GPS

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Steve Gray S
Steve Gray Sep 30, 2005 09:55:24
Replying to FourWinds

I use a Pocket PC with GPS and I have the full UK Landranger maps for it. It's clever enough to automatically recognise waypoints in any format.

When I was on Dartmoor last year I was quite suddenly enveloped in thick cloud/fog. Visibility was down to just a few feet. Without my GPS it would have been a big problem to find my way back to the car. A paper map (which I had with me) is only useful if you can see landmarks. A compass (which I also had) is only any good if you either walk in a straight line (not easy on moorland) or have some accurate way to measure distance travelled combined with a decent knowledge of trigonometry.

As it was, all I had to do was to use my GPS to follow, in reverse, the route I had taken on the way out.

Even when I know exactly where I'm going, it's still nice to look at the GPS log afterwards and see the distance covered and the height profile of the terrain.

L Lubin
Lubin Sep 30, 2005 19:05:43
Replying to Steve Gray

I go onto Dartmoor a lot and Have never had any problems in the fog or at night useing only a map and a compass. I once had to get myself from the north Teign back to Postbridge in a very dense fog that came down without warning, useing just the map as I had forgotten the compass. The way to do it is to find walls or streams , all marked on the map, and follow them.

Peace Lubin.