I have paddled in several low visibility situations that simultaneously warranted having the thing turned on for safety, and yet proved that it wasn't really needed at all. During one particularly frightening experience I cursed myself for not having it with me, but once we "made it" I was quite pleased with myself for doing it with only a map and compass. I agree they are a good backup tool. Also, IMO, any navigational situation that actually requires one to survive (there are some) is probably not worth the risk. One aspect of backup that hasn't been mentioned is the potential loss of the navigator. Vickie and I frequently paddle in unfamiliar areas with just the two of us. She is not a strong navigator so having a GPS with the launch site and key waypoints marked adds an extra margin of safety in the case that she would need to return or continue without me. We do the same thing on mountain bike rides. Steve Brown -----Original Message----- Paddlewisers, .................. Although I sometimes carry a GPS for back-up, they really take the fun out of piloting and dead reckoning. .......... Duane Strosaker Southern California www.rollordrown.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Feb 13 2004 - 04:35:54 PST
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