponds can be difficult to see from satellite photos because of shadows. The zoom function helps a lot. I found three ponds at the top of a mountain that way. A friend and I went to find them. He had hunted te area before and knew about two of them. We found the third one with the GPS. Google Earth will give you lat/long coordinates that you can put into the GPS. It can also help you find clearings, etc.

Jim

[Gofaaast]

I recommend an onX subscription for a smartphone. You do not have to have service for it to work if you download the map and save it. I was the first one to get it in our elk hunting group several years ago. I took some heat the first couple days then everyone was wanting my phone since it was our first time hunting that area and the details on there garmins was poor. Everyone had it the next year and a couple guys don’t even carry there garmins for backup anymore.

[Thumbcocker]

As long as you have cell signal on x is great. Mrs.Thumbcocker and I go places with no signal and are looking at GPS units with text ability for future adventures.

[Mal Paso]

Dedicated GPSs have better antennas than phones. In the woods trees and canyons block much of the signals. I have a Garmin 62s that works well but it's a few years old and the new ones are probably even better.

[Thundarstick]

I've never had my Garmin not get a signal! It will always get you back to where you started from as well!

[Bmi48219]

A little off topic but….My wife purchased an ACR ResQLink floating personal locator beacon and an auto-inflate flotation device for when I’m fishing offshore. I may not know where I am but once the PLB is activated someone will. No subscription fee or payments required, just have to register it so they know who to look for. Every time I read about fishermen, boaters, pilots, hikers or hunters expiring after getting lost, crashing or sinking I think - they’d been rescued if they had a PLB.

[megasupermagnum]

You have to decide between what you want, and what you need.

The only thing you "need" is the OnX app on your phone. You don't need cell service, you can download the maps. GPS signal is phenomenal on cell phones today, not at all like they were 15 years ago. I don't think the phone tech has changed that much, I just think we have a better satellite system above us.

I'm not going to say a dedicated GPS is a bad idea. What I will say is that it should not be your first or second priority, unless you don't own a smart phone. Before a GPS unit, you should be getting a beacon and a compass with map. A phone will do all you need it to. A compass and map will get you out of anywhere. A beacon will save your skin when nothing else could.

I wouldn't call a GPS unit today outdated, but it is definitely in the "want" category, same with satellite phones. The cost per text was like $1 a message before, I can only imagine what they cost now. Few hunters today carry GPS's anymore, and while you might see satellite phones up in northern Canada or Alaska, they don't serve a lot of purpose in lower 48, unless you absolutely can't go a few days without talking to someone.

[Rich/WIS]

Well, have been doing a bit of research and still not sure what to get, if anything. My phone has the map app and tells me where I am, but the topo data is lacking, as well as not showing boundaries of the national forest. Still researching and trying to figure if I want to buy a GPS or not.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

We have the OnX chip in our Garmin's. I have an older 62st after wife got the Montana 680t. With the OnX loaded into the GPS, you DO NOT need a a cell phone signal to use the information. We still carry topo maps and compass as backup. The GPS's do need batteries, batteries fade a lot in the cold, keeping the device warm, inside pocket can help. There are many places in the Wyoming and Colorado Rockies that DO NOT have cell signals.

[RKJ]

You might take a look at GAIA, https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=11.6/-91.4219/37.7033&layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeetI use it in the Mark Twain NF here in Missouri with my 4 wheeler and it works well. No signal required for it either.

[waksupi]

I've never had my Garmin not get a signal! It will always get you back to where you started from as well!

Iv'e lost signal with mine many times on a socked in day in the mountains.

[MaryB]

You have to decide between what you want, and what you need.

The only thing you "need" is the OnX app on your phone. You don't need cell service, you can download the maps. GPS signal is phenomenal on cell phones today, not at all like they were 15 years ago. I don't think the phone tech has changed that much, I just think we have a better satellite system above us.

I'm not going to say a dedicated GPS is a bad idea. What I will say is that it should not be your first or second priority, unless you don't own a smart phone. Before a GPS unit, you should be getting a beacon and a compass with map. A phone will do all you need it to. A compass and map will get you out of anywhere. A beacon will save your skin when nothing else could.

I wouldn't call a GPS unit today outdated, but it is definitely in the "want" category, same with satellite phones. The cost per text was like $1 a message before, I can only imagine what they cost now. Few hunters today carry GPS's anymore, and while you might see satellite phones up in northern Canada or Alaska, they don't serve a lot of purpose in lower 48, unless you absolutely can't go a few days without talking to someone.

cell phone GPS antennas have advanced a LOT. Higher gain so better signal/more sats seen for better accuracy. My cell phone location has worked inside my house and it has foil faced insulation... reflective to radio signals. SO only signal it sees is what comes in a window. I have a GPS locked clock that outputs a 10mhz lock frequency to my ham radios(keeps them very frequency accurate!) and its GPS antenna sucked, I had to put an amplified puck antenna outside and run a cable in to the clock.

[megasupermagnum]

Well, have been doing a bit of research and still not sure what to get, if anything. My phone has the map app and tells me where I am, but the topo data is lacking, as well as not showing boundaries of the national forest. Still researching and trying to figure if I want to buy a GPS or not.

Which map app? Get OnX. It is the most advanced mapping available, bar none. It doesn't matter if you have it on your phone, on a GPS, on a tablet, OnX maps are the ones to get. They are updated very often, it seems every year. The Topo data has been super accurate in the mountains for me. The aerial images are beyond amazing, new every year. It shows every bit of land ownership, state, federal, private, whatever. It even often shows what a farm field had planted last year. You don't need cell service. Phone GPS works great.

[farmbif]

as far as cell signals, im not all that far from Daniel Boone forest and there are lots of places around here that dont have cell signal, usually close to i75 is no problem but once you get away from the highway there are lots of dead area.

[mobilemail]

Don't forget that you can use the GPS function on your phone with the cell service turned off, as long as the maps are stored on your phone. Personally, I like to have a separate GPS so I can maintain cell phone battery life for critical moments. Many times you can get out a text message when the signal is to weak to sustain a voice call.

As far as GPS units go, I have two: a Garmin eTrex 30 and a Garmin Montana 600. Honestly, the much cheaper eTrex 30 can do everything the Montana does for much lest cost. And you can load third party maps on it, so you aren't locked into the Garmin maps cash machine. I also use these units on my bicycles instead of a dedicated bike computer or GPS, they are great for people like me who love to explore but have a horrible sense of direction.

[M-Tecs]

Personally, I like to have a separate GPS so I can maintain cell phone battery life for critical moments. Many times you can get out a text message when the signal is to weak to sustain a voice call.


For that I have several portable battery bank chargers. Several of the states I hunt in started electronic postings. OnX seems to be the best app for that.

[Mal Paso]

My Garmin is more accurate in the woods than my Iphone is on open ground. I've no experience with other phones.

[megasupermagnum]

My Garmin is more accurate in the woods than my Iphone is on open ground. I've no experience with other phones.

A phone is accurate to about 10 feet. How much better do you need?

[Mal Paso]

A phone is accurate to about 10 feet. How much better do you need?

What phone? My Iphone has jumped around hundreds of feet when I was stationary as it refixed my position. Maybe I wasn't holding it right.

[Big Tom]

When thinking about using your smartphone, check the battery lifetime before you go out to the middle of nowhere. Constant location tracking will drain the battery rather fast.

[trebor44]

Having used handhelds and vehicle mounted units, they all have limitations. Heavy canopy, deep canyons and cloud cover are not your friends and you do need to pick up the sats. They can be handy but not foolproof, even a compass can have issues. Also consider the "screen". Can it be "read" in direct sunlight?

[megasupermagnum]

What phone? My Iphone has jumped around hundreds of feet when I was stationary as it refixed my position. Maybe I wasn't holding it right.

Yours is broken. I don't think I've ever had a phone jump hundreds of feet. How would Google maps ever function like that?

[megasupermagnum]

Having used handhelds and vehicle mounted units, they all have limitations. Heavy canopy, deep canyons and cloud cover are not your friends and you do need to pick up the sats. They can be handy but not foolproof, even a compass can have issues. Also consider the "screen". Can it be "read" in direct sunlight?

A compass, issues? Other than user error, or breaking one, they don't have issues.

[megasupermagnum]

When thinking about using your smartphone, check the battery lifetime before you go out to the middle of nowhere. Constant location tracking will drain the battery rather fast.

Any decent phone is good for 2 days unless you use it nonstop. You will definitely want battery for longer trips. Most people charge from drill batteries.

[Omega]

A compass is subject to magnetic interference issues, like powerlines, magnetized rocks, or even equipment you may be carrying.

[Omega]

Any decent phone is good for 2 days unless you use it nonstop. You will definitely want battery for longer trips. Most people charge from drill batteries.

Drill batteries? Those things are heavy and require rigging to do it with. They sell portable chargers that are much lighter and can fully charge most phones 2 or thee times. I have a solar one and a Dell one which are both lighter than a drill battery.

[megasupermagnum]

A compass is subject to magnetic interference issues, like powerlines, magnetized rocks, or even equipment you may be carrying.

If you are by power lines, you don't need a compass. Been using compass since I was in boy scouts. Never ran into magnetic rocks, but we weren't learning on a volcano either.

[megasupermagnum]

Drill batteries? Those things are heavy and require rigging to do it with. They sell portable chargers that are much lighter and can fully charge most phones 2 or thee times. I have a solar one and a Dell one which are both lighter than a drill battery.

No rigging required, not heavy either. Portable chargers can be nice though.

[georgerkahn]

I could get a "Master's Degree" in getting lost! I now have an Oregon 750, a Garmin Trex, and wear an Instinct wristwatch which has built in GPS! That said, maybe 15 years ago a couple of buddies and yours truly got LOST in the parking lot of a huge gun show. No lie! There were thousands of vehicles, and landmarks all looked the same... (Eventually a fellow picked one of us and after quite the cruise (wasn't me) the truck was located!)
Shortly thereafter I purchased a Bushnell BackTrack. It was about $70.00 USD at the time -- I see they're now about $130 USD ( https://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-GPS-BackTrack-Personal-Locator/dp/B001F7BL0U) -- but I'd hesitate not a nanosecond to purchase another if this got lost or broke. First, it runs on plain-Jane AAA batteries -- not the coin ones never in stock at store when you need one; second, it had three places to easily (even for a dummy like me!) "load" -- just turn the unit on, wait for GPS to be locked/found -- and hit one of these three icons. You can turn the unit off; leave it for a year; do... whatever. Turn it back on and click your loaded icon -- and it will guide you directly back!!!
A small, old-silver-dollar sized unit it comes with a string/necklace. When hunting, going into the woods, and even in huge parking lots ;) -- I first click the location of my vehicle, and then go my merry way -- happy I'll always have guidance back to my truck. (Also, one more click on unit turns on its electronic magnetic compass function if -- oops -- to mark start spot was forgotten.)
I very, very, very rarely recommend anything -- this is the exception!
geo

[MaryB]

If you are by power lines, you don't need a compass. Been using compass since I was in boy scouts. Never ran into magnetic rocks, but we weren't learning on a volcano either.

There are spots all over the MN iron range where compass headings are inaccurate... if there is an ore outcropping it throws off the compass until you get a good 250 feet away from it...

[Omega]

If you are by power lines, you don't need a compass. Been using compass since I was in boy scouts. Never ran into magnetic rocks, but we weren't learning on a volcano either.
We had to go point to point, so lines were merely landmarks, but we had to be aware that they could, not would, but could, affect the needle. Rocks with a bunch or iron content can be slightly magnetic, I never ran into those either or would have been tempted to get a sample in case it was a meteorite. The biggest hazard was having your weapon to close to the compass, and that I seen a few times.


No rigging required, not heavy either. Portable chargers can be nice though.
Do you have a link to a diagram or something to get an idea how this is done? I do have multiple chargers that I take hunting, but I only require a day's worth of power where I hunt. I currently use my drill batteries to shock rechargeable batteries back to life, well most times anyway.

[rbuck351]

I don't have a cellphone, smart or dumb, so I have used the cheap Garmin gps for the last twenty years or so. I have never had it fail but other than hunting, I don't use it much. I do carry a map and compass as well when hunting areas I'm not familiar with.

[Tazman1602]

I’ve got a couple of Garmins — love them but……never been able to “drop a pin” or figure out what the waypoints and locations with it exactly are. Every book I’ve bought is way to advanced, wish there was a beginners GPS class to take locally. I know guys that are genius with them and I do use them (and if you buy a Garmin make sure you, I think, buy an “OnX” maps chip for it.)

In spite of technology I still keep my topo’s and trusty compass with me….I got lost once 45 years ago and didn’t have my compass with me……never again….

Art

[rockshooter]

if worse gets worse, remember that satellite dishes point south- and there are more dishes around here than mossy trees.
Loren

[Mal Paso]

if worse gets worse, remember that satellite dishes point south- and there are more dishes around here than mossy trees.
Loren

LOL

In the Boy Scouts it was look for a glow on the horizon and hike to the Mall.

[Omega]

I’ve got a couple of Garmins — love them but……never been able to “drop a pin” or figure out what the waypoints and locations with it exactly are. Every book I’ve bought is way to advanced, wish there was a beginners GPS class to take locally. I know guys that are genius with them and I do use them (and if you buy a Garmin make sure you, I think, buy an “OnX” maps chip for it.)

In spite of technology I still keep my topo’s and trusty compass with me….I got lost once 45 years ago and didn’t have my compass with me……never again….

ArtLook on the geocache site, geocaching.com. there are quite a few people there that can find a cache smaller than a dime with a GPS. I bet there are more than a few people around you that would help, and may have your exact GPS to guide you on how to use it all.
(https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/search/&q=gps%20classes&quick=1)

I too have paper maps, because electronics can and do fail, specially when you need them the most.

[Bentstick]

Garmin GPS, smart ph, and map and compass, something will get ya out if you understand any and all, Just sayin

[rbuck351]

The electronic things like smart phones and gps tend to not work after you take them swimming when crossing a river. At least mine didn't work anymore. The map and compass still worked.

[trebor44]

Navigation: how to lose yourself with an undying faith in "technology". Living and traveling in the mountains for work and pleasure was and is interesting. Reading a map is an art, not science. Declination, GPS offset and of course the license of artistic interpretation for map making makes you wonder how the "ancients" got around! Have to admit I never saw a migrating ungulate herd with a compass etc.

[Tazman1602]

The electronic things like smart phones and gps tend to not work after you take them swimming when crossing a river. At least mine didn't work anymore. The map and compass still worked.


Navigation: how to lose yourself with an undying faith in "technology". Living and traveling in the mountains for work and pleasure was and is interesting. Reading a map is an art, not science. Declination, GPS offset and of course the license of artistic interpretation for map making makes you wonder how the "ancients" got around! Have to admit I never saw a migrating ungulate herd with a compass etc.


Which map app? Get OnX. It is the most advanced mapping available, bar none. It doesn't matter if you have it on your phone, on a GPS, on a tablet, OnX maps are the ones to get. They are updated very often, it seems every year. The Topo data has been super accurate in the mountains for me. The aerial images are beyond amazing, new every year. It shows every bit of land ownership, state, federal, private, whatever. It even often shows what a farm field had planted last year. You don't need cell service. Phone GPS works great.


Look on the geocache site, geocaching.com. there are quite a few people there that can find a cache smaller than a dime with a GPS. I bet there are more than a few people around you that would help, and may have your exact GPS to guide you on how to use it all.
(https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/search/&q=gps%20classes&quick=1)

I too have paper maps, because electronics can and do fail, specially when you need them the most.

Thanks for that Omega, I have buds that do the geocaching thing all the time and they are really good with it.

Art

[MaryB]

LOL

In the Boy Scouts it was look for a glow on the horizon and hike to the Mall.

I was out cruising back roads with a friend and not paying any attention to where we were, he stopped and started freaking out saying we were lost... I looked for the local FM radio station tower and then the city glow and told him to drive that way as I pointed LOL. I don't get lost, built in compass... just seem to know which way to go.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have run into small areas where 'magnetic rocks' make a compass 'act funny'. Mostly walking 30 or 40 feet fixed the compass. Powerlines are shown on most topo maps so a compass is not critical. You might want a compass or GPS to find the powerline?. My wife's IPhone 8 drains the battery fast when searching for signals. If I am on road in vehicle, I do not consider myself 'lost'. Even most western Wilderness areas are crisscrossed with marked trails, topo map and compass or GPS finds them easily. Sun comes up in the east goes down in the west, Big Dipper points to Polaris(the North Star). When you are 'out there', PAY ATTENTION! I like the GPS for marking points in rough terrain or finding kills that are far from a trail or road, much better than flagging tape for two miles.

[megasupermagnum]

Do you have a link to a diagram or something to get an idea how this is done? I do have multiple chargers that I take hunting, but I only require a day's worth of power where I hunt. I currently use my drill batteries to shock rechargeable batteries back to life, well most times anyway.

There's no diagram. It's just an adapter that you plug your phone charger into. I got one free with a tool once for my Milwaukee M18's. There are cheap ones that only use USB, and there are expensive ones that allow a 110v plug in. I don't see much point in the expensive ones over a charging pack as you said. The cheap ones are great since I already have the drill batteries. I always have one in the truck. Mine looks just like the one in the link.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Power-Source-Tool-Only-49-24-2371/203461325

[rockshooter]

Sun may rise in the east and set in the west, but, depending on your latitude, during most of the day it may hang in the south. As long as I can see the sun and know what time it is, I pretty much know where all direction are.
Loren

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I've used the sun and a compass as a watch, when sun is south its noon, guessing what time it is in-between. Old technique of holding hand up to judge how much daylight is left, hold outstretched hand between sun and horizon, each finger is about 15 minutes of daylight, only works later in the day. I had to learn map and compass, no GPS or cell phones in the 70's, 80's except for classified military stuff.

[Thundarstick]

Only problem I've had with a map is to use it to go somewhere, you first have to figure out where you are on the map! Maps are often badly out of date(probably more so in the East) especially road maps. Roads are miss labeled, or given route numbers the locals don't know or use. I asked a fellow about finding highway 218 once, he'd never heard of that road, I showed him my map, and he exclaimed, o, you mean brush creek road! Bad thing about GPS, they need power and signal. US or Russia flip the encryption switch and all non military GPS become extra weight.

[MaryB]

I've used the sun and a compass as a watch, when sun is south its noon, guessing what time it is in-between. Old technique of holding hand up to judge how much daylight is left, hold outstretched hand between sun and horizon, each finger is about 15 minutes of daylight, only works later in the day. I had to learn map and compass, no GPS or cell phones in the 70's, 80's except for classified military stuff.

In Girl Scouts we had a competition with other troops to see who could navigate best. List of directions and distance to walk with multiple turns, crossed back over your trail, went off into dense woods to navigate when a straight line is difficult... score was based on how many feet you ended from the spot picked in advance. 3 years running I was within 10 feet, next closest was 120 feet from it... I learned to navigate from grandpa when we went camping, by the time I joined Girl Scouts I was an expert. Grandpa loved to hide treats in the woods and hand is a compass and a short list of directions/distance to walk.

[farmbif]

waterproof phone? a little searching and its available rating is designated as ip67, up to a meter, and ip68, up to 5 feet, if I didn't get the two mixed up,
yeah sure spend north of a grand the apple iPhone 13 pro max and then get that app that seems pretty darn good, there's a bunch of em some free some subscription, I guess the free ones make you register and sell your information or something like that. nothings been free in the world I grew up in. but then what you gonna do when a solar flare or maybe even a Russian or Chinese thermonuclear device makes everything electronic obsolete, might want to have a couple compasses and maps for backup. they make these really great topo map books by every state that are not all that expensive, forget what they are called, wait wait ill look it up
here we go.
https://geology.com/store/delorme-atlas.shtml

yup this electronic stuff is great while it works.
but with Putin becoming unchained who the heck knows what the future holds

[ulav8r]

Went elk hunting on public land many years ago. Had a topo map and compass, covered a lot of land and came back to within 30 yards of my car at the end of the day.

[rbuck351]

I lived and hunted in AK for about 30 years, sometimes above the arctic circle. There is not a lot of cell reception for hundreds of miles. Sat phones work for 4 or 5 minutes and then you have to wait a while until the next Sat comes by. GPS worked so long as you have batteries and you don't damage the gps or drown it. Maps and compass work but declination is severe.

[MaryB]

I lived and hunted in AK for about 30 years, sometimes above the arctic circle. There is not a lot of cell reception for hundreds of miles. Sat phones work for 4 or 5 minutes and then you have to wait a while until the next Sat comes by. GPS worked so long as you have batteries and you don't damage the gps or drown it. Maps and compass work but declination is severe.

I would imagine magnetic north would be dang near ENE from northern AK

[rbuck351]

Yeah, it's been a while now since I needed a USCGS map, but IIRC it was over 20 degrees.

[huntinlever]

This is a subscription, but is good for unknown areas.
https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app?msclkid=fbff07fd87da19de5bb065f0b51b136f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Core%20-%20Branded%20-%20Desktop&utm_term=onx%20hunt%20maps&utm_content=onX%20-%20Hunt

Older thread, but was actually going to post about a handheld and OnX. I went kicking and screaming into modern times and finally got a cell phone. Downloaded OnX and bought the I set. Pretty nifty, but the topo is a different scale than standard USGS maps, with less contour lines. Do I remember it correctly, OnX is no longer supported on the Garmins? Phone app only?

Had a Garmin 600-something, I think. Great little unit. I don't navigate by GPS (map and compass only) but it was pretty nice to mark sign waypoints, hub/corridor/edges, etc. and I forget the software but I had a good, color-coded set of maps that gave boundary lines for Nat'l Forest/private property. I'm looking at a handheld again but don't want to drop a ton of coin for it.

[huntinlever]

My phone has the map app and tells me where I am, but the topo data is lacking, as well as not showing boundaries of the national forest.

Missed this when I posted. +1.

[thxmrgarand]

I gave up on GPS about ten years ago after trying 3 or 4 popular hand-held units. I live in the 17 million acre Tongass National Forest, a very small part of Alaska but given that the Tongass is spread out over mainland and many islands it's just about identical in size to the state of Maine (for example). But the timber in this part is mostly old growth and at least the GPS units I tried were therefore useless. Has the technology changed. My cell phone coverage has improved in the past 5 years so maybe that is the way to go? I really don't find using a compass to be in any way inconvenient, inaccurate, or troublesome whatsoever but I do like toys. Is there any satellite technology that will work when in dark timber that is 200 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter on the stump?

[megasupermagnum]

I gave up on GPS about ten years ago after trying 3 or 4 popular hand-held units. I live in the 17 million acre Tongass National Forest, a very small part of Alaska but given that the Tongass is spread out over mainland and many islands it's just about identical in size to the state of Maine (for example). But the timber in this part is mostly old growth and at least the GPS units I tried were therefore useless. Has the technology changed. My cell phone coverage has improved in the past 5 years so maybe that is the way to go? I really don't find using a compass to be in any way inconvenient, inaccurate, or troublesome whatsoever but I do like toys. Is there any satellite technology that will work when in dark timber that is 200 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter on the stump?

Absolutely GPS is better now than 10 years ago. Both the technology of the satellites and the sheer number of satellites is so much better. You can no longer look up at the night sky and not see at least a couple of satellites moving along at any moment, which is both annoying and good for GPS. Of course if your signal is blocked by mountains there's not much you can do about that. There's nothing you can do to get a signal through a giant tree. All you can do is go to a clearing. I always carry maps, but that's the biggest trouble, getting good maps. To cover the area you are talking about takes so many different maps it's a pain. Our black hills national forest is tiny by comparison at 1.2 million acres, and it's mostly continuous with only smaller plots for private land. Even at full scale, 5 maps doesn't really cover the whole place. In your case you are only trying to navigate A to B. For most of us OnX is a gamechanger not for navigation, but because it show private and public land boundaries. Plat maps are a nightmare. OnX and others completely changed the game of hunting.

[GregLaROCHE]

Be careful not to get into danger with a false sense of security. If you count on a GPS to get home, what happens to you if it stops working for some reason? Better hope you have a cellphone signal.

[thxmrgarand]

Thanks for the reply from Aberdeen, SD. You're right about maps to some extent. I used to lay out timber up here and a point jutting out into salt water can be as much as 2 miles off on a USGS quadrangle! An Abney level and a good watch allowed me to redraw major feature locations on those maps. I really don't know how much correcting the feds have done with USGS quads here but they have revised the politically incorrect names of features: No ridges are called N_____ Nose, no more Squaw Creeks. A compass isn't that bad, even with the declination changing as rapidly as is the case right now. After all, if the task is to go up to a certain ridge and then make it back to the boat by dark the compass works no matter whether you have the declination set correctly or not. Finding a clearing that allows a GPS to find lots of satellites is very often not possible, but I still want to learn if pocket-sized GPS units can now better reach more satellites. Thanks again.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got a delorne pn60 and it was the Cadillac when i bought it. dont know how it holds up against the newer ones