I am not a high tech person.
Ok, I am not that great at low tech either.

I am totally embarassed to say I don't even know how to use a compass.
I am strickly a trail walker/Urban camper and I might walk about 100 feet from the trail.

Anyhow, at its simplest can I say start at one point on the trail using the GPS to walk several miles off trail.
Then use the GPS to get back to the trail?
Or, do I need to know how to use a compass? before being able to navigate back to my original spot.

The short answer is no.

Handheld GPS's are pretty sophisticated devices even in their simplest form. Their is a huge range in the features they have too.

So first you should learn how to use one and spend some in the field testing it at places you are familiar with.

And you should learn how to use a compass and map no matter what, and also take them with you and do some testing of your skills, and again, at places you are familiar with.

But, neither of these are necessary to wonder off trail without getting lost. Bushwhacking around with no map, compass, or GPS, and finding your way back, is yet another skill. It has more to do with reading, understanding, and remembering the terrain, and landmarks both large and significant, and small or insignificant, and a decent sense of direction helps too.

Lacking the above two, I don't see how a GPS will really help you.

Do yourself a favor and become comfortable with a map and compass first. Especially the map. After that the GPS will make a whole lot more sense.

+1 to Trailrunner's comments.


Also something to add to Bill's comments. If you do go off trail, every so often turn around and look where you just came from. Study the terrain and look for specific landmarks.
The first few times you may want to use some flagging tape. Just make sure you pick it up on your way out.

There are other ways to mark your trail but you can learn the basics first and then do some research on tracking.

Tango61.

I tuned in here because I, too, am completely clueless as to how to use a GPS. After three years, I'm still struggling with the owner's manual of my digital camera, so I suspect there's not much hope for me!

I have, however, had 68 years' experience with map and compass and have learned a lot of "seat of the pants" navigation as well--finding traces of abandoned trails and "reading" the terrain to determine where they might go next. None of these priceless experiences (thanks to my long-departed parents!) can be compensated for by a GPS, IMHO. Supplemented, yes, but you need to develop manual skills first.

This brings me to Tango61's point about turning around to check your back trail frequently. I can't stress sufficiently the importance of this! I do it even on trails, especially at trail junctions. It's amazing how different a trail can look when you're going the other direction! This fact is, after all, the saving grace of out-and-back hikes--you always see a lot of new things on your way back!

Here's a site I just found that will give you some basic info on map and compass skills. (The one I used to recommend seems to have disappeared from the internet, but this one looks good.)

There are orienteering clubs all over who make a competition out of map-and-compass navigation. This looks like a fun way to learn navigation skills!

Great advice, guys. IT is easy to get so excited about where you are going that you forget that you have to get back!

Back to the original poster: what you are asking also depends, to a huge extent, on the terrain. You can follow a GPS to recover your exact path---in other words, if you got to where you are, the GPS will tell you exactly how you got there, and you can follow it back.

I have used GPS while sailing, so I am not afraid of technology, but I don't use it in the mountains...because I want to explore, and I use maps to see where I could go, and how to get back.

Thanks for the info.

I have always had a terrible sense of direction.

Have tried to learn compass and map but will try again.

Maybe I can find a Cub scout to show me how.

Talk to a Boy Scout and not a Cubby. Cubby's don't know jack 'bout navigation. Of course, they do build awesome wooden race cars.

Navigation is part of the 2nd Class rank requirements.
In fact, my old troop in the DFW area is setting up a course this Saturday for the guys to learn/practice. So, you might call around to some of the troops in your area to see if they do something similar.

Good luck. I made it to Eagle and didn't know diddly about navigation until I started getting into SAR. The adult leaders I had just didn't know how...