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I know people who are unable to navigate without their phones. If they spent some time in the wilderness, they would start to learn, intuitively, which directio

I know people who are unable to navigate without their phones. If they spent some time in the wilderness, they would start to learn, intuitively, which direction is north, south, etc. They would learn how to read a map, including topo maps. They would start to learn how to create a mental map of their surroundings or at least remember where they had been. They would start learning what do when lost. All very helpful if the internet is down, their phone dies, or they get caught up in a natural disaster back in civilization.

SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
That seems like two different use cases. While that helps you to tell direction, it doesn't help you navigate to 9134 Grocer Place, which is what I think most people use Google Maps for, and for which a topo map would be less than useless. Do you know people who Google Maps their way camping?
- ctdonath 7y ago
  I'll load up Google Maps offline for the area, plus digital top maps, plus paper maps & GPS & compass, plus have an innate sense of area & direction. GM is most convenient (even with no connection).
  - SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
    Do you use Google Maps to go from place to place, or just for the aerial views? I didn't know Google Maps could do that. Edit: I just checked and see that it can do some places, mostly day hikes, but didn't have my other hikes or their campgrounds.
    - ctdonath 7y ago
      It doesn't have everything, but it does have a lot (way more than it did not long ago) which can nicely augment other mapping tools.
- rpedela 7y ago
  > Do you know people who Google Maps their way camping? Yes. Google Maps has pretty good coverage of popular trails and topography and can be used if you have signal. > it doesn't help you navigate to 9134 Grocer Place It absolutely can if you have some familiarity with the area and no signal. If from previous experience, you generally know where Grocer Place is then finding 9134 just takes patience. You don't even need to have necessarily been to that specific street before if you have a mental map of the area. > a topo map would be less than useless For finding a street address, true. But knowing how to read a topo map helps someone learn how to read and navigate natural landmarks which can be helpful in a natural disaster scenario or in a city if they are lost and no signal. I invite you to spend some time orienteering, I think you'll start to understand where I am coming from.
  - SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
    > Yes. Google Maps has pretty good coverage of popular trails and topography and can be used if you have signal. Ah, I was thinking back country - everywhere I've gone there's no signal, and if I'm front country, you can always just use the obvious trail markers. Your use case for direction finding isn't relevant to an urban user. If you are familiar with the area, chances are you don't need a topo map, and you don't need to orienteer your way either - you'll understand the street numbers and landmarks. I'm also confused as to how using google maps affects your ability to become familiar with an area - I've found that by the 3rd time I've gone somewhere I no longer need maps at all, but I was using it up until then.
    - rpedela 7y ago
      > I'm also confused as to how using google maps affects your ability to become familiar with an area - I've found that by the 3rd time I've gone somewhere I no longer need maps at all, but I was using it up until then. Many people are naturally good at creating a mental map regardless of how they navigate initially. It sounds like you are one of them. However there are plenty of people who don't seem to have that innate skill. Wilderness orienteering experience would help those people. In my experience, it also helps everyone navigate in unfamiliar surroundings (urban or not) if they don't have signal. It is a form of transfer learning to use an ML analogy.
anthonypasq 7y ago
none of this is helpful. You cant just navigate to a random address by knowing which way is north.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- rpedela 7y ago
  What about a known address when you are lost and don't have signal?

SketchySeaBeast 7y ago

That seems like two different use cases. While that helps you to tell direction, it doesn't help you navigate to 9134 Grocer Place, which is what I think most people use Google Maps for, and for which a topo map would be less than useless. Do you know people who Google Maps their way camping?

ctdonath 7y ago
I'll load up Google Maps offline for the area, plus digital top maps, plus paper maps & GPS & compass, plus have an innate sense of area & direction. GM is most convenient (even with no connection).
- SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
  Do you use Google Maps to go from place to place, or just for the aerial views? I didn't know Google Maps could do that. Edit: I just checked and see that it can do some places, mostly day hikes, but didn't have my other hikes or their campgrounds.
  - ctdonath 7y ago
    It doesn't have everything, but it does have a lot (way more than it did not long ago) which can nicely augment other mapping tools.
rpedela 7y ago
> Do you know people who Google Maps their way camping? Yes. Google Maps has pretty good coverage of popular trails and topography and can be used if you have signal. > it doesn't help you navigate to 9134 Grocer Place It absolutely can if you have some familiarity with the area and no signal. If from previous experience, you generally know where Grocer Place is then finding 9134 just takes patience. You don't even need to have necessarily been to that specific street before if you have a mental map of the area. > a topo map would be less than useless For finding a street address, true. But knowing how to read a topo map helps someone learn how to read and navigate natural landmarks which can be helpful in a natural disaster scenario or in a city if they are lost and no signal. I invite you to spend some time orienteering, I think you'll start to understand where I am coming from.
- SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
  > Yes. Google Maps has pretty good coverage of popular trails and topography and can be used if you have signal. Ah, I was thinking back country - everywhere I've gone there's no signal, and if I'm front country, you can always just use the obvious trail markers. Your use case for direction finding isn't relevant to an urban user. If you are familiar with the area, chances are you don't need a topo map, and you don't need to orienteer your way either - you'll understand the street numbers and landmarks. I'm also confused as to how using google maps affects your ability to become familiar with an area - I've found that by the 3rd time I've gone somewhere I no longer need maps at all, but I was using it up until then.
  - rpedela 7y ago
    > I'm also confused as to how using google maps affects your ability to become familiar with an area - I've found that by the 3rd time I've gone somewhere I no longer need maps at all, but I was using it up until then. Many people are naturally good at creating a mental map regardless of how they navigate initially. It sounds like you are one of them. However there are plenty of people who don't seem to have that innate skill. Wilderness orienteering experience would help those people. In my experience, it also helps everyone navigate in unfamiliar surroundings (urban or not) if they don't have signal. It is a form of transfer learning to use an ML analogy.

anthonypasq 7y ago

none of this is helpful. You cant just navigate to a random address by knowing which way is north.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
rpedela 7y ago
What about a known address when you are lost and don't have signal?