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Kenco Hike the Catskills #4-
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By: Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild
Winter is a popular time for bushwhacking to those off-trail peaks in the Catskill Mountains. All the leaves are off the trees, exposing the landscape, thus making route-finding a bit less complicated. For navigation on these bushwhacks, a hiker has two main options: the classic map and compass combo, or the modern Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. Each option has its pros and cons.
The Map & Compass
Explorers have been using the map and compass combination for centuries. If you think about it, it’s mind boggling that early explorers like Henry Hudson and numerous European fur traders found their way around as well as they did, considering if they had maps, they were hand-drawn representations of unfamiliar lands. It’s safe to say we have a huge advantage today. Modern maps are created with the help of technology, and today’s compasses are sure to have all the kinks worked out. It’s amazing how useful these tools are when they work in cahoots. Even still, there are upsides and downsides to this classic combination.
Pros
Assuming you learn the proper techniques, the map and compass won't steer you wrong. The needle on your compass will always point towards magnetic North (as long there is no metal nearby to impact its performance) and today’s maps are as accurate as they’ve ever been. There are no batteries required and no satellite signals to rely on, making it nearly impossible for this duo to go wrong.
Cons
With many factors at hand, it's hard to perfect the map and compass as your sole use of navigation. Even the most experienced off-trails hikers can easily get lost especially considering the way the rugged Catskills’ terrain can push you off course. It’s hard to be perfect and know your exact location when just using a map and compass.
Tips and Other Information
You’ve heard the old spiel about not hiking alone--well, that’s even more important with off-trail hiking. Additionally, it’s good practice to make sure that everyone in your group has a copy of the map and their own compass. If everyone has their own gear it mitigates problems when the group gets separated or group leader loses the only map or compass . When I’m guiding a group, I make sure to keep an extra compass and copy of the map in my pack.
I recommend the map set created by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NYNJTC) over the National Geographic map that I see less frequently. The trail conference’s map set breaks up the Catskill Park into six sections, making the maps themselves more detailed and easier to read. Plus, you’re supporting the NYNJTC directly by purchasing this excellent set of maps.
And they're local people out on the same trails working and hike and running.
When purchasing a compass look for one with a large, transparent base plate with a straightedge and ruler. The clear base makes it easier to read your map, find your bearings, and measure the distance you need to travel. Check out the Silva Polaris 177 at Kenco. It’s a pretty basic compass, but that’s all you need.
Winter is a popular time for bushwhacking to those off-trail peaks in the Catskill Mountains. All the leaves are off the trees, exposing the landscape, thus making route-finding a bit less complicated. For navigation on these bushwhacks, a hiker has two main options: the classic map and compass combo, or the modern Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. Each option has its pros and cons.
The Map & Compass
Explorers have been using the map and compass combination for centuries. If you think about it, it’s mind boggling that early explorers like Henry Hudson and numerous European fur traders found their way around as well as they did, considering if they had maps, they were hand-drawn representations of unfamiliar lands. It’s safe to say we have a huge advantage today. Modern maps are created with the help of technology, and today’s compasses are sure to have all the kinks worked out. It’s amazing how useful these tools are when they work in cahoots. Even still, there are upsides and downsides to this classic combination.
Pros
Assuming you learn the proper techniques, the map and compass won't steer you wrong. The needle on your compass will always point towards magnetic North (as long there is no metal nearby to impact its performance) and today’s maps are as accurate as they’ve ever been. There are no batteries required and no satellite signals to rely on, making it nearly impossible for this duo to go wrong.
Cons
With many factors at hand, it's hard to perfect the map and compass as your sole use of navigation. Even the most experienced off-trails hikers can easily get lost especially considering the way the rugged Catskills’ terrain can push you off course. It’s hard to be perfect and know your exact location when just using a map and compass.
Tips and Other Information
You’ve heard the old spiel about not hiking alone--well, that’s even more important with off-trail hiking. Additionally, it’s good practice to make sure that everyone in your group has a copy of the map and their own compass. If everyone has their own gear it mitigates problems when the group gets separated or group leader loses the only map or compass . When I’m guiding a group, I make sure to keep an extra compass and copy of the map in my pack.
I recommend the map set created by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NYNJTC) over the National Geographic map that I see less frequently. The trail conference’s map set breaks up the Catskill Park into six sections, making the maps themselves more detailed and easier to read. Plus, you’re supporting the NYNJTC directly by purchasing this excellent set of maps.
And they're local people out on the same trails working and hike and running.
When purchasing a compass look for one with a large, transparent base plate with a straightedge and ruler. The clear base makes it easier to read your map, find your bearings, and measure the distance you need to travel. Check out the Silva Polaris 177 at Kenco. It’s a pretty basic compass, but that’s all you need.
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Global Positioning System (GPS) Units & Smartphone Apps
I’ve been seeing more and more hikers utilizing today’s technology to help them navigate. I own a Garmin GPS and find that it’s a great tool to look back on to see the route I took and help me learn from any mistakes that I made along the way. I also love to be able to show my clients where I think we are on the paper map and then back it up with proof from the unit. Like the paper map and compass, there are pros and cons to using modern technology to navigate. This is a link to the GPS unit that I use myself. Pros There’s no doubt that using today’s technology is the easiest way to navigate. With help from satellites, you can accurately pinpoint your location, even in some of the most remote areas. Knowing your position gives you an upper hand by allowing you to follow your ‘blip’ on your handheld radar to reach your destination. You can also mark important points along the way, including the exact location of your vehicle, hidden viewpoints and more. Cons As fantastic as tools like GPS units and smartphone applications are, they have their downsides as well. These downsides, to me, outweigh their positive points, making my GPS unit secondary to my knowledge of the map and compass. Batteries die, the signal gets lost, and technology can fail. If your primary navigation tool is a handheld GPS unit and something malfunctions, you’re, for lack of a better term, screwed. |
Blindly following puts an awful lot of faith in someone that you’ve never even seen before. Who is to say that they’re going to the same place as you? Maybe they’re a local who lives close by and just likes to wander the woods with their dog or a hunter who is making his way to his tree stand. Even if you both share the same destination, there is always the chance that those footsteps belong to a person with even less of a clue about how to safely navigate the land! |
Tips and Other Information
The last thing I would rely on is a smartphone app. The app might be amazing, (check out the trail conference’s map app for the Catskills here) but I’m sure we all know how short the battery life can be on an iPhone or similar device. Personally, I don’t own a smartphone and don’t have any first-hand experience using the trail conference apps, but if I did, I would use them predominately before a hike to plan my route. My Garmin GPS unit uses AA batteries that last for days, and I always make sure to keep extra batteries in my pack.
The last thing I would rely on is a smartphone app. The app might be amazing, (check out the trail conference’s map app for the Catskills here) but I’m sure we all know how short the battery life can be on an iPhone or similar device. Personally, I don’t own a smartphone and don’t have any first-hand experience using the trail conference apps, but if I did, I would use them predominately before a hike to plan my route. My Garmin GPS unit uses AA batteries that last for days, and I always make sure to keep extra batteries in my pack.
No matter what navigation tool you prefer, whether it’s a map and compass or a handheld GPS unit, it’s best to learn them both. There are numerous advantages to each, and knowing how to use both properly can eliminate your chances of crossing paths with their negative aspects. Practice does make perfect, so know your gear and trust these tools once you’ve learned them. When in doubt, guide services--like Catskill Mountain Wild--are eager to help hikers find out more and give them hands-on practice learning how to use maps, compasses and GPS units.
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Jeff Vincent is a Catskill native, Catskill 3500 Club Member and an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker. He is a licensed New York State trail guide and owner of Catskill Mountain Wild; a guide service offering hiking, fishing, camping and paddling tours in the Catskill Mountains, Hudson River valley and beyond. For more information, visit CatskillMountainWild.com, or find Catskill Mountain Wild on Instagram and Facebook.
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