Map reader beats GPS

[TFR]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061110/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_satnav

An interesting article. Not about hiking but cars. Still the last line of the article is:

"It's more likely that a combination of route-finding methods will be the quickest and best".

[Jay H]

As a bicycle tourer who has used my Etrex Vista in my bike to Maine, I found that it is true that the GPS isn't really the fastest method, what it is good for is having a lot of information without having to carry a ton of maps. Although I had a cue sheet for my trip to Maine from NJ using Adventure Cycling's (ACA)Atlantic Coastal Route which I used from basically New Paltz, NY to Sebago Lake in Maine, I used a combination of the ACA's cue sheet, my GPS, and some state DOT maps for Maine. What is nice with the GPS in conjunction with maps, is it can give you a rough estimate to cities. Obviously they are straight line distances but I would simply add about 30-40% of the mileage and it would give me a route estimate for arrival time and the Vista has a basemap of some or most(?) county level roads for the US which is typically what bike tourers use to go places. Of course, I did a lot of planning before hand and even though I had a cue sheet, I did do some basic research in the various states I was going across and requested information from all the states as per the cycling rules and bike-friendly routes.

As an aside, you folks who do bike should check out your state's DOT, I've gotten free maps (some of them very very nice, like NH's) for Maine, NH, CT. Massachusetts has some of the best maps but they aren't free, VT has a nice map for the Lake Champlain valley too.

Jay

[hawk]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061110/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_satnav

An interesting article. Not about hiking but cars. Still the last line of the article is:

"It's more likely that a combination of route-finding methods will be the quickest and best".

I'd be inclined to agree with the article. Using any software to map automobile routes, the "autoroute" feature of most software does not give the fastest or shortest route possible even when it has them as options.

I use Garmin's metroguide to set up routes to places I am unfamilar with. Once it has drawn the route, based on my begin and end points, I usually have to go in and add some midpoints as "vias".

So in this case as in any other, it still gets down to the human element.

In the wild, with the understanding that "the person with the gps is very experienced in programming (setting up the routes) and using it" {Please note the quoted text before debating} I'll take the gps over the map and compass for convenience and speed every time, and I have extensive map and compass skills.

It all gets back to the information that you've put into the Gps and how accurate that information is. If it's accurate and you've done it right, you need only glance at the Navigation Screen of the unit for your course or bearing, and a quick click of a button to view the map and identify your surroundings. As you travel, if you have the tracking turned on, you have no need to stop and take a back bearing at any time.