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Yes, this is why most backcountry navigation apps don't display GPS elevation to the user, instead they use the lat/long to look up the position on a topographi
by eigenvector 7y ago
Yes, this is why most backcountry navigation apps don't display GPS elevation to the user, instead they use the lat/long to look up the position on a topographical map and report that elevation instead. In very steep terrain, it's always a good idea to employ a conventional (barometric) altimeter.
- SketchySeaBeast 7y agoGenuinely curious - what would you need moment by moment readings for? My experience with back country camping is the Rockies, so I've never been at any sort of altitude danger zone, and it's usually pretty binary - you're either on top of the mountain or still not. For something like a GPS watch I'd just want to look back on it later to be able to review my route, but I can't see myself taking barometric measurements for accuracy.
- sushisource 7y agoInternet points, really. A more accurate elevation read gives you a more accurate ability to boast about how brutal your hike was :)
- eigenvector 7y agoIn steep terrain, elevation is a great way to find your location. Suppose I know that I'm on a certain lateral feature - a ridge, canyon, or watercourse. By knowing my precise elevation, I can determine my exact location. This helps me navigate as well as quickly guesstimate my current pace / progress. If I know I will spend all day ascending gradually on a valley glacier from 4000 m to 5000 m, in 1 second I can check my altimeter and know how far I've come when a handheld GPS will spend 30 seconds trying to get a fix. If someone is trying to state the location of, for instance, a good bivy site on a rock climbing route, "1890 m on the SE ridge" is equally as precise as the GPS coordinates, but much more descriptive.
- SketchySeaBeast 7y agoAh, I didn't think of rock climbing.