Hiking Backpack Zone

Many people, mistakenly believe handheld GPS units completely replace the old standby — a handheld compass (and its map companion). For short hikes on your home turf, perhaps, but for serious outdoor activities, here are three reasons why you should bring your compass and map.

Determining Directions with GPS Only Works while Moving

If you are standing on top of a mountain trying to figure out which direction you are facing, you can forget getting an accurate direction from a GPS unit. The navigation arrow will bounce all over the place.

Higher-end GPS units and newer iPhone models include built-in electronic compasses that detect the Earth’s magnetic field rather than relying on satellite communications. These will produce roughly the same 2 to 5 degrees of accuracy you get with a regular compass, and can be a good substitute, but consider some of the other reasons you will want your compass and map.

Distant Terrain Features are Easier to Work With when Using Map and Compass

The overview you get from studying a map, which always displays its finest-scale features, provides great information about distant features that you may be able to recall when you need to. GPS screens either have to be panned or zoomed, or both, to show you the same information. So a good old-fashioned paper (laminated) map is a must for adventurers. Unfortunately GPS units and phones make poor protractors for plotting courses on a paper map. A baseplate compass does the job perfectly.

GPS Is Power Hungry

A handheld compass is less likely to break or malfunction than more complex instruments like GPS units and other mobile devices (although some GPS units are very rugged). A more likely scenario involves the pack of AA batteries sitting on your dashboard back at the trailhead. Carry a GPS unit, and use it to store waypoints and periodically double check your progress, but consider using the compass and map to track your route. It will help you get a feel for the terrain, and helps cut down on battery waste.

Need to know more about why you should have both a compass and GPS? Head to Compass-HowTo.com to learn all you need to know about this and all kinds of other compass topics. You’ll find compass recommendations and reviews, and helpful information on learning how to use a compass.