Do You Turn The Map ?

December 12, 2003

When you navigate using a map do you leave the map north up or do you turn the map each time you face a new direction ?

How about the map screen of your GPS ? Do you set it for north up ?

Based on my limited database of personal observation, I have formulated a theory linking gender, map rotation and frequency of getting lost. What are your ideas on the topic ?

December 13, 2003

I'll bite...with paper maps I turn them to match the direction I'm going. With a gps unit I have north always "up".

Gender - Male

Frequency of getting lost - (a) in the woods-seldom to never

( :huh: in urban settings (towns over 500 ) often

24.7k · December 13, 2003

I am exactly oppostie of Q2XL. I have the GPS set to turn the way I face and paper maps are North up most of the time. If the paper map varies it's not the direction I'm facing. It's E, S, or W up.

December 13, 2003

Paper maps north up almost always.

GPS map rotates.

Male.

Never been lost.

Ken

December 13, 2003

North up.

Most people start out map up and never convert over as skills increase. Even though north up is better and easier for navigation.

1.3k · December 13, 2003

I usually have the map oriented north up, both on the GPSr, and the laptop. In the few instances I have used my GPSr with the map oriented in the direction of travel, it has been when using the trackback feature. It makes more sense to use it that way, for that purpose.

December 13, 2003

Both of us leave our GPSr maps set to always point north. I usually turn my maps round to match direction of travel, Adam doesn't.

We don't tend to get lost, though sometimes we aren't sure where we are. :huh:

Lisa

December 13, 2003

It depends.

Sometimes rotating the map helps for close-in "left/right" navigation.

Other times, north "up" is good for overall orientation.

I do both.

George

5k · December 13, 2003

My GPS is always set to north up. With maps, I'll usually look at them north up to get the big perspective, but if I'm on a smaller scale, such as looking at a city map, I'll sometimes turn it.

With regards to the gender theory, I saw an article a while back that looked at just such a thing. I'll keep the results under wraps for now.

Jamie

[edit] Wow, I didn't realize I have almost the same habits as nincehelser.

Edited December 13, 2003 by Jamie Z

8.4k · December 13, 2003

I just get those trip thingies from AAA. (Strip maps.) All you have to do then is turn to the next page. Otherwise, North is always up.

Sn :huh: gans

December 13, 2003

I am exactly oppostie of Q2XL. I have the GPS set to turn the way I face and paper maps are North up most of the time. If the paper map varies it's not the direction I'm facing. It's E, S, or W up.

Uh-oh! You don't happen to be from Colorado by any chance? ;-)

RobertM

Geo 39F-X

December 13, 2003

Wow, I didn't realize I have almost the same habits as nincehelser.

Well, you know what they say about great minds...

What I think is more telling about a person is which concept they learned first in childhood....N/S/E/W or Left-Right.

Personally, I think boys learn N/S/E/W first...I'm not sure why, but it's always seemed to me that they understand maps quicker.

Girls learn Left-Right first, but that's probably because they're more concerned about their shoes :huh:

George

December 13, 2003

Track up.

1.4k · December 13, 2003

When using a map I usually orient it with north but if it's not, it's not a big deal for me. My GPSr map is oriented north up.

*****

Geo 4A

December 13, 2003

I always have my gps with track up.

It is like when I learned Orienteering and you had your map in direction of travel and used the thumbing method of following your coures.

:huh:

3.9k · December 13, 2003

Everything is North until I get on the trail. Then sometimes I turn the GPS but only when I get confused. So basically I alway turn the GPS when I'm on the trail.

December 13, 2003

I do both ...

To orient myself and determine bearings/course, I use north up ...

While in transit I much prefer 'track up' ...

Doesn't matter if it's paper or GPSr ... that's the way I like it

December 13, 2003

I keep my GPS set on "track up". It works better for the rectangular screens on most GPS units. You have more area in front of your location arrow. Maps are oriented "track up" or north up when I need to confirm north, which is seldom.

On a side note. There has been studies done as to why women are more landmark oriented and why men are more spatially oriented, but I won't jump into that frying pan. :huh:

2.7k · December 13, 2003

I normally run North up on both paper and gps.

I have found that North up is especially helpful in an unfamiliar place, sinc the screen looks like the paper map.

When I try to follow my breadcrumbs, or when going South and heading to a particular goal, I will sometimes use track up to improve quick recognition of the course.

December 13, 2003

Paper is north up.

GPSr is track up. If I'm at a standstill I'll switch to magnetic heading up.

3.5k · December 13, 2003

I was never happier than the day I discovered I could turn the map on my GPS.

I was navigating around a lake and couldn't find my way back to the main road. That's when I noticed the option. Being able to drive and see my track as it pointed in the direction I was heading was a big plus.

Sometimes I switch it back to North up, if the map is turned in a direction that doesn't allow me to see what I want to see, but that's rare.

Bret

4.8k · December 13, 2003

Based on my limited database of personal observation, I have formulated a theory linking gender, map rotation and frequency of getting lost. What are your ideas on the topic ?

Well this is interesting. I suppose you need some female responses.

I generally always keep a paper map with north up. My GPS does not have mapping, but I assume I would do the same thing. Turning maps tends to bug me. I will say that I have a good sense of direction and tend to memorize maps before I set out. That is part of why turning the map could mess with me. If I suddenly decide that I need to look at the map, I want it to be in the orientation that I studied. With that said, once or twice when I had a complicated map, and felt that I was losing my sense of direction, I tried turning the map. I can't say that it made a huge difference.

Edited December 13, 2003 by carleenp

4.8k · December 13, 2003

Oops. I have deleted a double post.

Edited December 13, 2003 by carleenp

2.3k · December 13, 2003

Paper maps: North up

GPSr Map: North up

GPSr North reference: True North

Compass: Declination adjusted, use true north

4k · December 13, 2003

Yes

9.4k · December 13, 2003

North is always up. GPSr, paper, plastic, whatever.

Now this guy, I'm not sure about. His direction changes constantly.

I'm not sure if he even knows what direction he's facing, let alone which is north. :lol:

4.5k · December 13, 2003

Track up while driving gets really confusing for me. First I think I moved to Croatia as nothing looks familiar. Second, the map keeps jerking from left to right as the arrow tries to stay straight up.

This is not too bad following a track back to your car in the woods since there's no roads, but it confuses me while driving. You might as well switch to Navigation and follow the arrow on that page skipping the maps altogether.

Edited December 13, 2003 by Alan2

4.5k · December 13, 2003

Oh, one thing that helps on the Vista map page is that you can have a little bearing arrow at the bottom that shows the direction to the waypoint. So even if the arow is facing west, let's say, if the waypoint is east, the bearing arrow points to the right help to orient you to the directionyou really want to go.

9.4k · December 13, 2003

I don't use the arrow, I like the map display with the pointer that shows where I'm going. I can figure out which direction the cache is in.

December 13, 2003

Second, the map keeps jerking from left to right as the arrow tries to stay straight up.

That's something I'd like to see fixed in future GPS receiver generations....let the map turn slowly and smoothly. Processing speed and battery consumption are probably the big barriers to this.

George

December 13, 2003

Up north, down south, back east, out west, and never the twain shall meet :lol:

4k · December 13, 2003

North is always up. GPSr, paper, plastic, whatever.

Now this guy, I'm not sure about. His direction changes constantly.

I'm not sure if he even knows what direction he's facing, let alone which is north.

I think I must have had it facing north when I meant to go south. Woke up to 8" of snow this morning......no caching this weekend :lol:

December 13, 2003

On canoe trips in the BWCA, we had no real choice but to turn the map for the direction of travel. What we would do is orient the map with the compass and then lay it on the bottom of the canoe with the compass on top of it, all inside the protective plastic cover. We then simply kept the needle lined up as we crossed the lake and searched for the next portage.

1.7k · December 13, 2003

Map north always up.

GPS North always up except when autorouting changes it.

Male

Got lost once in 1977 for about an hour.

3.8k · December 13, 2003

I face the map and GPS north up. However the Highway patrol gets mad at me when I stop and orient the car to face north so that the map and I are facing the same way.. :lol:

December 13, 2003

I normally lay down under the map and look up. It helps shield the sun and make my nap more enjoyable.

On the GPS, I just lay it on the ground and run in circles until I get dizzy. When I fall down - my left leg is normally oriented north. :lol:

Seriously - north up on both (gps and map) typically for me. I'll orient a map to match landmarks if it's easier in a specific situation and I use 'track up' while riding on the motorcycle to make it easier to make out turns coming up with a quick glance - but most of the time - north up for me.

December 13, 2003

I keep my GPSr North up. Paper maps are North up 80 % of time. While Kayaking, hiking or driving in unfamiliar areas I frequently view the overall trip area North up then turn the map in the direction of travel to pinpoint my exact location and/or search for a specific location.

When teaching map skills to others or showing others where we are in reference to the map I find it best to orient the map so North on the map is facing North and rotate the map as we turn looking at landmarks.

I am male and have never been lost.

Happy caching. :lol:

GEO.JOE

December 13, 2003

Stu: North Up (Paper & GPSr)

Sarah: Track Up (Paper & GPSr)

Stu & Sarah: Lost when using the GPSr after the other has used it! :lol:

December 13, 2003

I've always read paper maps with North up, so when I got my GPS, I set it to North up. I tried it a couple of times with Track up, but it was too confusing. I knew I was going east, but when I looked at the GPS, it always indicated going North! Too confusing to me.

I recently installed Mapsend DirectRoute and I think it's a great piece of software, but ... when you tell it to do a street route, it automatically changes you to track up! It'll do the turn-by-turn in North up, but you have to reset it each time you start a route. Maybe they'll fix that in the next release.

1k · December 13, 2003

Map - North up.

GPSr - Track up.

Male - College degree in Geography

I don't get lost. :lol:

December 14, 2003

Male - College degree in Geography

I don't get lost.

You ain't lived until you've been truely lost, even if only for a little while.

December 14, 2003

Paper map - North up

GPSr - Track up

Frequently get lost, but always make good time :lol:

1.3k · December 14, 2003

North up for both paper and GPS maps. That's the way I'm used to reading maps.

December 14, 2003

North up on both paper maps and GPS.

December 14, 2003

North up on both unless I'm trying to orient a paper map with my compass. Having the GPS map spin around while I'm moving makes me dizzy, but sometimes I like that. :lol:

1k · December 14, 2003

Male - College degree in Geography

I don't get lost.

You ain't lived until you've been truely lost, even if only for a little while.

Well, I got lost in a department store when I was about 6 once. That should count.

I remember being extremely terrified. :lol:

Edited December 14, 2003 by Webfoot

December 14, 2003

Well up until recently it was always north for the GPS and map north as well...

A few weeks ago I changed the GPS to track up, and found that that was easier while driving and trying to see where I was going at the same time! :lol:

3.5k · December 14, 2003

Same as EScout:

Paper maps: North up

GPSr Map: North up

GPSr North reference: True North

Compass: Declination adjusted, use true north

2.7k · December 14, 2003

I usually don't orient my map to the relative terrain. I'll look at the terain and compare it to the map and make notes (cookie crumbs) as to where I'm at. If unsure I'll triangulate and do a field bearing to a map bearing.

But my students when I teach land navigation have to orient the map and learn how to adjust for declination. We don't use an adjustable compass but do it the old fashioned way we convert in our heads. East is least and the truth is greater, which is the rhyme in CO, those Eastern dudes do it the other way.

In simple terms Santa always stays at the Pole, that is the Truth, but those dadgum Irish Leprechauns with those magnets keep moving from pub to pub.

December 14, 2003

Same as EScout:
Paper maps: North up

GPSr Map: North up

GPSr North reference: True North

Compass: Declination adjusted, use true north

Hey EraSeek, just curious, why true north and not magnetic north for your GPSr north reference

Edited December 14, 2003 by Warriorrider

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