In reply to Only a hill:
> (In reply to Martin1978)
> [...]
>
> While I agree that this can be true of some people, I find a smartphone genuinely useful in the outdoors and I sometimes think there's an element of luddism in the scornful dismissal of modern technology for navigation.
>
> Viewranger takes a lot of the effort out of the whole process. I can set it to follow a pre-recorded route, and if desired it will direct me automatically as well as providing constant position and altitude readouts (which I have found to be very accurate, often down to the the metre). It's very convenient to be able to switch on a screen and see a zoomable OS map with a crosshair pinpointing my exact location, plus a trail showing where I have been. I carry a spare power supply so running out of battery is *never* a concern, even on multi-day backpacking trips.
>
> The disadvantages of using smartphones in the hills can all be reduced or removed by the application of common sense. As for the question of "why bother?", I will be carrying my smartphone anyway (for a range of purposes that have nothing to do with navigation), so it's not as if I'm carrying extra stuff I wouldn't have anyway. It's simply about convenience.
>
> Obviously this is a matter of personal preference, but I fail to see the need to slag off or belittle those who choose different navigational tools. Surely the hills are supposed to be about personal freedom?
Completely agree with that, smartphones are great, on small and easy hikes I tend to use it as the primary navigation tool, simply because it's easy to check your position without having to stop, also a smartphone fits better in a pocket than a map + waterproof cover.
However on winter hikes with zero vis situation I get better results micronavigating with maps and compass, taking accurate bearings and counting steps and so on, and double checking position on the GPS at key points or when in doubts.
Basically so far I find smartphones really good at knowing exactly where you are but not really good at telling you where to go with high precision, it seems to me that the electronic compasses are not that good.