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Originally Posted by heysmithy  ...It just seems that by going primitive you get a better feel for your surroundings, and a better connection to nature, as retarded as that may sound. I feel like a native animal of the woods when I'm out there, but I wouldn't feel that way if I was walking about with glowing electronic devices... |
I find quite the opposite. With compassing my focus is on keeping a straight line and knowing my approximate distance travelled. I find that I don’t get much opportunity to “smell the roses”. If I want to step off my line I have to remember / record my distance and mark the spot so I can return and continue compassing. In contrast, with GPS I can wander about freely. I can check out the valley, the ridge, and scoot over to the pond and get a good feel for the layout of the land and the available 'survival' resources... knowing that I can relocate myself on the map at pretty much any time I want.
Also, with map and compass obstacles can be a pain. If you meet a fast flowing creek and have to move up or down stream to cross it, it may be difficult to get back on your line. Circumnavigating cliffs, bears, and any number of other obstacles require careful and somewhat laborious consideration with a map and compass.