[pct-l] Using a GPS on a low snow year

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, all,

When I must replace my last Garmin Geko-201 GPS – I’ve had several of them
– I will probably look most seriously at the tiny Foretrex, or whatever
it’s functional equivalent may be at the time.

My need is for a GPS receiver to be simple and lite, with a few basic
features.  I use the GPS on-demand rather than keeping it running all, or
most of, the time.

I don’t scrimp on usage, and I carry an extra set or two of batteries, but
I almost never run a set dry.  On a long resupply section where there may
be extensive snow cover I would carry two extra pairs of batteries. At a
resupply stop I arbitrarily discard the batteries in the machine and
install new ones.

I don’t use a mapping GPS, and mine has a simple monochrome display.  I
have nothing against mapping GPSs except I will carry HalfMile maps
regardless, and a heavier mapping GPS receiver isn’t worth the weight to me.

I install some of HalfMiles waypoints; but not waypoints for every
half-mile.  I include most water sources, particularly in the dry areas, and I
include some trail and road junctions -- those where I may want to take
some kind action.

I regularly use the GPS for two tasks:  1) I save the location of every one
of my campsites to include in my Journal.  That’s not an essential function
but I just like to do it.  2) During the hiking day when I’m stopped for a
break, I turn the GPS on and look at the CLOSEST WAYPOINT screen to easily
place my progress among the waypoints noted on the Half-Mile maps.  I don’t
need to know the location relative to half-mile waypoints – meaning
quarter-mile accuracy – full miles serve very well.

During the day when snowpack is extensive like it was in ’11, I progress by
hiking towards the next waypoint.  I will probably never arrive at that
waypoint because as soon as I get close I choose the next point beyond it
for a target. That may sound like the same thing, but it isn’t.  By
insisting upon closely arriving at each waypoint I often would have to hike
perpendicular to my general direction of progress and search for it, and
often it will be through something that makes walking difficult.  By
consciously ignoring close waypoints I can do a much better job of choosing
an open walking route.  Over snowpack it is not possible to consistently
set foot on, or even above, every bit of the trail.  At that point I’m
walking a route rather than a trail, and so-be-it.

Another useful function of a GPS is the POINT RELATIVE option.  If there is
a location for which I don’t have a waypoint, I can inspect my map and
determine fairly closely by distance and bearing its location relative to
some waypoint I do have.  The GPS will let me enter that distance and
bearing relative to any known waypoint, then display the location of my
desired location which I can then save and GOTO.

Enjoy your planning,

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/


On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 12:48 PM, Halfmile <list at lon.net> wrote:

> I agree with Steel-Eye on this.
> I will point out that since he wrote his journal entry, Garmin
> introduced the Foretrex 401 model GPS which only weighs 2.3 ounces
> (with lithium batteries, if you remove the wrist strap). It's pretty
> much a smaller, lighter, updated Geko. You can do a lot with a
> non-mapping GPS and UTM grids.
> If you decide you want a mapping GPS the new Garmin Etrex 30 is very good.
> -Halfmile
> www.pctmap.net
>