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[pct-l] with GPS, no MIA on PCT



There is a particularly nice GPS unit being sold by Garmin that seems like a 
good choice for the PCT. It is the Map 60-CS. It uses AA batteries and has a 
very low drain rate if used in the manner that some are recommending. It 
weighs in at about 8 oz and is water resistant. The nice feature, besides 
GPS, compass, barometer, altimeter, pedometer and 'speed'ometer, is that it 
you can install maps of the entire US which include the PCT marked as a 
trail (minus recent detours and changes incurred from flood and fires). 
These proprietary maps are equivalent to 1:100,000 scale USGS-- so they are 
not real detailed. But your position is updated constantly by the GPS.
 I have used map and compass all of my life while backpacking. I have this 
obsession with knowing where on the map I am and knowing what to expect and 
I still have it. GPS has been one heck of an innovation there. I agree that 
it remains a matter of convenience and should not be a substitution for the 
basics. I'll always carry a compass in case the extra batteries are dead or 
the unit should fail. But maybe the number of maps could be reduced with an 
integrated GPS system. One other thing, The PCT 3-CD set can extract 
waypoints for the critical trail junctions and water stops as described in 
the PCT trail guides. They can be uploaded to this unit through the use of a 
freeware plug-in to a third-party program called Ozzie explorer that 
interfaces with the PCT CD set. It took me a while to discover this system 
and the potential of this GPS unit. If someone is interested, I can provide 
some of the information I've obtained about putting this system together.
>
> I agree with the other posters that 95% of the time you won't need that 
> stuff.  Most of the time you just follow the footprints of the herd.  But 
> being careful when you get to an unmarked trail junction or unclear road 
> crossing can save invaluable time.  Also, I noticed quite a few 
> thru-hikers who spent a few minutes every evening reading the 
> guidebook/Yogi pages and maps related to the trail they were covered the 
> next day so they knew what to expect and knew where the questionable 
> junctions would be.