Comments on Poll, So Far

[RTSpoons]

3/8/12 I will focus on just one section of the poll, navigation. It is assumed most people on the members section of the poll are steady hikers. The question, what type of hiking do these members do:

1. Always on trail
2. Mostly on trail, but once and awhile off-trail
3. 50% on trail and 50% off trail
4. Mostly off trail

The reason I raise this question, 78% of the people carry a map/compass, 32% use m/c as primary tool for nav., 20% use gps with m/c for nav., and only 8% use GPS as primary.

I recently hiked to Basin, I looked at the map before hand at home, I carried a map and compass, and I did not carry my gps. I did not use either on the marked trails.

Now, if I were going off-trail: I would not only study the map at home I would load my gps with waypoints for the hike to my destination. I would carry m/c, and I would fall into the 20%, use gps with m/c. I would have used both extensively.

If you are on a marked trail, I would guess most people do not use a m/c or gps to nav. to a summit.

Any feedback?