Meters Or Feet?

February 23, 2006

I'm a relative newbie. I found my first cache a couple years ago, but didn't have my own GPSr until just a few months ago. Anyhoo... I find that I prefer meters to statute settings on my GPSr and was wondering if other in the U.S. do the same? The only time it becomes a problem for me is when there are directions in the cache (usually a multi) that say, go 100 feet at 225 degrees, etc. I was doing a couple of multis today that were similar and had switched my GPSr over to statute and was totally thrown. I was glancing down at my GPSr as I approached the waypoint, thinking, okay, 400 meters... but it was 400 feet... yikes.

So which do you prefer? Meters? or Feet? Feet? or Meters?

February 23, 2006

I actually prefer to use yards instead of feet. I golf all the time and I find it much easier for me to judge the distance by the yardage that is being displayed. A pitching wedge away or a 7 iron

3.8k · February 23, 2006

So which do you prefer? Meters? or Feet?

I'm comfortable with either, but I get really disconnected with centigrade instead of farenheit.

February 23, 2006

When in Rome...

I set my GPS to metres in Australia, where I work.

I set it to yards and miles in the UK where my folks live.

I set it as for Australia when in the rest of Europe.

I set it to nautical miles when I'm sailing.

I haven't taken it to the USA yet but I guess when I do I'll set it miles and feet.

If my topo map vertical scale is in feet I use that, if its in metres I use that.

Keep flexible go with the local show.

8k · February 23, 2006

In 1866 the meter was made the standard unit of measurement in the United States. At that time the foot was defined as exactly 0.3048 meters. Since the conversion between feet and meters is exact (and has been for the last 140 years) it doesn't matter to me if the units are in feet or meters. I can always convert.

2.2k · February 23, 2006

I'm a "metre" man. I consider it an offshoot of being Canadian.

When caching in the States I left it in metres -- the only time I changed it to feet was when we were at spots where the elevation was marked and I wanted to check my accuracy.

February 23, 2006

Let me know when the silly things get to inches and centimeters! Seriously, I convert in my head either way (too much ballistics), so it doesn't really matter.

Doc

4.8k · February 23, 2006

I would guess it is just a function of what a person is used to. Someone mentioned they would prefer yards because they are used to visualizing that from golf. I prefer feet at short distances because I can visualize well that way. E.g., I am about 5 feet tall, the walls in my house are ten feet, my house is about 40 feet long etc. so I can visualize 10 feet, 20, 30, 40 etc well. At greater distances I like miles over kilometers because I have gotten used to how .3 miles etc seems. I also got used to the feel for a mile from when I used to run and measured my runs by miles. If I lived where meters were the norm I would likely be used to that. If a person started out caching using meters, they would likely get used to that and prefer it.

What is interesting is a person from the US prefering meters from the start. I would guess that is unusual, but there is obviously nothing wrong about it. Different people visualize distance differently.

Edited February 23, 2006 by carleenp

February 23, 2006

Furlongs and cubits, occasionally rods and chains.

I like meters (or metres to our UK and Canadian friends). UTM is in meters, and if the map gives elevations in meters then all three coordinates are in the same unit of measurement. Makes field math a lot easier.

2.7k · February 23, 2006

Feet. But I tend to think in terms of (American) Football fields.

February 23, 2006

Metric rules!

38.2k · February 23, 2006

Someone mentioned they would prefer yards because they are used to visualizing that from golf.

As a soccer player, particularly a goalkeeper, I visualize it in soccer field lengths. I know what 300 feet looks like after spending years looking at the opposing goalkeeper 300 or so feet away. When I explain to my wife that the cache is about a soccer field away, she says "I have no idea what that means". So I have say "Picture a bad parking spot at the mall, its that far away".

I have my GPS set to feet because that is what I'm used to. When someone tells me something x meters away, I have to start doing calculations in my head. If they say its 50 feet away, I know right away how far we are talking about.

February 23, 2006

Im Canadian and every thing is metric up here. That being said I'm old enough to have been taught in standard measurement. 1 meter is three feet(39"). A gallon is 4 litres american or 4.5 litres canadian. I still do fuel milage in miles per gallon but do distance in kilometers. I have no comprehension of the true value of kilometers per litre.

My kids are straight metric, sometimes have trouble tranlating.

I use meters for the most part.

February 23, 2006

I can switch back and forth pretty easy. Being in the military we do land navigation, marksmanship, etc... in meters and we run and drive in miles.

I'll usually prefer meters when caching because I'm used to visualizing a land navigation course.

8.9k · February 23, 2006

I like to use miles and feet for caching - since I can eyeball what a quarter mile is, and what 300 or 50 feet are. For my other GPS hobby, I use meters because it's intended to be more "international" so I've gotten used to the kilometers and meters as well.

So - both.

February 23, 2006

For my other GPS hobby, I use meters because it's intended to be more "international" so I've gotten used to the kilometers and meters as well.

I'm glad you put quotes around "international", since the rest of the world uses 'metres' not 'meters' as the unit of length. (and litres for volume, BTW)

I hope you Yanks are offended that your standards body didn't think you were smart enough to handle the sort-of-french spelling of "metre"!

24.7k · February 23, 2006

My GPS defaults to Miles down to 0.1 miles. Then it's feet. That's always worked for me so I never changed it.

February 23, 2006

I hope you Yanks are offended that your standards body didn't think you were smart enough to handle the sort-of-french spelling of "metre"!

We're not offended...we took all their fries...

Doc

February 23, 2006

I use metres but like Stormcloud, I grew up in the standard era so luckily I'm capable of both. I still use feet and inches for small increment measuring but metres for everything else.

Funny no one has said the famous "metric is more accurate" recently had a heated debate about that exact statement. Accuracy is in the person measuring, not the units of measurement.

Anyone now why the USA did not continue with metric after it being instituted 100+ years ago?? Just curious

February 23, 2006

I grew up in Feet or yards or miles but my kids have absolutely no idea how far away something is when I use miles.

When I'm caching I use metric on the highway and actually switch to statute (so I can get feet) when I'm walking/searching. It's just a personal thing I guess.

Google can do some neat conversions for you:

Speed conversion

February 23, 2006

I'm one of those American 1970's kids who was educated during the push to go metric, so it's not a problem (though the F-C conversiosn still do me in). Just for challenge fun, I switch my gps between the two, and then to nautical when I'm sailing. Keeps the brain working.

1.4k · February 23, 2006

My odometer measures in miles. My favorite sport measures in yards. My weatherman measures in farenheit. The DOT measures in Miles. My leatherman measures in inches. The butcher measures in pounds. The highway elevation signs measure in feet.

My drug dealer measures in grams and kilo's...go figger.

February 23, 2006

I wear a size 12 shoe so my foot is literally "one foot." I can always pace out any short distances.

I also know there are 3 feet to a yard so I can guesstimate longer distances. I don't mess with meters or kilometers.

February 23, 2006

I prefer kilometres because miles are too far to walk - I can find the caches faster that way

February 23, 2006

I prefer kilometres because miles are too far to walk - I can find the caches faster that way

How very true If I'm on foot and see something is within one kilometer, I think, "Hey, it's only a kilometer." I think I may also prefer metric because when I run, I think in terms of 5k, 10k, etc. and when it comes to shorter distances, if I'm within a meter of a cache....well, how much closer do you need to be? :laughing:

February 23, 2006

I'm Canadian but when caching I perfer feet......my shoe size is 12 so it eaiser for me to remember

3.2k · February 23, 2006

Meters... Since all real orienteering maps are in meters, I have gotten used to estimating meters in the woods to a fair degree of accuracy and can pace them out with very little error if needed for a kilometer or more. When I have data in feet I convert back to meters then count them off at my walking pace at 11 steps per 10 meters.

February 23, 2006

Pro Metric

Pro Imperial

Both are kinda funny

10.1k · February 24, 2006

Back in the 60's, there used to be road signs in both miles and meters. They were replaced with miles only. The US is too pompous to go along with the rest of the world. Tis a pity. By now, all of the road signs would be metric only. Oh, well. I'm too old to try to think in metric. Fortunately, I have a calculator watch! You should have seen me trying to set the thermostat in the motel in Alberta! And the only reason I know what I actually paid for gas was because I used a credit card. Still have no idea how much gas I bought, though. It's time for the USA to join the real world! (And, yes, I do know how to set the GPS for metric, if necessary.)

February 24, 2006

For my other GPS hobby, I use meters because it's intended to be more "international" so I've gotten used to the kilometers and meters as well.

I'm glad you put quotes around "international", since the rest of the world uses 'metres' not 'meters' as the unit of length. (and litres for volume, BTW)

I hope you Yanks are offended that your standards body didn't think you were smart enough to handle the sort-of-french spelling of "metre"!

Wow, and you guys always say AMERICANS are bad. It's mighty narrowminded of you to think that "the rest of the world" uses "metres" instead of "meters" - I guess the "rest of the world" doesn't include people who use Metru, Метър, Metr, Meeter, Metro, Mètre, 미터, Metri, Metrum, Méter, メートル, Метр, Метр, 米 and 计量单位

"Metres" indeed.

1.1k · February 24, 2006

I have no use for metrics, it is so useless in the real world. When I see something is "100 meters" I simply say it's 100 feet. Yea, I know 100 yards would be closer, but outside of golf and football who uses yards to measure anything? I won't buy a map that's metric since knowing a mountains 4000 meters tall doesn't tell me diddly, and I see no reason to convert when feet has always worked perfectly. THat's the biggest failing of metrics, no good equivalents for feet, gallons, etc. Farenheit is almost twice as accurate as celsius, with 180 degrees between freezing and boiling opposed to 100 degrees. It's time the rest of the world gave up on that useless, outdated failure called metrics and rejoined the enlightened few who still savor Imperial measures. :rolleyes:

( some embellishment for fun, don't take that TO seriously, although I do prefer feet to meters. :laughing: )

4.5k · February 24, 2006

Mapsourse topo maps contour lines are in meters (or is it metres?). Anyway, although I like using feet, the contour lines would read let's say 1181', 1115' and 1050'. When you switch to meters, it reads more simply 360, 340 and 320 meters. So it's always a toss-up to me which is better. :laughing:

Edited February 24, 2006 by Alan2

3.2k · February 24, 2006

I'm a relative newbie. I found my first cache a couple years ago, but didn't have my own GPSr until just a few months ago. Anyhoo... I find that I prefer meters to statute settings on my GPSr and was wondering if other in the U.S. do the same? The only time it becomes a problem for me is when there are directions in the cache (usually a multi) that say, go 100 feet at 225 degrees, etc. I was doing a couple of multis today that were similar and had switched my GPSr over to statute and was totally thrown. I was glancing down at my GPSr as I approached the waypoint, thinking, okay, 400 meters... but it was 400 feet... yikes.

So which do you prefer? Meters? or Feet? Feet? or Meters?

I like feet. I was born with feet. I use feet. I'll die with feet. I can deal with meters if I have to. However, I can't deal with "Anyhoo..." so please refrain from using that expression. OK? (Or should I use "Okay"?)

4.8k · February 24, 2006

I'm a relative newbie. I found my first cache a couple years ago, but didn't have my own GPSr until just a few months ago. Anyhoo... I find that I prefer meters to statute settings on my GPSr and was wondering if other in the U.S. do the same? The only time it becomes a problem for me is when there are directions in the cache (usually a multi) that say, go 100 feet at 225 degrees, etc. I was doing a couple of multis today that were similar and had switched my GPSr over to statute and was totally thrown. I was glancing down at my GPSr as I approached the waypoint, thinking, okay, 400 meters... but it was 400 feet... yikes.

So which do you prefer? Meters? or Feet? Feet? or Meters?

I like feet. I was born with feet. I use feet. I'll die with feet. I can deal with meters if I have to. However, I can't deal with "Anyhoo..." so please refrain from using that expression. OK? (Or should I use "Okay"?)

Mkay. :blink: :rolleyes:

1.4k · February 24, 2006

Wow, and you guys always say AMERICANS are bad. It's mighty narrowminded of you to think that "the rest of the world" uses "metres" instead of "meters" - I guess the "rest of the world" doesn't include people who use Metru, Метър, Metr, Meeter, Metro, Mètre, 미터, Metri, Metrum, Méter, メートル, Метр, Метр, 米 and 计量单位

"Metres" indeed.

<I'm not supposed to show any emotions when I read ParrotRob's posts>

I've been conditioned to visualize what I see in feet, so I use that most of the time. I'm sure if I lived in an area that exclusively used the metric system, I'd prefer that, too, but not by choice.

I worked hard to visualize things in metres while I was in Japan, and after about a week of trying, the brain started to adjust. Not sure if I prefer one or the other. I don't want to lose my ability to multiply/divide numbers by 1.609, 2.4384, 3, 12, 5280, etc.

February 24, 2006

Wow, and you guys always say AMERICANS are bad. It's mighty narrowminded of you to think that "the rest of the world" uses "metres" instead of "meters" - I guess the "rest of the world" doesn't include people who use Metru, Метър, Metr, Meeter, Metro, Mètre, 미터, Metri, Metrum, Méter, メートル, Метр, Метр, 米 and 计量单位

"Metres" indeed.

<I'm not supposed to show any emotions when I read ParrotRob's posts>

Not sure what that's supposed to mean, but then, who really cares.

I've been conditioned to visualize what I see in feet, so I use that most of the time. I'm sure if I lived in an area that exclusively used the metric system, I'd prefer that, too, but not by choice.

I worked hard to visualize things in metres while I was in Japan, and after about a week of trying, the brain started to adjust. Not sure if I prefer one or the other. I don't want to lose my ability to multiply/divide numbers by 1.609, 2.4384, 3, 12, 5280, etc.

Same thing happened to me after a month in Australia. It's amazing how quickly you adapt.

My post was in reference to the proclamation/implication that "meter" was improper because the "rest of the world" used "metre".

3.8k · February 24, 2006

I've been conditioned to visualize what I see in feet, so I use that most of the time. I'm sure if I lived in an area that exclusively used the metric system, I'd prefer that, too, but not by choice.

I worked hard to visualize things in metres while I was in Japan, and after about a week of trying, the brain started to adjust. Not sure if I prefer one or the other. I don't want to lose my ability to multiply/divide numbers by 1.609, 2.4384, 3, 12, 5280, etc.

Same thing happened to me after a month in Australia. It's amazing how quickly you adapt...

After nine months in Australia, and returning to the U.S., I figured the imperial system would just pop back into my head. What really happened was I continued to use metric on my bike computer and GPSr for nearly a year. It just seemed more natural. I never did grasp, naturally, the centigrade thing.

Something else I could never get used to was the fact that (in Australia) when you look at the sun, you're facing north, not south. This little irregularity causes perceived east to be west and vice-versa. :huh: :huh:

February 24, 2006

I've been conditioned to visualize what I see in feet, so I use that most of the time. I'm sure if I lived in an area that exclusively used the metric system, I'd prefer that, too, but not by choice.

I worked hard to visualize things in metres while I was in Japan, and after about a week of trying, the brain started to adjust. Not sure if I prefer one or the other. I don't want to lose my ability to multiply/divide numbers by 1.609, 2.4384, 3, 12, 5280, etc.

Same thing happened to me after a month in Australia. It's amazing how quickly you adapt...

After nine months in Australia, and returning to the U.S., I figured the imperial system would just pop back into my head. What really happened was I continued to use metric on my bike computer and GPSr for nearly a year. It just seemed more natural. I never did grasp, naturally, the centigrade thing.

Something else I could never get used to was the fact that (in Australia) when you look at the sun, you're facing north, not south. This little irregularity causes perceived east to be west and vice-versa.

And that's just during the daytime. If you're at all used to watching the sky, the night sky sometimes looks like you are on a foreign planet

3.8k · February 24, 2006

Of course, in Australia, there are other things besides metric measurement and the sky that cause you to believe you're on a foreign planet! :huh:

February 24, 2006

I'll second that. Like when you're going 160km/h down the Stuart Highway and you're passing a 400 foot long road train and this little guy ends up in the road right in front of you

3.8k · February 24, 2006

How many meters has this little Uluranian?

Answer: About 1.3 meters. (Photo taken at Uluru) :huh:

Edited February 24, 2006 by sept1c_tank

18.9k · February 24, 2006

Meters

February 24, 2006

Here's his cousin, also at Uluru, and, to remain on topic, probably a little over 2 meters. This is right outside our hotel in the Yulara townsite.

Edited February 24, 2006 by ParrotRob

February 25, 2006

Wow, and you guys always say AMERICANS are bad. It's mighty narrowminded of you to think that "the rest of the world" uses "metres" instead of "meters" - I guess the "rest of the world" doesn't include people who use Metru, Метър, Metr, Meeter, Metro, Mètre, 미터, Metri, Metrum, Méter, メートル, Метр, Метр, 米 and 计量单位

"Metres" indeed.

Actuall ParrotRob,

METRE comes from the SI (Système International d'Unités). The metric system was created during the French Revolution. On August 1, 1793 the National Convention adopted the new decimal "metre" with a provisional length as well as the other decimal units with preliminary definitions and terms. On April 7, 1795 (Loi du 18 germinal, an III) the terms gramme and kilogramme repaced the former terms "gravet" and "grave".

Which would be French. All those spelling it meter would be misspelling it. If you take careful note the majority of those languages you quoted have the "r" preceeding the vowel.

Perhaps you should have researched it a bit more thoroughly before jumping up on your high horse.

For more reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI

February 25, 2006

How many meters has this little Uluranian?

Answer: About 1.3 meters. (Photo taken at Uluru)

We had this in our garden

About 150cm or 1.5 metres

3.2k · February 25, 2006

Wow, and you guys always say AMERICANS are bad. It's mighty narrowminded of you to think that "the rest of the world" uses "metres" instead of "meters" - I guess the "rest of the world" doesn't include people who use Metru, ?????, Metr, Meeter, Metro, Mètre, ??, Metri, Metrum, Méter, ????, ????, ????, ? and ????

"Metres" indeed.

Actuall ParrotRob,

METRE comes from the SI (Système International d'Unités). The metric system was created during the French Revolution. On August 1, 1793 the National Convention adopted the new decimal "metre" with a provisional length as well as the other decimal units with preliminary definitions and terms. On April 7, 1795 (Loi du 18 germinal, an III) the terms gramme and kilogramme repaced the former terms "gravet" and "grave".

Which would be French. All those spelling it meter would be misspelling it. If you take careful note the majority of those languages you quoted have the "r" preceeding the vowel.

Perhaps you should have researched it a bit more thoroughly before jumping up on your high horse.

For more reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI

Oui.. the French Revolution.. The only war the French ever won.

February 25, 2006

Oui.. the French Revolution.. The only war the French ever won.

Y'mean they won it ?? Did anyone tell them ???

February 25, 2006

I'm from Canada and they are still fighting it.

February 25, 2006

I'm a relative newbie. I found my first cache a couple years ago, but didn't have my own GPSr until just a few months ago. Anyhoo... I find that I prefer meters to statute settings on my GPSr and was wondering if other in the U.S. do the same? The only time it becomes a problem for me is when there are directions in the cache (usually a multi) that say, go 100 feet at 225 degrees, etc. I was doing a couple of multis today that were similar and had switched my GPSr over to statute and was totally thrown. I was glancing down at my GPSr as I approached the waypoint, thinking, okay, 400 meters... but it was 400 feet... yikes.

So which do you prefer? Meters? or Feet? Feet? or Meters?

Feet.

February 25, 2006

tttedzeins:

>METRE comes from the SI (Système International d'Unités).

...

> Which would be French. All those spelling it meter would be misspelling it. If you take careful note the

> majority of those languages you quoted have the "r" preceeding the vowel.

In Swedish, it's called meter. In brittish English, it's called metre. In French, it's called metre. In american English, it's called meter. All those spelling it "meter" is not misspelling it - if thery're not writing it in French or brittish English.

Edited February 25, 2006 by cream

Meters Or Feet?

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