[pct-l] (no subject)

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good evening, Rich,

There is no “best GPS” receiver; there is only a variety of opinions.  Since
you had to ask the question I have to assume you are probably an inexpert
and inexperienced with these wonderfully magic machines.  My opinion will
probably differ significantly from most other hikers.

I’ve had GPS receivers – probably 6 or 7 of them – since the ‘mid-90s, and
I love them, but the first thing I will say is PCT hikers don’t really need
one.  Thousands of more-or-less average hikers have completed the PCT
without one before they became generally available.

I’m an ultra-lite hiker so I don’t add weight without a pretty good reason,
but I do carry about 4 oz. of receiver and extra batteries.  It’s one of my
few luxuries, and I do understand it and use it.  If someone can’t or won’t
take the time before a hike to really learn what it will and will not do –
reinforced with lots of practice – I’d say it isn’t worth carrying.

I always carry a compass, and currently a set of HalfMile’s fine maps, so
the GPS is only for my interest and amazement.  I use it regularly, but I
am always ready to revert to pure map & compass work “just in case.”
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=265247

Since I always plan to have good paper maps, I don’t need maps on a GPS
receiver.  I use the receiver to, 1) identify my actual position so I can  view
where it is on the paper map, 2) give me confidence that I can find
important places like water sources, trailheads, adjoining  trails, etc.
and, 3) I like to set a waypoint at every one of my campsites just so I’ll
remember.

The little 3.5 oz. Garmin Geko-201 that I use is out of production but
eventually I will replace it with whatever is its functional equivalent may
be.

Features I want – in addition to light weight – are:  A simple, monochrome
display showing my location in UTM coordinates; a GOTO feature; memory for
a few hundred waypoints; a (preferably USB) connection to my computer’s
TOPO!’s maps; and sufficient battery life for my usage between resupply
stops.  For that I carry, but seldom use, an extra pair of AAA batteries.
I'm much less fond of rechargeable batteries.

Beyond that I’m not interested, particularly if additional features involve
size and weight.  GPSs are one of the greatest up-sell products in the
hiker-tech market.  People come away from a sales pitch feeling guilty that
they will almost certainly become hopelessly lost without the super-duper
high end model.  I can, and do, buy any piece of gear that I want, and I
don’t have one of the high end models.  If I did have one to play with
around my home stomping grounds, I would still carry the tiny, ultra-lite
model on a long hike.

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, Mar 7, 2012 at 1:23 AM, Rich Cunrod <cunrodr at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am just wondering if there has been any discussion on the best GPS to use
> use for the PCT.  I do not want to spend a ton of money, but will pay for
> good gear,
> Thanks
>
> --
> "We can not dictate the direction  of the wind.
> We can adjust our sails to use it to our advantage.
>
> Live Life in Flip Flops
>
> Rich Cunrod
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.
>