A WALK IN THE WOODS / LOST?

[Frankn]

Well, I have wondered in woods concentrating on finding markings on trees that lead to a cache when all of a sudden I look around and notice that all of the trees look alike. Hay moss is even growing on all sides of them!
I got a nice GPS to solve the problem, but it does so much, it is a pain in the butt to go thru all those menus .
Enter the Bushnell Backtracker devise. It fits in the palm of your hand and comes in various strengths. You can get the base model that marks your vehicle location and then on request points to it and tells you how far it is. That cost $20 something. I just ordered the ala delux D-Tour version that marks 5 points, stores your trail, has built in digital compass plus will point to any of the 5 points marked with distance.
NO, It does not show your location or a map, but when you return, you can plug it into your computer and it will show that trip on a Google map. Yea it is $75 .
Oh, it will also show your speed the time and the temperature.
The main thing I like is it shows any marked location at the push of a button.
There is no place like home, and knowing where it is exactly from anywhere.
Frank...-

 

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[locater]

I bought a basic model a couple years ago Frankn. It has three backtrack points of origin, plus the electronic compass. I agree it's a great gizmo to have out in the woods, and easy to use!

 

[CincinnatiKid]

I was hiking once in Red River Gorge Ky. Having such a good time, I failed to keep track of time and trail. Before I realized it, I was lost 10 miles from camp!? Lucky for me, I stumbled upon a farm. Great folks owned farm. They feed me, gave me water and loaned me a horse. We saddled up, rode through the dark for bout an hour back to camp. We then enjoyed a beer while joking about my stupidity. The couple then resaddled up and rode home.
Long story short, I'm gettin' a Bushnell Backtracker!
Thanks Frankn.
Peace

 

[locater]

I was hiking once in Red River Gorge Ky. Having such a good time, I failed to keep track of time and trail. Before I realized it, I was lost 10 miles from camp!? Lucky for me, I stumbled upon a farm. Great folks owned farm. They feed me, gave me water and loaned me a horse. We saddled up, rode through the dark for bout an hour back to camp. We then enjoyed a beer while joking about my stupidity. The couple then resaddled up and rode home.
Long story short, I'm gettin' a Bushnell Backtracker!
Thanks Frankn.
Peace

That's a great story Ckid!! Those people that helped you out sound like some nice folks.

 

[GMD52]

after 40 plus years working in the woods as a forester, and spending most of my free time seeing what's on the other side of the mountain, I rely on my silva compass...Beinfg a bit of a dinosaur, I have yet had the yearning foer modern technology...you spend too much time looking at the machine and not seeing nature around you....I simply stop perodically and look where I've been, and then head to where I.m going......In the woods of Daniel Boone.....I can say that I have never been lost, but was once bewildered for a couple days........Gary

 

[G. I. Digger]

Frankn,
Good food for thought! I am now looking into a Bushnell Back Track D Tour and another Bushnell Back Track after reading your post. I have a real good Garmin but you have to go through a few screens to begin. I watched a few YouTube videos on a few Bushnell's and they look super easy to use. Thanks again for the update.
Rich

 

[Number9]

A Bushnell BackTrack is OK in a small area and simple to use.

I've always thought following a GPS was about like, the blind leading the blind?

I only use a GPS to give me my coordinates and then plot my location. I print several maps of different scale.
Both GPS are set to UTM coordinate system... yes, I carry a back-up.
Also two compass.. a Brunton Pocket Transit and a Taylor.

 

[Ocean7]

man, Frank you get lost in the woods? That's a great feeling isn't it? LOL I like your post on GPS! Good stuff!

 

[Frankn]

after 40 plus years working in the woods as a forester, and spending most of my free time seeing what's on the other side of the mountain, I rely on my silva compass...Beinfg a bit of a dinosaur, I have yet had the yearning foer modern technology...you spend too much time looking at the machine and not seeing nature around you....I simply stop perodically and look where I've been, and then head to where I.m going......In the woods of Daniel Boone.....I can say that I have never been lost, but was once bewildered for a couple days........Gary

That's the beauty of the backtracker. It only has 2 buttons. You turn it on, select (car, house, or star and push the mark button. Then turn it off and put it in your pocket. When you want to return, get it out, turn it on, select your mark and it points to it and tells you how far it is. Hay it has a compass too. Frank...-

 

[Frankn]

Frankn,
Good food for thought! I am now looking into a Bushnell Back Track D Tour and another Bushnell Back Track after reading your post. I have a real good Garmin but you have to go through a few screens to begin. I watched a few YouTube videos on a few Bushnell's and they look super easy to use. Thanks again for the update.
Rich

Yea, I ordered the D-Tour for the GPS LON/LAT feature. Jest in case I cant carry that cache out in one trip. lol Frank...-

 

[huntsman53]

Thanks Frank! I sure could have used one of those back in 1989 when I got lost while Fall Turkey Hunting on a Laurel covered mountain plateau outside of Douglas, WV during a blizzard. I had never been to this locations before and I stupidly entered a Laurel thicket at around Noon. It took me 2 hours to get through the Laurel thicket and down some big boulders on the other side of the thicket. By then, it was snowing so hard that my' tracks were being covered over in minutes. After coming out of the Laurel thicket around 2:00 PM, I walked pretty much non-stop until 9:00 PM when I emerged from the forest near a small home in the community of Douglas. I was covered from head to toe with snow and ice and scared the dickens out of the elderly couple when they opened the door after I knocked. If it were not for the lights I spotted way off in the distance, I would have had to find a dry spot under one of the huge Spruce trees in the forest there, build a fire to thaw out and keep warm until morning. The couple, a Game Warden and myself found my friends who I was hunting with, when they were on their way back in with reinforcements to start searching for me again. They told me that they had tracked for nearly 9 miles and gave up to go get reinforcements. My friend Charlie was so distraught over me being lost, nearly had a heart attack. I told him that had I not found the home in Douglas, that I would have been okay as I had been marking locations where I could camp out of the snow and wind and build a fire. I told him that I probably would have killed a Squirrell in the morning to eat as I had my' shotgun and quite a few shells and that they would have found me where I camped sometime in the morning.


Frank

 

[Frankn]

A Bushnell BackTrack is OK in a small area and simple to use.

I've always thought following a GPS was about like, the blind leading the blind?

I only use a GPS to give me my coordinates and then plot my location. I print several maps of different scale.
Both GPS are set to UTM coordinate system... yes, I carry a back-up.
Also two compass.. a Brunton Pocket Transit and a Taylor.

With the Backtracker D-Tour model, when you return you can hook it up to your computer and print Google maps with that route you just took on them. It comes with software and cable.
Check it out on Amazon. It even shows you the map feature. Frank...-

 

[Frankn]

man, Frank you get lost in the woods? That's a great feeling isn't it? LOL I like your post on GPS! Good stuff!

Thanks, but I don't need the woods to get lost. I almost got lost in the desert at the waves.
Frank...-

I got to admitt, I put the barn in there.

 

[Frankn]

Thanks Frank! I sure could have used one of those back in 1989 when I got lost while Fall Turkey Hunting on a Laurel covered mountain plateau outside of Douglas, WV during a blizzard. I had never been to this locations before and I stupidly entered a Laurel thicket at around Noon. It took me 2 hours to get through the Laurel thicket and down some big boulders on the other side of the thicket. By then, it was snowing so hard that my' tracks were being covered over in minutes. After coming out of the Laurel thicket around 2:00 PM, I walked pretty much non-stop until 9:00 PM when I emerged from the forest near a small home in the community of Douglas. I was covered from head to toe with snow and ice and scared the dickens out of the elderly couple when they opened the door after I knocked. If it were not for the lights I spotted way off in the distance, I would have had to find a dry spot under one of the huge Spruce trees in the forest there, build a fire to thaw out and keep warm until morning. The couple, a Game Warden and myself found my friends who I was hunting with, when they were on their way back in with reinforcements to start searching for me again. They told me that they had tracked for nearly 9 miles and gave up to go get reinforcements. My friend Charlie was so distraught over me being lost, nearly had a heart attack. I told him that had I not found the home in Douglas, that I would have been okay as I had been marking locations where I could camp out of the snow and wind and build a fire. I told him that I probably would have killed a Squirrell in the morning to eat as I had my' shotgun and quite a few shells and that they would have found me where I camped sometime in the morning.


Frank

I use to carry 2 compasses and an E Track GPS, but this device looks simpler. Will still carry the compasses also. There is nothing worse than looking around and nothing looks familiar.
Frank...- View attachment 1041216

 

[huntsman53]

What do you think about the Bushnell Hunttrack? I just looked into them and they log up to 48 hours of trip data and store 25 return points.


Frank

 

[Limitool]

I can say that I have never been lost, but was once bewildered for a couple days........Gary

I like the "bewildered" comment.... but I used "confused". I knew where I was and I knew my way out... IF, I knew N, S, E or W. It was opening day of deer season in SW MI. I'd hunted the same area for 15 years then. Shot a buck that morning at sunrise on edge of woods and swamp. Got it out, hung, cleaned and headed back out by 12:00. This time I decided to go into the swamp to a little high area I know way in. Had about 4-5" of snow on ground and it was warming up. Got to spot but with all the melting snow there wasn't much "high ground" to sit on. So I keep moving around the tree base so I'd try and stay drier. It was a warm winter day (36-40 degrees). It was thick in this area so I closed my eyes to use my ears only. I fell asleep... hard. When I woke up it was DARK and snowing those huge wet flakes that pile up quickly. I had 2" of snow on my ribbed sighted shotgun barrel. I stood up and tried to get my bearings but couldn't. Clouds were everywhere and EVERYTHING was covered in thick wet snow. I didn't have a CLUE which way was out. Since I knew everything then I didn't need a compass or flashlight because I just "knew this area". But 5-6" of wet snow and total cloud cover changed everything in this swamp. I couldn't hear any cars or traffic for direction so I just started to walk (wander). So a 25 minute walk in took me over 2.5 hrs. to find my way back out. And wouldn't ya know it.... I came out exactly on the opposite side of the swamp and woods where my vehicle was and still didn't know where I was till somebody stopped and picked me up and told me where the turf farm was.... Confused.... not lost!!!!

KNOW EVERYTHING UPDATE: Still working on it.

 

[Hendo0601]

No matter where I go I always keep an Army issued lensatic compass in my bag, and before I leave the car I will determine which direction the car is relative to where I'm going...so if I do get lost, I have my panic direction and can follow it out. I have done many many many land navigation courses and nothing beats a map and compass.

 

[ecoast]

...I just use an android phone with google 'my tracks' app

 

[davest]

how do you get a crazy person through the woods?



You put them on the psychopath.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Never rely on anything that takes batteries to save your bacon.