Ozbow

I'd say that the vast majority of us would own and use a GPS. They have come way down in price lately. I bought mine for a mere AU$160 and it's a little beauty.

I bought mine from www.cabelas.com in the US on sale for US$99.00 about a year back. It has already proved it's worth when I got a bit disoriented in North Western NSW last January in 47 degree heat. The country looked the same in every direction. I thought I knew where the car was parked after walking a big loop through productive looking country. Once I realised I was bushed, I turned the GPS on (I hated having to admit to myself that I didn't know where I was heading). Luckily I had marked where the car was as a waypoint, just in case. Afterall, it would be silly to own a GPS and not use it. It turned out, I was walking the wrong way by about 90 degrees. I admit had I not been carrying my GPS, I would have taken extra care not to get lost in the first place.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that a GPS could well save your life.

My GPS is a Garmen Geko. It's a basic little unit, but it does what it's meant to do and that's show you the way home. I bought it because it was cheap mainly, but I do very much like the fact that it's tiny, only about 4 inches by 1 1/2 inches, so it's light to carry. It also happens to be waterproof, apart from the battery compartment.

I've seen the same units for sale within Australia for around $180 recently.

What brand and type of GPS did you buy? What do you think of it?

Mick

I don't actually own one but my son does and I have borrowed it a number of times. It is a Garmin 12 and it seems to also be a good unit.

I have found them to be excellent when hunting in new flat country or on very overcast days. I always use it as a backup for my own sense of direction (position of the sun) and my compass though. You never know when these electronic devices are going to let you down.

I have a mate that - to me anyway - relies way to much on his GPS. If it stopped working he would sometimes be in trouble. He's been known to get teporarily bushed more than once before getting his GPS.

Jeff

Gaday Mick..I have a garmin e-trex that works fine...I think it was about $230....and i actually think i rely on it a little too much rather than honeing my directional skills....
Regards...Sparra

I would have thought we would have had a lot more GPS users on the site. I know it's not a riveting subject. GPSs are a pretty mundane piece of equipment, but they are an important safety feature.

It seems that most of us don't see the necessity to buy a GPS. If you only hunt on private property, maybe there is no need except perhaps on huge outback stations. I think they are bordering on being essential equipment for any hunters venturing into huge tracts of state forest. I wouldn't depend soley on the GPS though, you need good topographical maps and a good compass as well.

Do you think that are a necessary piece of equipment, or are they something we can do without?

Mick

I wouldn't say that I can't do without my GPS, but I will say that I much prefer to have it with me than not.
I am using a Magellan Meridian and I find it does all the things I need it for. I used to use a Garmin Etrex but it performed only so-so in the heavy cover so I sold it. The new line from Garmin use the same aerial as the Magellan and so I might look at them again when I decide to update.

One feature that I miss in the Garmin is "project waypoint". I found it good for when I saw game across a gully, I could range the game and use my compass (which I always carry) and project a waypoint for the game and then I could use that waypoint to home in on when I got over the other side of the gully. It meant I could approach the game from any direction the wind or terain forced on me when I got over, and have confidence that I knew where the game was (at least where they were when I last saw them).

Do you think that are a necessary piece of equipment, or are they something we can do without?

Mick,

I certainly wouldn't deem them as a necessary piece of equipment but they sure can be very useful. They can sure save a bit of walking sometimes and they can be useful in an emergency for giving the position of an injured person. They can also be great for locating that secret water hole again for a later hunt. I think they will become more and more a part of the outdoor persons standard equipment.

Jeff

Good timing on this thread, I am looking at buying a gps at the moment.
Do you think that a basic one is fine or do you use the other features.

I do some great stuff with just the basic unit and find it works for all the things I want it to. I use Oziexplorer to manage the waypoints and tracks and find no reason to have street by street directions or compasses or the like on my GPSr unit.

Clinglish

I suppose it depends on what you want in a GPS. If you're a techno geek, obviously you will want all the bells and whistles. If you're just concerned that one day you may get lost in the bush and you want to know the way back to your car, a basic one will do that just as well as a flash one. Personally, I opted for a basic one for two reasons, I liked the price and I liked the physical small size of the unit I chose.

Mick

mick i reckon they are exellent. ive only been lost once,but alot of walking and some logical thinking and 4 jours later i founnd the car, cloudy days can suck. other times i only thought i was lost.
a couplr things i really love is being able to find remote water holes using toppos and gps. the other is when i find myself 10km from the car i can walk back shortest way possible. straight. i also like watching my speed and ETA and then walk faster to drop the ETA. espeacally if im meeting somone else at the car at acertain time.
all that said mine stays in my pack 99% of thye time.
ive had a garmin e-map for around 4 years and love it. also the other day i won a camo e-trex on aushunt websight.
cheers pedro.

Pedro

Well done mate on winning the GPS. Congratulations! Does this mean you can now sell your old unit cheap?

They are indeed a handy contraption.

Mick

Mick
Ive run a Garmin 12 for years now but luckily have only really used it for deep sea so far.
I will update it eventually to a Garmin etrex of some discription as I love the small size ,
I had a good mate have a large boulder roll over his leg in very steep country while we hunted separately,and we had carried our GPS for days but had taken then out of our packs for weight considerations .Luckily we had our radios ,so he contacted me and I climbed up above where I thought him to be and used my whistle (which till this trip I had carried for years and was unused)Luckily he was able to slowly climb up to me as downwards put too much stress on his leg . The GPS would have made it a lot easier and safer .
It maybe a extravagance but it will eventually be needed one day and then it could save your life
cheers
stace

I don't know whether to start a new thread or add it to this one ,but how many guys carry an epirb?

clinglish wrote:I don't know whether to start a new thread or add it to this one ,but how many guys carry an epirb?

It is on my wish list for Xmas.
I hunt alone more often than not and my wife would feel much more comfortable if I had some way of getting help if I had an accident. Activation of the EPIRB would be the last resort though.

I too hunt alone 90% of the time. If I broke a leg miles from anywhere and was out of mobile phone range, I'd be in real trouble without an epirb. The GPS wouldn't be of much use under those circumstances. I am definately in the market for a good lightweight small cheap unit (if there is such a thing ). I believe you can get ones now-a-days that are only the size of a packet of smokes or smaller.

Mick

yeh thanks mick, it was a good prize and was rapped. i dont want to sell either as i like them both, the e-map is actually the pickof the two.
ped.

I use the Garmin etrex and they are the best gps unit I've used to date. never failed in 7 yrs of hardcore use .

BEAR

I have used my Garmin Etrex for the last 3-4years. handy little unit, but its wise to learn a bit of bushcraft and not to be dependant on them. I use it to mark out fishing spots and where i've parked the ute and basecamp handy if you find yourself in thick lignum thats twice as high as you. I have only ever needed to use it once, and that was cause i became crook as a dog while out bush and became "geographicaly challenged" if it only saves you once, its worth it. I'm thinking of investing in an epirb beacon myself for the same reason. if something goes really wrong and i have no other option.

Pete F

Has anyone used or own an ETrex map version ??
If so what are the maps like ,are they detailed enough out bush ??
Its getting time to buy another and am looking at the options
stace

I have found on a number of occasions that everybody got lost except me.
Perhaps it is time to invest in a GPS.

Mick Smith wrote:I too hunt alone 90% of the time. If I broke a leg miles from anywhere and was out of mobile phone range, I'd be in real trouble without an epirb. The GPS wouldn't be of much use under those circumstances. I am definately in the market for a good lightweight small cheap unit (if there is such a thing ). I believe you can get ones now-a-days that are only the size of a packet of smokes or smaller.

Mick

mate you can get a pocket sized unit currently at $300 bucks...we use them in the marine industry in our wet weather jackets in case we fall over the side in heavy weather...they're bloody brilliant and can and do save lives...check out whitworths.com for a catalogue

hellier

I hear you mate. Unfortunately I just haven't got enough money to buy everything. I know it sounds lame for something that could ultimately save my life, but like a lot of other poor buggers, I'll just have to continue to take my chances.

Funny you should bring the subject up. I had a nasty fall a while back and while I was lying there unable to move I thought about the stupidity of hunting alone. Luckily after a few minutes I was able to manage to shuffle off towards where the car was parked. I ended up with bruised ribs and lacerations only.

An epirb is definately on my shopping list. It's just not at the top at the moment.

Mick

I use a Garmin E-Trex Cammo, it comes with me on every trip even if i know the property well , in a emergency if you can give someone your location via uhf it may save your life.
I always take a waypoint at my vehicle.
For my Sambar hunting i take waypoints of all rubs, wallows, preeching trees and anything of intrest an then plot it onto my hunting maps as a tool for patterning the deer.
I to intend to buy an Epirb also when funds permit.

I'm Looking for one with both mapping and weather details any ideas anyone?

it's not a good time to be buying GPS's as the dollar is not overly strong. but if i was going to buy a map gps i would look at the garmin 60csx or garmin colarado 300 or 400.

i just bought a garmin etrex H which is great. and only $135 off ebay.