GPS

I also suggest using re-chargeable batteries... And several sets for back up. Store them in a largeish pill bottle or a toothbrush carrier. The more you can leave the unit running the more info you have. You can mark major turns in your path incase you lose the breadcrumb trail. Leaving the marks un named will give sequential numbering so you can see the order they were made. These little things make it easier to use if you become disoriented mentally due to fatigue, injury, dehydration etc...
Brent
 
HD, I've really become fond of the Lithium batteries available today. The old NiMH are great if fresh off the charger, but after a couple weeks or even months they are usually worse than cheapie alkaline. The eneloops are the exception from what I've heard.
 
I have a Garmin Etrex. They work best with a compass. You can get your bearing from the gps, and then find it with a real compass. It is very easy to take the wrong direction with a gps only. Best - Ted
 
I love GPSs. suckers are handy, and not just for hunting. Great for measuring distance. Keeping you in your hunting area. Last year, a guy was elk hunting on the mountain behind my house. We border on the SD border. He got a nice 6 by elk, but lost it to the SD game warden cause he was 200 yards on the wrong side of the line. A simple GPS with a warning beep, tells me when I cross the wrong side of the line.

One hint though, always carry a pincel and paper, record all your important grid cords. You lose a battery, or loose satalites you may loose your date. That could really get touchy if you are crousing in a place like the Big Horns.

Also a GPS wont replace a map and compass, you need all three.
 
I spend some of my time as a member of a local Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team. We spend a lot of time looking for hunters that "got turned around" and were a few hours or days late coming home.
The private that team I work with uses dogs for airscent searches and relies heavily on GPS in this part of Western Oregon. My advice is to learn map and compass and survival skills and PRACTICE THEM ONCE A YEAR! Then get a SPOT and a GPS. My team uses Garmin eTrex "H" versions and a few of us have the 60CsX units. Your local sporting goods shops, Sportmans Warehouses, REIs etc should offer map & compass and GPS skill classes every season.
PS take spare batteries and RTFM- Read The Freaking Manual!
 
RTFM- Read The Freaking Manual!
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adding to collection of acronyms. :)

Good stuff

So in summary, RTFM to CYA or you'll soon be SOL; and OY bring the NiMH or Li when you're in BFE or PDXGS will have to BYAO.
 
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All of that or one of my SAR K9 teams will have to deploy and BYAO-bail your ass out!

PS- a great way to hone your GPS skills is to participate in Geocaching....look it up!
 
The bushnell Sholling posted looks interesting and easy to use.

I currently have a Ifinder H2O but want to find something simple to use.

Id like one easy to mark and save waypoints with and to show the path I came in on.
I dont need a bunch of overlays or other added goodies like most of them are stuffed with.
 
I have a Garmin GPSmap 60Cx and it is an awesome little unit... I use it for work though not for any navigation, I do know that it doesnt lose reception in thick bush like a lot of units will and its very easy to use.
 
As a newbie to GPS here are some of the things I'm in the process of discovering the hard way.
I Have a Garmin Etrex BTW.

You NEED paper maps, not a problem as I'm an old map 'n compass guy anyway.

You have a sharp learning curve to make the unit work for you. You'll be learning & understanding a bunch of new terms, make sure you do.

Getting the map information matching to the settings on the GPS menus is frustrating first time round, just keep practicing & it'll work.

Setting locations you're at is a snap & very accurate.

Programming in locations from a map is much harder & less accurate. But it will get you close enough to re-enter the location once you get there.

Magellan 400 "Adventure pack" avoid it.
The unit is fine, the software, both to connect to the computer & the maps is horrible. I returned mine after 4 days of trying to get the unit to work with the software, and the maps won't work with the unit till this is done.
The "Gift" map software, valued at $50.00 is FREE on the web.:barf:

Having said that I like the Etrex & am finding more & more uses for it as I get used to it. It's even more usefull with a map & compass.
 
Amazon sells a get up and running on the etrex Vista video which I found useful. It doesn't go into great depth but it's helpful if you have that unit.
 
I like my unit to read in Degrees, Minutes and Decimal Minutes, but TOPO maps are in Degrees, Minutes and Seconds. I developed a spreadsheet that converts both ways and has provisions for finding a feature location on a TOPO and giving the location in Degrees, Minutes and Decimal Minutes for entry into the GPS and for taking GPS entries in Degrees, Minutes and Decimal Minutes and pinpointing them on a TOPO in Degrees, Minutes and Seconds. I also wrote a program for an HP 32-SII to do the same.

Yeah... I could switch the display units on the GPS faster, but that would take the fun out of it. :)
 
Grym - unfortunately, I spent way too much time in the Army and have to use UTM coords. My GPS does those fine.

My buddy (ex-Navy) uses Lat-Long - I can't figure out how anyone uses those.....
 
Grym - unfortunately, I spent way too much time in the Army and have to use UTM coords. My GPS does those fine.
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I've seen them there UTM units on the maps and assume my GPSR would work with them, but I haven't bothered to educate myself.... yet.

More fun! :)
 
Some of the new models are interesting but I'll swear by my ancient Garmin. I bought one of the first, I can't even remember how many years ago... 12, 13 yrs? Mine is a Garmin GPS 90 aviation model that I bought for my plane, so it gives me exactly what I need to know when hunting. (C'mon... every hunter needs to know whose airspace they're approaching and a 'Go To Nearest Airport' panic button, don't they?)

I still like a topo map and compass, but the ability to find my way back to anywhere after a quick waypoint entry is a real leg saver, especially when you can't see any landmarks for all the trees. I suppose the new map data and high res models have their place, but I don't hunt with the GPS on. I turn it on to enter waypoints I need, or think I might need, and that's about it. I've never switched the datum from lat/long and think other nav options and features would be wasted on me. All I really want from it is a bearing back to the truck, camp, atv, horse, whatever. But don't think I didn't zoom out to see where the closest airport was 4 days ago. We got two elk down in a canyon and I nearly had a thought about calling a helicopter to long line them out. (Hmmm, there's a potential advantage for an aviation model, after all! "From your airport, fly a heading of 287 for 22 nm to this lat/long. I'll be the one waving an orange safety vest.") :rolleyes:

For me, GPS is a wonderful back-up when doubt arises. I'm guessing that most people would be plenty happy with simple models equipped with a basic 'Get Home' (or back to waypoint) function, and a simple, intuitive interface. Then again, I'm not one to RTFM when I can avoid it. I'm more the TIOALOTF (Turn It On And Learn On The Fly) kind.

And, hey! Dangerous game hunters: Garmin makes an automotive model with a back up camera that puts the rear view on your nav screen. Just hang the lens on your back pack and ol Griz won't sneak up on ya. ;)

(Put Garmin (NasdaqGS: GRMN) on your watch list. Good product. Good company. First pick for GPS now and going forward. I'm going to buy the stock back when the tide turns.)
 
If you're looking for a GPS, instead of a mapping GPS, which is what it sounds like, then the Etrex will work fine for you. Although discontinued it's still available.
I'm finding it to be just "tekkie" enough, while simple to set up & use.

As for use with a map I played round with several types of coordinate systems & ended up with the UTM & 7.5 minute maps. These come out at about 2 1/2" to the mile, so I find the overall coverage & detail to have a nice balance for anything I'd do on foot, or with a vhiecle locally.

You will find you need a couple of tools to really make the combination shine.

The grid squares for UTM don't exactly match any measuring ruler I have. There is a toolkit available from the USGS that fixes the issue well & cheaply.
It consists of a ruler, 90 degree ruler & grid overlay, all transpoarent. These run about $10.00 shipped & make remote plotting a lot easier.
 
I'm wondering now if I change my setting to degree, minute, seconds, will my saved coordinates change accordingly. I am now in degree, minute, decimal minute.
Old yeller E-Trex. jd
 
I'm wondering now if I change my setting to degree, minute, seconds, will my saved coordinates change accordingly.
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Mine unit does that and yours should too. The coordinates are the coordinates and switching units should only affect how they're displayed.
 
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