[pct-l] GPS Woes and benefits

[Rod Belshee]

I used it in the manner of which you query.  Maybe even less.   I just 
carried the GPS (Vista HC) as backup, and it was handy for those times when 
I wasn't sure ("did that creek count as the third one on the map, or is this 
an unmapped trickle?"), which was sometimes a couple of times a day, though 
on most days not turned on at all. Maybe I averaged about once per day?

Net batteries use?  Well, it was comical.  I had pre-packed new lithium 
batteries periodically in my re-supply boxes.  Two months into the hike, I 
was carrying the GPS with its original batteries, plus two new sets of 
batteries from my re-supply! Ultimately I used three pairs of batteries for 
the five months, but actually hadn't run any down to zero.  Three years 
later I still have one last pair of lithium batteries that I purchased for 
the hike stored in my freezer.  In retrospect, I probably could have gone 
the whole trail, and certainly could have picked up a new set along the way 
if they ran dry.

By the way, but I have found that I use my GPS very differently while 
kayaking. There I appreciate the maps (I find it harder to visually identify 
my location on water than on the trail), the buoy locations, shipping lanes, 
the speed (great for determining the current), etc..  So I get that it can 
be fun to have the GPS always on on the trail too, but for me it happens to 
be more fun on the trail to rely on map and visual identification, the sun 
and a watch for direction, dead reckoning for distance, and reserve the GPS 
as a backup if that doesn't work out so well. If that matches you, don't 
worry about batteries at all -- you might need to buy one new set along the 
way.

I do recommend lithium since they are lighter weight and longer lasting.

Rod

--------------------------------------------------
From: <rcluster at comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 10:41 AM
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] GPS Woes and benefits

> Hi Gary,
>
> Well, pulling a figure out of my...uh....hat (yeah that's it...)
>
> Figuring that 5 minutes should be plenty of time to turn it on, get a 
> lock, and write down or save a position....and erring on the conservative 
> side....16 hours of battery life would give you 192 of those five minute 
> "operations". If you did that a couple of times a day, that would be a bit 
> over 3 months.
>
> This is a WAG of course. If anyone has actually tracked the battery life 
> this way lets hear what you came up with.
>
> Ron Cluster
> Snowplow
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Gary Wright" <gwtmp01 at mac.com>
> To: "Pat" <krozby at zoominternet.net>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 10:31:13 AM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] GPS Woes and benefits
>
>
> On Jun 28, 2010, at 1:22 PM, Pat wrote:
>>> Will last for 2-3 hiking days on continuously (8-10 hrs/day).
>
> I understand that some people like to have a continuous record of their 
> journey but it seems like a lot of trouble to keep a GPS unit on 
> continuously due to the battery drain. Can anyway comment on how long some 
> of these unit's last if they are only turned on when 'needed' or perhaps 
> just to pinpoint your location at the end of the day?
>
> Radar
>
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