posted 18 July 2006 02:30            

I see where you can buy preloaded microSD card with UK topo maps, but from the looks of it, you would need to buy at least three cards to cover the PW, at $139 each. So unless I'm missing something, one should buy the TOPO Great Britain DVD. I was told this is 1.6 GB, which means you would need to also buy two 1 GB microSD cards to load the whole thing, if you wanted to do such a thing.

Has anyone here used a Garmin on the PW? How did it work out? I realize it is not a subsitute for a map and compass.

Thoughts, comments?

posted 18 July 2006 08:28            

Its sad, weak and pathetic.

Why not a map,compass and your experience.

Its tantamount to cheating, why not get in a car and drive the route, that'll make it even easier for yourself.

Surely the idea is to test yourself, by getting back to nature.

posted 18 July 2006 16:21            

I am not a "walker" and if you see some of my earlier posts about my experiences, you will see references to some of the "saddos" that you may meet en route. These people are stuck in the past, navigate by the stars, sleep wild and can walk 300 miles in one day. They are the the "genuine walkers" and never fail to tell you of their exploits at every opportunity.

Avoid them at all costs - Norman Walker has given you a good insight into their pathetic little minds. They can easily be recognised by their 30 year old leather boots, knee breeches and Kodak camera.

Good luck and best wishes

posted 18 July 2006 17:51            

I would suggest none of these three can be totally relied on alone - there are many occasions where maps are actually out of date or wrong, equally guide books can be correct at the time of print but changes in access can make guidebooks useless on some sections of walks. GPS is only as good as the user who relies on accurate maps etc.

posted 18 July 2006 20:02               

And I don't have one, not because of any kind of snobbery but because there are other things I would sooner spend my ever so hard earnt cash on. Have you ever been into Decathlon and walked out without having bought anything?

posted 18 July 2006 20:18            

This allows you to actually enjoy the walk and take in all the scenery without having a silly map holder and compass flapping around your neck.

posted 18 July 2006 20:40            

I am hiking the PW alone.

I am going to carry a minimum of gear.

I will have a compass and the de la Billiere and Carter book only - no maps.

I will be attempting to do this in less than 14 days.

I have never hiked in England before.

Now, I would love to simply go out with a compass and the maps in the book, and it may turn out that I will never turn the Garmin on.

However, if I get lost, (I have never owned a cell phone, by the way) wouldn't it be nice to be able to figure out where I was? Remember, I won't have anyone with me for support, I can't afford to lose time wandering around, and if the weather is bad (I am going in October) it could be helpful to have some extra navigational skills.

Did RAF pilots fly without parachutes during the Second World War? Would you head out in a small boat without a life jacket? Would you want to take your first ever trapeze lesson without a net?

Some may have, but I'll take my back up, thank you.

posted 18 July 2006 20:42            

I did as you suggested and re-read your posts.

If you watch Little Britain you will no doubt be familiar with the committed "homosexualist" Daffyd,The Only Gay In The Village.

His regular pronouncements as to this state of being,as a strong article of faith,reminds me of your own constant declaration of being a "58 year old non-walker."
Would you care to clarify what this means?
Why is it such a badge of honour to you?
What constitutes being a walker?

BTW.......I have been disguising myself as a "walker" for thirty years.
In that time I've climbed all the Lakeland Fells,98 Munro's,completed the C2C (twice),the Pennine Way,the West Highland Way,the Dales Way,the Alpine Pass Route,trekked to the source of the Ganges and the Yumana,AND walked from Dorothy Perkins to Burger King on Oxford Street.

NOT ONCE have I ever used a compass.

....so in answer to your generalisation that people who can't see the point never look for the point,I can honestly say that I can't see the point because I,The Mighty Bong,am already looking in the right direction.

BB....
low on modesty
high on Sorbothane.

ps......Normuel is correct.
Get back to nature.
Don't be tempted by the fetish of technological seduction.

posted 18 July 2006 20:49            

You are indeed wise to take the Garmin as back up.

posted 18 July 2006 22:06            

I constantly refer to myself as a 58 year old non-walker so no one is in any doubt as to who I am and where I am coming from. It is not a badge of honour but a statement of fact. The only walk I have ever done is the Pennine Way (hence the non-walker bit)and I am actually 58 (this is so no one thinks I am a young whipper snapper having a go at old folk).

The more I come in contact with "real" walkers the more I feel the need to vent my ire. Norman Walker and his pathetic superior post to a civil question set me off on this one. He is what I call the stereotypical walker I met on my travels and who I have no respect for.

Hope this clears things up for you.

posted 18 July 2006 23:21            

This is similar to Groucho Marx not wanting to be a member of any club that would have him as a member. You "non-walk' The Pennine No-Way,you then send 22 posts to a walkers forum and make the most outragegeously unfounded conclusions about people (literally)on the same path as yourself......

Forget Norm and his (ab)Normalities.
This is your cuddly Uncle Bing talking.

Tell me whats going on in there.

BTW.......I can say,from the bottom of my heart,that anyone who partakes in walking,of all walks,the Pennine Way has my unconditional love and respect . Long linear walks are a major spiritual and humane undertaking.
I know you dig that sentiment.
It's probably what get's you all twitchy with insecurity when faced with what you percieve to be testosterone fuelled hi-jackers of what is a particularly deep and meaningful part of your life.
I urge you to consider that there are more people out there who are on the Same Page.
......such as ALL those who visit here.

posted 21 July 2006 21:47               

I am a runner.

I am a climber.

I am not middle aged.

Some of my best friends are walkers (but not all of my best friends are)

Some of my best friends drink lager.

posted 31 July 2006 12:09            

However, I 'trialled' GPS for my unit and it failed dismally, ie it put you in the wrong quadrant, told me it couldn't see the satalites-which were visible to the naked eye :0 The new GPS systems appear to be a little better. For this reason, I would use one as a backup,just as I always carry a survival kit when out in the scrubs.

In my view, the Pennine Way is a personnal test of stamina, guts and will power. It is not a Ludite versus techno test. If you complete it, using the equipment you personnaly chose, then you have passed your own test. Just because I use a map and compass, doesn't mean I am better that someone who uses GPS or even a guide (like they do in mounaineering).

posted 01 August 2006 12:13            

As for the eternal debate - I thought Journeyman summed it up nicely without flipping his lid.

posted 19 August 2006 00:32            

We found that the waymarking is now generally good and that the path was very obvious for the majority of the time. We nevertheless followed OS 1:25000 maps the whole way and carried a Garmin E-Trex Summit as backup. I used a Silva compass on several occasions but had previously downloaded some 290 key Pennine Way waymarks from www.go4awalk.com., along with their key.

Like the nature of the walking itself, things have changed vastly since the PW was devised and this includes the technology available to support it. My advice would be to respect what our predecessors have achieved, but to stay as safe as possible by carrying your GPS. You will encounter huge and featureless areas of the country and the availability of a relatively accurate 10-digit grid reference is very reassuring, especially if walking alone. In the course of our 20-day journey I used the downloaded waymarks once and, in cloud, established our precise position on three occasions. Purists may argue that I could have relied upon my own MLTB training of some 20 years ago, but why rely totally upon this when useful technical support is now available?

I re-charged batteries every couple of days in our Youth Hostel/B&B accomodation, but I had the equipment switched on all day in order to measure distance and ascent (plus the kids kept asking 'are we nearly there yet?'). If camping the whole thing you would need to incorporate the carrying/purchase of batteries into your planning.

Good luck with your venture and use whatever technical support you feel comfortable with/without (but don't rely upon having a mobile phone signal for much of the time). Whatever you decide, bear in mind that there is some extraordinary ignorance out there and that substantial numbers of PW starters fail early due to being poorly-equipped. You could on the other hand carry too much technology, but if you do successfully make it all the way to Kirk Yetholm, who is the fool?

Most importantly, I hope that the weather is kind to you and that you have no need to fall back on GPS support.