GPS?

[Matt_WY]

I will admit up front to being a map nut. I like to preview where I am going, see where I have been, understand the contours of the land, etc. In preparation for upcoming hunts, I downloaded Garmin's Africa maps and satellite imagery. Enjoying playing with them so far.

I doubt that a gps is in any way needed if you are roaming the landscape with competent locals. But still wondering....how many peope take a gps with them on African hunts? Have you ever found it actually useful?

 

[Shootist43]

I took a GPS on both of my African hunts. I never took it out of the box while there.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I use a map, mark where I am and where I’m going. I mark the lat and long of most locations. I have a pretty good sense of direction, but south of the equator, flying in and driving for hours after dark can certainly mess with it.
I’d probably enjoy a small gps, but I stay pretty busy just hunting and trying to document it that I really don’t need something else to think about. Maybe if I were younger I could handle one more thingnot!

 

[CBH Australia]

I shouldnt comment ad i have not been there but it could be good to to take wsypoints. Mark the car before you follow an animal that may change course.
I think my gps and compass are set for southern hemisphere.
I use them at work and at bushfires as we may be given a coordinate to find. Or need to call one in for assistance.
I also found the basemap on 2 garmin devices. Inreach and gps showed my location being outside of acshaded area identifying my 56000acre park.
The coordinates read right and verified by a GIS mapping nerd for me.
The coordinates of my house are correct but the map shaded are was sitting about 10km south of how it should look. Not uncommon apparently but when the point is showing near an intersection of main rd off park someone following the image or screenshot instead of navigating to the waypoint you would follow the rd to the intersection. Knowing the image park map etc while standing at house it wss obvious to me. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE!.
if you get caught alone you may be able to mavigate back to a waypoint or put in a coordinate.
Some of the reserves ive viewed on you tube are under 50000 acres so youll never be far from help but if the land is as flat as those clips you may have trouble finding suitable landmarks to get an accurate backbearing.

 

[Von S.]

I simply just can't think of any reason why anyone who has a one on one guide would ever need one..,....or a map......or stuff to start a fire......or a knife bigger than a pocket knife....or a whole bunch of other silly stuff like a space blanket and an emergency fishing kit.

.........though shit paper can be a plus......with what you are paying the boys should be hauling that for you as well.

All the hunter needs is his boots, loin cloth and rifle and he's ready for combat.

 

[K-man]

I have a garmin Inreach I use for a once a day text to my wife. the GPS is automatic on it, it is fun to see how far you went that day, etc. I always gps camp, etc but have never needed to use it. I do gps the coordinates of the animals I have taken. It might come in handy if anyone ever wants to dispute property lines but could also get me in trouble if I violate them. I have also used it to help a vet find a black rhino with his helicopter during a darting operation. I don't put much faith in technology with a battery as my only navigation.

 

[Mike B]

I have a compass app on my phone, which I carried for pictures, etc. I tagged some locations as I remembered too. But never needed a GPS. If I need directions, having the compass app would have helped. I was smart enough once to tag the gate we came in.

 

[dchamp]

I think there are many good reasons to take a GPS with you where ever you go especially if you are out in the wilds regardless if you have a guide or not. Remember S^*t happens, if it can happen to you it can happen to a guide too.

Some Reasons I use my inReach GPS:
1. use as a back up to our superior sense of location and direction.
2. use to mark way points to track back too.
3. to give current location to others if needed and able.
4. to mark location of a kill and other points of interest.
5. to text my love ones and more.

I know a guy who was in a tree blind hunting Leopard with his guide when the blind collapsed and they fell to the ground. Both had severe injuries. If I remember right it took two to three days to make it to the closest hospital and then being airlifted to a bigger better hospital in a larger town.

I have used a inReach for several years now and while I have never needed to use it I don't think I would want to be without it, at least at my age. I can mark my way points, text my wife and get help if the need arises. Last year I loaned it to three of my nephews who made a trek across Patagonia from Chile to Argentina. They found it very useful determining trails and were even able to get weather information from it.

 

[Matt_WY]

I should probably have clarified.... I'm not really thinking there is a navigational or other need here. Yes, there are scenarios where it could be used, but pretty unlikely ones.

Use case... a very small gps thrown in the pocket to track where you have been and mark a few waypoints. Probably not that useful on the actual hunt, but maybe fun later...... here's a map of all the animals i've taken in africa, or we walked 782km that day, o check out the tortuous route we tracked this buffalo when Jimbo botched the shot.

Ie minimal effort and potentially fun information to have after the fact.

 

[dchamp]

For me the inReach has become an essential part of my kit regardless. I too dig map and compass and while I know that while in the Southern Hemisphere looking at the sun, West will be on my left. But you got me thinking about something I don't know, and that is about magnetic declination/variation in the Southern Hemisphere. I wonder, is it treated like it is in the Northern Hemisphere?If someone could clear that up for me, much appreciated.

 

[Tra3]

My iPhone recorded GPS coordinates when we took pictures. It was great to go back and look at the map of where we were. I never messed with a map or GPS while hunting, I was so busy taking in Africa.
I use OnX in the USA, awesome phone program. I don’t know if they have Africa.
For down time at camp, it would be fun to check location and hunting routes. So I say bring it. I took a kestrel anemometer for curiosity of temp and humidity.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I take mine in my pocket every where I go in Africa.
Personal entertainment for knowing where all the critters are I have spotted and the ones I shot.
Tracking, marking game, knowing the farms I am hunting on.

I have used it in thick bush to help the PH and trackers pick a better angle to approach the critter we are after.

I have also had a young driver in Botswana that got lost and had zero clue where we were or where the destination blind was. I had to guide him in using my GPS. I also had to teach him how to use a GPS, he had one and was clueless about its use.

I drive myself often enough that it has obvious benefits.....

You're a map nut: Take it, have fun. You've already started.

 

[IdaRam]

The only GPS I have is Gaia on my i-phone and I use it extensively here in the US. It just goes along with me to Africa. I have never needed it there, but like you I am kind of a map junkie. I also find that if I have a good overall map knowledge of the area, where we happen to be at makes a lot more sense and where this is in relation to that is always handy and interesting.
Critical need, no. Handy, fun and sometimes useful, yup.

 

[Velo Dog]

I wouldn’t bother with a GPS (or a range finder either).
If you already own a GPS, I suppose you may as well bring it.
However, if you haven’t bought one yet, and you simply must buy some new bit of sporting goods for your safari, IMO you should spend that extra money on Austro-German binoculars, such as Swarovski EL, Leica, top-end model Zeiss, etc.
Another supremely excellent way to spend extra Safari Preparation $$$ and even more important than best grade optics is, on tons of rifle practice, primarily from standing position, over the same type of sticks your PH will be using while you are over there.

 

[perttime]

I like having the GPS of my phone as a backup - with an app that lets me keep a map without relying on cellular reception. If some s**t does happen and you end up on your own, it could at least give you a confirmation that you have your location right.

I recall a time when I went roaming in the woods of southern Lapland, and the trails didn't quite match the physical map. I went in the right general direction but when I came to a road I wasn't quite certain which road it was and which way I should go to get where I wanted to go. My phone gave me that piece of information and I got back the 10km shorter way.

 

[Tra3]

I wouldn’t bother with a GPS (or a range finder either).
If you already own a GPS, I suppose you may as well bring it.
However, if you haven’t bought one yet, and you simply must buy some new bit of sporting goods for your safari, IMO you should spend that extra money on Austro-German binoculars, such as Swarovski EL, Leica, top-end model Zeiss, etc.
Another supremely excellent way to spend extra Safari Preparation $$$ and even more important than best grade optics is, on tons of rifle practice, primarily from standing position, over the same type of sticks your PH will be using while you are over there.

Spot on! Completely agree that now is the time to treat yourself to really good binoculars. And 100’s ofrounds of ammo.

 

[Rider717]

I took my handheld Garmin both times. Turned it on when we started stalking and marked waypoints from where I shot to where the animal was hit to where we recovered it. Well, for most animals. Sometimes I forgot in the excitement to turn it on! Downloaded the data to google earth on my computer at home and I can go back and retrace my steps on the hunt. My garmin also has a camera so pictures of the trophies included on the maps. I asked my PH before I used it though in case he had any issues with it. An added amount of gear but I've had fun reliving the safari and seeing exactly where we hunted on a map. I'm stupid that way with maps and charts.

 

[BigSteve57]

I take a Garmin GPS with me on every hunt, hike, vacation you name it. Been doing it since these things were available. It hangs from my belt and quietly does its job. While hunting, if possible, I mark a waypoint from the shooting position and where I retrieved the kill. I find it fun to then take the waypoints and breadcrumb trail data and load it into Google Earth. I can not only see where I've been but also get the number of miles I walked too.

Photo albums come alive when I have a great photo and its GPS coords. It's like reliving the experience when you can say I stood here when I took this photo or hunted this animal.

Doing this also helps if I want to return to a favorite hunting spot or direct someone else.

 

[Matt_WY]

Thanks guys. I think it will go. It's not any additional investment...just requires me to stick a 4-6oz item in my pocket and occasionally remember to mark a spot.

Maybe I can include some mapping in my hunt reports. LOL

 

[CAustin]

I don’t have the technology but can understand why some might find it interesting to use.