Hey Buddy... Are You Lost?

[Stalker69]

# 3 or 4. I carry two gps units, a phone, and a gps watch.

 

[Marbles]

3. I can get in/out using a map and compass, but don't ask distance traveled or exact location. I know how to fix my location, but have not done it in years and would have issue without good landmarks.

 

[I Am Gunz]

4. I know I know. I definitely need to change that before August of '22 when I head to Colorado on a drop camp hunt.

 

[Marble]

In the last few years I started using my phone or my rhino if I'm not solo. But I know the areas so well I don't use them to navigate usually. I have marked animals in heavy timber and used the go to to help a partner when they kill something. But I've been hunting the areas I hunt for 20 years and just the woods there.

I use Onx and my rhino to track back when I am leading/riding my horse. That feature is useful.

But rarely use anything for going up, down or across the mountain. Or back home or to my horse.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[slatty]

Internet 2, realistically a 3.
I always have 2 compasses with me. The issue in BC is finding good enough topo maps, they're hard to come by. The topography is so dramatic with ridges and rivers that realistically it would take a lot to get lost (but I appreciate it can happen).

 

[Sccritterkiller]

2.5ish I can get by with maps but I don't usually carry them I do carry a small compass..like others have said 1 is none and 2 is 1 betwen my watch, phone, and inreach never had an issue.

 

[LostArra]

When I'm in new country I keep a regular magnetic compass handy and take a glance occasionally throughout the day just to keep oriented. I also check my back trail on a regular basis. Seeing where I've been and what it looks like is helpful to me.

I used to have a photo of two electronic compasses on a gps and phone that showed almost opposite directions. A buddy and I were caught in a white out snow storm with no visual horizon. Fortunately we weren't "lost" but definitely bewildered and disoriented by our electronic gadgets. The magnetic compass took us thru some rough terrain but we made it back to camp.

I'm usually a 2. but have occasional moments of a 3

 

[cnelk]

My GPS ruins my sense of direction when I pay too much attention to it.

Bingo

 

[mlgc20]

Probably a 2. I'm in my late 40's. So, I was using maps and a compass long before GPS became popular. And for a while I used to carry paper maps as a backup to GPS. Now I just take a picture of the map as backup in case my GPS isn't working. If my phone/GPS flakes out, I'm not worried about figuring my way out. Although recently I've started bringing maps and a compass to teach my daughters how to navigate without GPS. Even though I don't use it much anymore, it's a skill worth having if you spend time in the backcountry.

 

[CMF]

I'd say 3 or other. I've never spent time trying to use a compass and map, but I have usually studied the area I'm in ahead of time on maps, online, and paper. I pay attention to the terrain and landmarks and feel like I haven't been in a place yet that I wouldn't be able to find my way out of, but, I've only been out west a few times the last few years and here in MS, I'm never more than a mile from a road. I do carry a small compass, but never needed it.
I've been using onX on my phone, I'm usually with someone else with a phone and I have an InReach mini.
My old Garmin eTrex is on ebay now since I haven't touched it the last few years with onX.

 

[Kquinn511]

3.
Though I've always carried a compass I've never had the need to break it out even with a dead GPS. Situational awareness of how the drainages flow and large landmarks have at least gotten me close to where I need to be. That's not to say that I haven't missed my mark plenty of times.

 

[Backyard]

#2
I've always carried a map & compass. Probably always will even with a GPS.
Always have a backup...

 

[Pacific_Fork]

In the lower 48 getting lost is hard to do if you half ways pay attention on your hike in somewhere IMO. I had a friend freak out one year late at night hiking out of a deep dark canyon no moon or head lamps telling me we are going the wrong direction. I assured him it’s very simple, we came in here following down river so we leave going up river. Still argued, but of course we made it following my lead. A compass works well too. I’d probably get lost in Alaska without anything tho...

 

[Sunbkpk]

About a 2. My dad got disoriented by his magnetic compass once until he realized he had a steel watchband. I have seen the GPS show the wrong direction then switch direction 100 feet away. Still have to use your head.

 

[NateK]

I have a pretty terrible sense of direction. That being said if I find my way in using terrain I can usually find my way out using terrain. If I find my way in via GPS and the batteries die I am 100% screwed.

Always have a compass and usually a topo map as well for back up and can use them to get out.

 

[trophyhill]

I have my InReach GPS w/maps, OnX and GAIA on both phones and my Garmin 60CSX if all else fails if that tells you anything. Although the last couple years I’ve gotten a ton better at navigating without looking at any of it. I went for a hike after work yesterday and marked my atv and walked right to it in the dark without peaking

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

2.5 probably. I always try to have land marks memorized, or will flag my trail if I'm in fog. And I always have a direction of a road. Even if it's far. Like "stay heading east eventually will hit highway". Mountains help a lot. I could see myself getting lost in some flat areas.

I got lost pretty bad in a fogbank years ago. Got really turned around in it. Got back to the car pretty close to hypothermia. Hands were so numb I had to use both hands to open the door.
Started to emphasize a lot more on making sure I can get out of those situations better. Lol

 

[Drenalin]

1.5 maybe, closer to 2 probably. I've got a lot of training/experience with map and compass, but I also don't use this stuff as much as I used to.

 

[elkyinzer]

I'm going to go 2.5-3. As long as there is terrain and sightlines I can navigate with map and compass. Throw me in flat woods or a situation where I am fogged in and I am a GPS junky.

 

[Moserkr]

According to your list Im a 2. I have no official map reading or navigation training. I get lost in the city easily, but not in the woods. Id feel plenty comfortable with a map and compass if I needed to navigate although I never carry a paper map.

For hunting I always know where Im going first, the major landmarks, and directions in/out, lost or not. Of course I have my gps thats never failed, and a compass Ive never had to use. Common sense and keeping calm in bad situations is worth the most to me.