| GPS |
GPS's are best for identifying
your location. You can then refer to a
paper map get your bearings. My GPS
has detailed maps built in, which are absolutely
brilliant for confirming your location. It's the
screen size and slowness that limits their usefulness as a proper
map.
GPS's are also good for plugging
in co-ordinates, taking waypoints for future trips, or
recording your track taken. The value in recording
these tracks is great, because you can work out where
the hell you've been and can always refer to it later
when the details are long forgotten. It's
interesting stuff. Some GPS's can download the
info onto a computer, and from there its easy to use
google earth and other mapping software to check out
your goings. You can use a free program called
GPS
babel to convert your data to and from any type,
including google earth.
If you are hiking they can be a
good safety net, so long as you recorded your starting
point and know how to use the thing. If you don't
you're just lugging around weight for no reason. |
| Maps |
Paper maps are sooooo much easier
than using a computer screen or GPS. Try to get
maps of the area you're travelling to. They're
normally only about $10 each and can be posted from map
shops for a few dollars.
Laptop maps are good too, as you could fit detailed maps
of the whole planet on there if you wanted to, but I
find they're limited by the screen size, slowness and
bulkyness which just gets annoying. |
