Navigating by landmark memory saved us when tech failed last hike

Old-timers taught me to note rock formations and tree bends. Now I blend that with app checkpoints for foolproof route finding.

3 comments

3 Comments

jenkins.elizabeth1d ago

Read a piece about search and rescue teams saying over-reliance on GPS is a real issue. They find people all the time who had a full battery but zero clue about their surroundings once the screen went black. Your mix of old and new is smart. It keeps your brain in the game instead of just following a line on a screen. The apps are great for a backup or a quick check, but knowing you could walk out based on a weird tree you spotted is a better feeling. That kind of skill doesn't run out of batteries.

rileymartinez16h ago

Seriously, a ranger told me GPS signals OFTEN bounce off cliffs, giving false locations.

xena3161d ago

@jenkins.elizabeth is right about that 'zero clue' thing, it's SCARY how lost you can get. My own dumb moment was following a dotted line on my phone right into a thicket I had to crawl out of. Now I always pick out a couple of obvious landmarks as my mental safety net.