I am an old fart who started with map & compass, embraced GPS when it first appeared and find it a very useful TOOL out here in WY. My buddy who is a real expert with map & compass just replaced his ancient Magellan GPS with a new Delorme with all the zoomy software. It is an excellent machine, if you want to spend your life playing with a GPS & software. As with most of today's techno gizmos, it is gross overkill on the features and the user interface makes working with DOS look easy. While the mapping software is excellent, to actually make a map and load it to the GPS is akin to starting with an live English oak tree and ending up with a Holland & Holland double stock. I live in the MAC word with this wonderful concept called "drag & drop". One would think you would make the map, save it as a file on the desktop, plug in the GPS into the computer and drag & drop the map to the GPS.....in your dreams. I lost count of the number of steps needed to do it while trying to read the microscopic print on the GPS. No, I am not a Luddite, my FL boat has a "cheap" ($1300) Garmin GPS with a little chip you plug into it that has all the NOAA maps from Maine to the Bahamas. I have no trouble getting around the FL keys with it and all controls are 90% intuitive. For land I have about a 3 generation old Magellan which works fine. When you get down to it there is no substitute for having the USGS and BLM maps, draw the UTM lines on them, get the little plastic gizmo that relates the lines to UTM coords and then plot from the GPS where you are or find "the spot" by doing the process in reverse. I think I am going to order that new Bushnell hockey puck GPS for about $60. Only 3 waypoints, no maps and a built in compass. KISS!
Finally, don't forget TWO compasses and when all else fails, loosen up the reins as the horse will get you back to the trailer.
Finally, don't forget TWO compasses and when all else fails, loosen up the reins as the horse will get you back to the trailer.
