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I understand what you are getting at with "sporting", Neil. I might prefer to say that map and compass is more "elegant". Using the minimalist toolset to accomplish the same objective well, that another person needs more tools to accomplish, is always esthetically preferred. It is a sign of skill. Yvon Chouinard speaks of this in alpine climbing.
My personal take, for most recreational purposes simple, cheap, light, durable beats electronic gadgetry. If you have the chops. I see the point in some non-recreational uses, e.g, rare plant surveys, scrutinizing timber sale unit boundaries, etc. But to-the-yard precision is not usually needed in pure travel situations. It's sort of pleasant not to know, actually. I suspect there is some sort of generational transition occurring. Those of us who have been in the woods a while, and can navigate easily and naturally with the traditional tools don't see the point. But there's no doubt that GPS units are less skill-demanding, and many just entering the world of off-trail travel will just learn that and will never develop real ease and confidence with the old tools. How many people under 25 can multiply, divide, and find square roots without an electronic calculator?
It is also a most interesting and useful exercise to not have map and compass. Just rely on one's mental map. Or only a compass. I continue to think that "feel" is a very valuable thing to have, and GPS probably does not develop it. GPS is a crutch. So are Maps and compasses, but smaller, less cumbersome ones. The ideal is to *just know*. At least my ideal.
My personal take, for most recreational purposes simple, cheap, light, durable beats electronic gadgetry. If you have the chops. I see the point in some non-recreational uses, e.g, rare plant surveys, scrutinizing timber sale unit boundaries, etc. But to-the-yard precision is not usually needed in pure travel situations. It's sort of pleasant not to know, actually. I suspect there is some sort of generational transition occurring. Those of us who have been in the woods a while, and can navigate easily and naturally with the traditional tools don't see the point. But there's no doubt that GPS units are less skill-demanding, and many just entering the world of off-trail travel will just learn that and will never develop real ease and confidence with the old tools. How many people under 25 can multiply, divide, and find square roots without an electronic calculator?
It is also a most interesting and useful exercise to not have map and compass. Just rely on one's mental map. Or only a compass. I continue to think that "feel" is a very valuable thing to have, and GPS probably does not develop it. GPS is a crutch. So are Maps and compasses, but smaller, less cumbersome ones. The ideal is to *just know*. At least my ideal.
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