Track-back GPS

[White Horseradish]

The mention of GPS in the backpacker thread made me think of these little GPS thingies that are about the size of a compass and rather than having a map have a function to mark a spot and then point to it so that you can find your way back. It seems like a neat gizmo to have just in case. Has anybody used them? Do they work worth a damn?

[Fly320s]

A buddy has a watch with GPS that he wears jogging. It does a good job of tracking his route, but I don't know if the route can be retraced via the watch.

[Devonai]

Though rather more expensive, my Android has a simple but effective GPS nav program.  It's easy to set waypoints and navigate between them.

[White Horseradish]

Though rather more expensive, my Android has a simple but effective GPS nav program.  It's easy to set waypoints and navigate between them.

I am mistrustful of phone-based GPS. For one, nav units are usually at least water resistant to some degree, and phones aren't. For two, a lot of the phone navigators require a data connection to work. I don't have a data plan and places where I'd be concerned about navigation don't always have signal, anyway.

[Frank Castle]

I have a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx hand held.  Few years ago , i was stationed at Fort Huachuca . Me and a buddy head out to find Geronimo surrender monument. Well we miss it , and it's been a few hours driving on dirt roads. Then we start to find snow , see sign saying were at 6800 feet and something happen at that spot in 1860. I don't care it this point!

So i use the Garmin to find nearest main road, it find I10 and were 40 mile south of it in NEW MEXIO.This is a big problem, we have 2 pistol in the trunk.

We kept driving and finelly find a dirtroad heading east.  So we followed the GPS / road and head east to we find I10

We got on I10 and got back to AZ were we were legal.

]http://abell.as.arizona.edu/~hill/4x4/skeleton/skeleton.html]

[Boomhauer]

The mention of GPS in the backpacker thread made me think of these little GPS thingies that are about the size of a compass and rather than having a map have a function to mark a spot and then point to it so that you can find your way back. It seems like a neat gizmo to have just in case. Has anybody used them? Do they work worth a damn?

Spend the little bit of extra money on a full featured GPS unit instead, IMHO. You can find models on closeout for the cost of one of those trackback GPS units. I brought a Garmin Foretrex for $50 at Aldis, for example.

[BobR]

I just did the underwriting on one for the Friends of the NRA Banquet. It cost me 25 dollars. It auctioned for 100 dollars, it was for a good cause. The point is, if I can underwrite it for 25 dollars that is about what it really costs.

bob

[White Horseradish]

Spend the little bit of extra money on a full featured GPS unit instead, IMHO. You can find models on closeout for the cost of one of those trackback GPS units. I brought a Garmin Foretrex for $50 at Aldis, for example.

I was thinking along the lines of a backup I could stick in my pocket at the beginning and forget about it unless something happened.

[Boomhauer]

I was thinking along the lines of a backup I could stick in my pocket at the beginning and forget about it unless something happened.

The little Foretrex is small enough to do exactly that.

[White Horseradish]

That is tiny... For some reason I thought it was bigger.

[Boomhauer]

That is tiny... For some reason I thought it was bigger.

You're thinking of the ETrex which is their standard handheld unit and bigger. The Foretrex is small and made to be worn on the wrist like a watch.

[Ron]

While it does have a backtrack feature the screen on the Foretrex is tiny. I don't believe it has any basemap either.

The Foretrex is used a lot by those who just need their coordinates to plot their location on the map. I've been playing with the idea of getting one to use and making sure I have a UTM grid on my maps and a grid reader in my kit while backpacking.

For nearly the same amount of money I'd get the Etrex 20, if you are just looking for a good all around GPS that has a basemap.

[RoadKingLarry]

nav units are usually at least water resistant to some degree, and phones aren't.

It's a conspiracy man, the cost to make phones at least water resistant would be tiny but the phone makers don't want waterproof phones.

[CNYCacher]

My, how terms change

"GPS-based map navigation system" becomes "GPS" while "GPS" becomes "You know, like a GPS, but without a map?"

But to answer your question: Yes.  Small, inexpensive handheld GPS units like the Garmin eTrex and similar are very handy for knowing where you are relative to where you been.  They are designed for exactly the purpose you are referring to, and should be standard equipment when you go off the beaten path.  A smartphone is not a replacement for a standalone GPS unit.  Good luck getting your smartphone to run for 36 hours on a set of AA batteries, in the rain, 100 miles from a cell tower.

[RevDisk]

Good luck getting your smartphone to run for 36 hours on a set of AA batteries, in the rain, 100 miles from a cell tower.

Solar panels, lithium power packs, and a cell repeater.  Have done it.   

[BobR]

So i use the Garmin to find nearest main road, it find I10 and were 40 mile south of it in NEW MEXIO.This is a big problem,

Why the big problem? It isn't like it is another country or something.   

bob

[birdman]

Solar panels, lithium power packs, and a cell repeater.  Have done it.   

And a GPS app that doesn't require cell service (and downloadable maps)
I can get almost a 200-300mile radius of topo map at good resolution stored on my phone and no active service required.  10-15hr of battery life (or more, with GPS on, and transmitters off, and minimal backlight)

With a solar panel and backup battery...why not?

A GPS doesn't allow the hundreds of pages of reference materials, TM's, and other good resources as well to be stored.

Personally, I think a good smart phone with the right apps and pdf's in a waterproof case is a great survival tool...with the appropriate accessories of course.  And even with a big (like the size of a smart phone) battery, it's of comparable size and mass to an equivalently capable GPS-only unit.

[Frank Castle]

Why the big problem? It isn't like it is another country or something.

Gun laws. This was back in 06 before NM reciprocity with AZ or was it the other way around. 

I knew if i got back to AZ i was legal to carry.