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Navigation in the Sahara - GPS or not.. Navigation in the Sahara - GPS or not..
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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Lois Pryce, schoolkids in Algeria

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Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 25 Oct 2009
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Navigation in the Sahara - GPS or not..
Hi,

I realise that there is a section for navigation but as the terrain dictates what kind of navigation is required I felt this would be best posted here..

I have never found the need for GPS before whether it be touring on bikes or walking/climbing in the mountains. GPS is always described as an "aid" to traditional techniques. My feeling is if that if traditional techniques work then why whould you need an aid? If it's not broken, don't fix it and all that...

A lot of the posts and literature I have read on dessert navigation seem to treat GPS as the main navigational tool.

So my question is.. are people just getting lazy, not wanting to take the time to use traditional techniques or is GPS a must in the potentially featureless terrain of the Sahara?
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Old 26 Oct 2009
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A subtle difference: GPS is mostly described as a navigational aid. What it definitely is, like maps, compass, stars, the sun etc.

I don't think a GPS is used out of "laziness". It's a fairly recent technique that has some advantages over the older ones, to name a few:
- very accurate position readings: try that with a map at scale 1:200000.
- loading of waypoints, routes and tracks created by yourself or others
- the possibility to track pistes and mark waypoints that can be exchanged to other travellers (and one can even create maps of those data).

The main drawbacks: as it is an electronic device it can break (but a map can fly away). Also, you don't have a good overview of the wider area on a gpsr, if any good map for your gpsr exists at all for some regions.

That's why it's a good idea to carry both with you: a gpsr and the good old maps, compass, pencil and triangle...

Hope this helps.

Raf
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Old 26 Oct 2009
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What is most fun
Apart from that it gives exact readings of whereabout/navigation help... It is amazing when you can view ur tracks later on maps, also or best on Google Maps and Google Earth, Satelite imagery, and relive ur route. Look at examples on my site. Rgds
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  #4  
Old 26 Oct 2009
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I use GPS, as I trust it more than any 'navigator' that I have ever travelled with. I do however always have a rough idea where I am on paper maps incase my GPS fails, which it never has. But there's always a first time.

It's very convenient and allows both driver 'and' navigator to take in the sights more.
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Old 26 Oct 2009
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An other tricks, with some GIS software you can link your pictures with your track ( TTQV for instance, based on time) and then you can remember and "redo" your trip easily.
not essential but......funny
For a short trip, like mine (means 2weeks), you save a lot of time avoiding to spend time schearching your way.
Eric
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Old 26 Oct 2009
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If you are in an area with obvious characteristics such as mountains, rivers, roads, then a map works fine. But when you are in the middle of a featureless rocky hamada and you can't relate to anything (if there is anything) on the map, then you need to fall back onto other navigation systems.

The most portable and easiest of these to use is GPS.
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Old 26 Oct 2009
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One of the big advantages of a gps that keeps a record of your trail (bread crumbs) is that should you become lost, you can easily go back the way you came. This is particularly useful if there are no features that allow you recognise your way back - and even of there are, the same trail could look different on the way back.

R
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