NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Dependence on GPS
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2009 Oct 29, 15:18 -0700
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2009 Oct 29, 15:18 -0700
"In the case of a sea kayaker, they have this tendency to fail, despite many precautions, getting ones advertised as waterproof etc. " All across the globe sea kayakers use GPS receivers. There are simple precautions you can take to make your GPS foolproof. As Lu has mentioned, there are extremely durable waterproof bags that can keep your receiver dry as a bone. Nevertheless, these modern receivers are computers, and they will fail eventually no matter how much love and care they get. You can also carry a cheap, spare receiver (in a waterproof bag) tucked inside your clothes, and maybe that's the only GPS you would carry, to be pulled out only in emergencies (but be sure to test it frequently, otherwise you will probably find that it has failed just when you need it). There's no reason to risk our lives needlessly in the pursuit of the challenge of traditional navigation methods. Our primary responsibility is to stay safe, for our families and also for the safety of rescue teams who would have to come looking for us if we get seriously lost. GPS has *solved* the problem of navigation when it's used correctly. No need to un-do that! -FER --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ NavList message boards: www.fer3.com/arc Or post by email to: NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList+@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---