You will need lots of batteries to keep your GPS going all day on a hunt.

And that is the only way you are going to get what you are talking about.

I was thinking of recording a few spot locations and then connecting the dots so to speak...turning it on once in a while and recording the location and then in another hour or so doing the same thing.I don't want to record every step- just a rough sketch.

I started using a GPS after our PH, friend and I got lost in Zimbabwe about three hours and was starting to get dark. We fired about 15 rounds that were never heard. Just by luck the land cruiser happens to drive nearby and found us. Now I always mark the vehicle when leaving on a stalk.

As soon as we land in the bush, I mark the airstrip on my GPS.

Next comes the camp.

Then every animal or landmark I like to have.

Every time we stop the truck, I mark that too.

This is not so important now, as we leave a driver in the truck, who we radio to get to us when we shoot something.

Works great!

Great system, Saeed! Does Walter do the same thing?

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I was thinking of recording a few spot locations and then connecting the dots so to speak...turning it on once in a while and recording the location and then in another hour or so doing the same thing.I don't want to record every step- just a rough sketch.

Its called creating way-points George. You can go a step further and download them on a map on your computer and see where you went.

But on a hunt one never walks in straight lines!

Another thing people using GPS sports watches need to realize is that for accurate distance measurements, they must set them to update their position at their fastest settings.

Example: to save battery, you can set it to update the GPS every minute.

This is fine if you walking in a straight line, but totally useless if you are tracking for instance.

I found that out myself.

Imagine you are following tracks, that are difficult to see.

The GPS marks a position A, then stops for one minute before checking again.

During this time, you walk 60-70 meters and get back to the original point A, and stand one meter away.

The GPS would register that you have walked 1 meter.

I set mine to usually 1 second update - the battery does not last as long, it your distance is more accurate.

I keep a power pack in the truck, and usually plug my watch to charge when we are lunch for example.

Most of the time I just followed Saeed!!

Africa ? GPS/ not so much.... all you do is walk till you hit the nearest fence, hang a right then on to where you get to a gate, go through the gate then you hang and left and you know where you are !

And if that does not work , go behind a bush and have a piss.... a local will be watching you while you do it, just ask them and they will tell you where you are !

I will put in a plug for the Inreach Explorer. Satellite text and SOS, along with normal GPS features. Slow to text, unless paired with an easier to use keyboard, and the screen is just so, so, but it does it all in a hand held package. The monthly plans seen reasonable for what you get.