GPS Navigation: Using CalTopo and Gaia GPS

This entry-level class introduces the modern way to use both physical and digital/GPS-enabled maps—the core of wilderness navigation—in wilderness navigation. The class consists of two parts:

1. A self-paced online presentation with exercises that you must view and complete at home (approximately 4-6 hours to complete) - 2 weeks prior to the In-Person Workshop. This is a serious time commitment and we encourage the students to start early!
2. A Zoom workshop (6:30 to 9:30PM) that will focus on creating a customized home-printable physical map for a short trip, uploading this data to the Gaia GPS app on your cell phone. We will discuss and demonstrate (as best we can on Zoom) how to use the physical map in concert with the digital map (Gaia), a compass, and an altimeter (approx 2.5 hours).

The applications used in this class are Gaia GPS on a cell phone (for either Android or iOS) and CalTopo—the premier online custom physical map creation tool.

Students will need to register and pay for this main class, then register for one of the Zoom workshops. The online presentation will be available to the student 2 weeks prior to the start of the Zoom workshop that you signed up for. Students MUST complete the presentation prior to attending the workshop. Once you complete both parts, you will earn a Basic GPS Course badge.

Learning Goals:

• Understand that Maps—both physical and digital—are the core of wilderness navigation, representing two of the five tools of modern wilderness navigation.
• Understand how to create physical maps to print at home that are specific to your planned trip, learn the differences between various base maps, know how to choose an appropriate scale and reference grid, how to create custom waypoints and routes, how to print, and how to upload these customizations in a GPX file for Gaia GPS.
• Understand digital maps: how GPS works, differences between digital maps, and how to download appropriate maps to Gaia GPS.
• Understand how to recognize common accuracy and technology issues when using a GPS device, and various solutions available.
• Understand what options are available for emergency communications:
  • One- and two-way satellite communicators and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs)
  • How satellite communicators and PLBs are used in a rescue scenario.
  • Why all parties traveling in the wilderness should strongly consider carrying a satellite communicator or PLB.
• Trip Planning Workflow: Understand how CalTopo and Gaia GPS fit into this broader topic.
• Receive a brief introduction to the critical topics of Situational Awareness and the Ethic of Self-Reliance.