Canoe with a View : : Canadian Open Canoe forum

Those old fashioned sorts like me who have stuck with maps and compasses will have a chuckle at this news story How are some of you going to manage if this happens The first one to mention Thirlmere and fog watch out.

Oh bugger best get a road atlas again you can't beat a good OS map for detail of an area your visiting and I love pouring over them, but for travelling there a sat nav is unbeatable. I often worry that it is taking away my natural sense of direction and map reading skills. But as the report says it would be an economic disaster to let the GPS system fails so is it going to happen

P.S The first one to mention Thirlmere and fog watch out.

Once, when out walking, I stopped for a cuppa and, on looking at my GPS, noticed that I had walked about 5 miles while drinking my coffee - and back again!!!

What's this about a foggy Thirlmere

Biff

I agree; Sat Nav's are great for getting to the destination but for exploring the area you can't beat a map and compass, plus you don't need to carry spare batteries. Either, however, would be useful especially on a fog shrouded lake, even one with which you are familiar, say Thirlemere for instance, besides, who could get lost on Thirlemere?

I agree with Lee I mean Lost on Thirlmere Lake Nah, you can just imagine it cant you, going round in circle'a, Nah not on Thirlmere, Would make a good post though.
Regards Bill, Which way Now???

went to a lecture (once) when at college, where a chap from SILVA came along to introduce the very first handheld GPS devices and how they were going to change the world...

Back then I thought about the What Ifs? (Batteries, errors, Satellite location etc). I still use map & compass when out and about or trusty roadmap when in the car! Have never had or used a SatNav AT ALL.

So to answer the Q - It wouldn't make any difference to me personally.

Prefer maps and I don't mind getting lost. It's a chance to places I've never been before, (and maybe never will again). I got given Satnav for the car, for Christmas, besides taking it out of the box twice, it's not been used. Thinking about it, would anyone like a Sony satnav?

I'll be out of computer contact for the next 2-3weeks. So if someone says yes, you won't get a reply for that amout of time.

Happy navigating,

TGB

We weren't lost we knew we were on Thirlmere

I was lucky to grow up in a generation where we still had to have orienteering skills to get around on ocean trips, but I consider both essential for the most remote trips. I'd say the biggest difference the GPS makes for me is not being grounded by fog as I have in some locations in the past.

In this 8am case we were headed out to Broken Islands off the west coast of Vancouver Island, if we missed our target, the next land was Japan. I would have waited this fog before we carried a GPS.

It wouldn't surprise me if Gav and Aslan had ended up in Japan during the Thirlmere incident, nothing would surprise me with that pair

Do they have canoes in japan After all in every high street they have vending machines that sell used knickers.