I guess I know where I'm going on today's lunch break.Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu
Thanks for the recommendation!
What I don't understand is how useful a GPS will be when we go up to Maine late this month to do an AT section hike
a GPS wont necessarily be useful for an AT section hike-----------unless you go off trail and get horribly lost....
for the most part----following the AT is easy----just follow the white blazes and know your direction...
plenty of people hike the AT without a GPS, or a map........
i would also suggest when you go to REI----to check out their class schedule and see if they have one on map and compass reading..........
i believe they have offered them in the past...........
Before you go to REI, you might be perfectly fine with the built-in GPS on your smartphone if either you or your husband own one. These are great, especially when paired with inexpensive apps that download topo and/or satellite maps which can be used when you don't have cell service. The App I use is Gaia GPS and it was $20 one time fee (and I can download as many maps as I want). Like I mentioned before you'll want to carry a small USB charger just in case the cell phone battery dies (these are like $10-30 depending on capacity). The smartphone won't be quite as accurate as a real hand-held GPS (but we're talking tens of feet here so it's a moot point), and can have less features, but it still works beautifully for me.I guess I know where I'm going on today's lunch break.
Thanks for the recommendation!
For the ones at REI they come in two types: basic ~$80 GPS units which won't have any maps on them (just the ability to see your GPS coordinates and track back to a waypoint you created and such - still need a paper map for these), or some of the more expensive units can come with digital maps, or have the ability to load maps on them (but I find that map software is expensive unless you have the knowledge to load maps you get off websites onto them for free). Both types will be much more rugged than your cell phone, usually waterproof (but FYI, they don't float...found that out the hard wayand have much better battery life than your smartphone.
Biggest thing about a dedicated GPS unit (vs Smart Phone) is battery life. GPS software can drain a smart phone battery in an afternoon. A dedicated unit like the Garmin should last a few days on rechargeable batteries, or a week on Lithium batteries.
It's not only battery life but durability and waterproofness. As far as battery life a typical Garmin GPS will get about 25 hrs on a set of 2 AA batteries (alkaline or lithium. Lithium contains about the same energy as alkaline but better in high drain devices which a GPS is not and also cold weather ) which is about 2500 mAh at 3 V. A smartphone will typically have 1600 mAh at the same voltage so it starts out with less. So as far as battery life is concerned the dedicated GPS is about 2x as efficient which can be offset by a external battery pack at a fraction of the cost and about equal weights and bulk.
But the ruggedness and ability to use the GPS while raining and the ease of popping in fresh batteries are nods to standalone GPS.
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Definitely carry extra batteries. My Garmin eTrex lasts 2 days, 3 max on a pair of AAs. Turn it off at night or you will find yourself with dead batteries. The best batteries are well worth it, cheap ones may only last 1 day.
did you notice the power line cutting through there from the dam? should make for a good landmark for yas... goes right over Maynard.
...and you can always follow the creek downstream back to the highway.
Don't have smart phones. I ordered a GPS. Should arrive in about a week. We'll have some fun learning how to use it before attempting to rely on it in an off-trail adventure.
Good points, Ashepabst, about the creek and powerlines. With this area being so close to the edge of the Park, and with the old trails following streams 95% of the time, bushwhacking doesn't seem to be as risky as a more remote area might potentially be. In any event, we do not want to be the subject of a news story about "lost unprepared hikers", so we'll proceed with caution, with a GPS, and with extra batteries.
I just googled the nekkid lady and found another GoSmokies write-up with pictures! and artifacts! This is right in the area we wanna explore. Awesome!
http://gosmokies.knoxnews.com/profil...-of-shop-creek
One of those guys is a former coworker of mine and this write up is what we used to find her..
keep in mind---that area has changed a bunch since that write up (almost ten years ago)..
One of the big trees used as a landmark has fallen and blocks her...
(I think I went up in 2007 or 2008)
Bingo!
http://gosmokies.knoxnews.com/profil...ughes-cemetery
Excerpt:
As previously stated there is one of the best home places in the area just below the cemetery. It may have been home to Jason Maynard or perhaps another Maynard family member.
Two chimney remains are present and judging by the lay of land it appeared to be a good sized house.
interesting.....
now my interest is peaked and may have to make a run down there and check it out...............
I have 2 thoughts on this subject:
1/ In '77, on my first thru, I got lost in the smokies while hiking the AT.
I kept looking at the map and thought I had gone off the trail on the left side, but in reality, I had gone off on the right. (Stupid yes, but I was young and dumb and thought I knew it all)
I ended up bushwhacking all day.
It was perhaps the toughest bushwhack I have ever done (until recently when I bushwhacked an 80 mile trail through dense jungle in Thailand)
So, I would not recommend trying to bushwhack in the Smokies as it can get quite thick with vegetation. And beginner bushwhackers tend to try to follow creek beds (which is not a good idea as so many trees fall into that space, plus it's slippery). Maine is also like this: tough bushwhacking because vegetation piles up and there is no solid ground.
2/ Although I always carry a good GPS when bushwhacking my jungle treks and creating routes here in Thailand, I have found that the app I have on my Android phone called "My Tracks" is even better than my Garmin GPS. It seems to be more accurate and shows topo lines also. (I will admit I don't have topo maps installed on the Garmin CSX-60 as they are not available here )
Because you will probably want to backtrack at some point and the app is very accurate in that regard.
It doesn't eat much battery, doesn't need a phone signal, and you can save all of course, to go back in and try another day.
I would take a power pack just in case, but I would take both with me (as long as you have a smartphone, this app is free)
And of course: "Free is better than Cheap!"
Have fun out there bushwhacking. (and stay safe)
Sometimes it is the greatest feeling.
I would have loved to be on the Lewis & Clark expedition.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
One of the biggest reasons I recommend using your Android phone's GPS is that once you learn how to use it, you'll use it frequently. Most hikers infrequently use their dedicated GPS and don't know how to use it when they're on the trail, or more importantly when they're off the trail. Yes, battery power is an issue, but it's an easily managed issue. Perhaps neither is the perfect solution for all hikers at all times, so I'll suggest you carefully considered your proposed hike and consider which is the appropriate solution for the hike.
Great thread and for some reason bushwacking across the park had never occurred to me... thanks for the idea and info.
nous défions
It's gonna be ok.
Ditch Medicine: wash your hands and keep your booger-pickers off your face!
The guy who wrote the blog linked above has explored Maynard Creek and nearby areas. I've been in touch with him, and he's going to go with us - sometime in October. Going to be a really neat experience for my son-in-law to stand there where his great-great-great-grandpa stood. One day he'll bring his son & daughter, and they will drink the water that their great-great-great-great-grandpa drank. I think that's like seven generations!
I would suggest all info gleaned and emotions rendered from your sojourn, both in and out of the woods, be journaled completely and preserved in a safe place. In searching and finding my ancestors from generations past, my biggest desire is not only to stand in the spot where their feet stood and their sweat drops hit the ground, but to know what they were thinking on that spot, what kind of person they were, their quirks, their temperament, a glimpse of the real person. You can provide that for the generations in the future that will eventually search for you. Your history may seem unimportant now, but I assure you, in centuries to come, it will be highly sought after information!
Tapatalk
^Good thoughts.
We did make the trip as planned, October 18, 2015. We spent several hours exploring with our guide. We saw several rock piles and other indications of human activity, as well as a few artifacts. We took lots of pictures, documented several homesites and a small unmarked cemetery. Son-in-law also located an elderly relative who may have visited the area as a young man. Hoping to bring him with us on a future trip.
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