Comments on: e-Survivalist in Joshua Tree http://www.modernhiker.com/2008/05/06/e-survivalist-in-joshua-tree/ A Hiking Blog for Southern California Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:40:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: James http://www.modernhiker.com/2008/05/06/e-survivalist-in-joshua-tree/#comment-2884 James Wed, 07 May 2008 04:04:35 +0000 http://www.modernhiker.com/2008/05/06/e-survivalist-in-joshua-tree/#comment-2884 Very interesting subject, but I agree with you that the hiker makes the gadgets. I will however give the guy credit if he represents the general population. I did enjoy the article until I found out he had to give up. If I were he I would not have published it until I did it the second time with success. Two ultimate lessons learned here are; 1) don't allow dirt (sand) to get into your boots, and 2) don't let your feet get sweaty or hot. I unfortunately had an experience that involved using a Garmin GPS that helped. A buddy and I were finishing up a day of chucker hunting on Sunday Oct 30 during the fall back of daylight savings (so we lost an hour that we were counting on from remembrances of the on the day prior). Anyhow, we decided to hike/hunt around this mountain and you guessed it we ran out of daylight. Well, my buddy, who was out of shape, had a Garmin GPS. He was to wipe out to continue. Not having the Garmin with me when I proceeded to find his jeep, I inadvertently hiked around a hill and came right back were I had left him. But get this, I was so sure of my skills in navigating that when I found my buddy I thought he was even better at it than I and made it to the jeep, given he had the Garmin GPS. I finally faced the facts and then took his Garmin GPS and trail blazed it 2 to 3 miles or 1 hour, over the roughest terrain one could image even in the daylight, but straight to the jeep. Now get this, it took only 10 minutes to find him once I got the jeep and drove back to him. I would not have exchanged that experience for anything. I’m a problem solver; I would have eventually got out with out the GPS. Ultimately it becomes a choice, do I want to way myself down with the GPS or depend on the great outdoors using only God’s initial gift to us – our brain. Very interesting subject, but I agree with you that the hiker makes the gadgets. I will however give the guy credit if he represents the general population. I did enjoy the article until I found out he had to give up. If I were he I would not have published it until I did it the second time with success. Two ultimate lessons learned here are; 1) don’t allow dirt (sand) to get into your boots, and 2) don’t let your feet get sweaty or hot.

I unfortunately had an experience that involved using a Garmin GPS that helped. A buddy and I were finishing up a day of chucker hunting on Sunday Oct 30 during the fall back of daylight savings (so we lost an hour that we were counting on from remembrances of the on the day prior). Anyhow, we decided to hike/hunt around this mountain and you guessed it we ran out of daylight. Well, my buddy, who was out of shape, had a Garmin GPS. He was to wipe out to continue. Not having the Garmin with me when I proceeded to find his jeep, I inadvertently hiked around a hill and came right back were I had left him. But get this, I was so sure of my skills in navigating that when I found my buddy I thought he was even better at it than I and made it to the jeep, given he had the Garmin GPS. I finally faced the facts and then took his Garmin GPS and trail blazed it 2 to 3 miles or 1 hour, over the roughest terrain one could image even in the daylight, but straight to the jeep. Now get this, it took only 10 minutes to find him once I got the jeep and drove back to him. I would not have exchanged that experience for anything. I’m a problem solver; I would have eventually got out with out the GPS. Ultimately it becomes a choice, do I want to way myself down with the GPS or depend on the great outdoors using only God’s initial gift to us – our brain.

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