I have been playing with all three.... It seems every location I hit one is better than the other.  I keep printing small paper copies and then destroying them as I wander around. Have a rather outdated GPS that I found try and get new maps on, for the right price. And have been trying to find the right App for the phone that would let me feel like I have the best of all worlds.
I just want to be able to scribble notes while I walk around stump shooting and scouting, so I can get back there in the dark. And know where I am at.... And honestly most importantly, I want to be lazy. I can do the compass and Map better than most,  I just know technology has come a very long way.... I've just been too stubborn to use it before now.

So my question, what's your preference, what do you use personally? The two big factors here are Cheap & Lazy.  Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

I have an MGRS GPS map app for Ft Benning for my phone, and MGRS grid gps, a compass on my watchband and a paper MGRS map in a ziplock bag in my satchel. All that said, the areas I hunt dont go for too far before hitting a backstop, I spend a lot of time in the woods, the Army Recon School was pretty land nav heavy, and I seldom use anything. Now if I were out west or way up north or something I would need all my stuff a lot more. Or if I was tracking a hit animal I may keep track on my map. But day to day I just use the sun or known terrain and stay generally on course or handrail a trail. I think theres a time for "tradition" and then theres not. For folks unaccustomed to navigating in the wilds its potentially dangerous to just try to wing it with a map and compass when there are "gadgets" that can help or even save their lives.

I was schooled on map reading, and can use a topo and compass if need be, but I have found that my gps with downloaded topos is accurate and easy to use. I carry spare batteries, and if something looks a bit weird on the gps map, I calibrate the compass and I'm good to go. I have a Garmin Oregon model, and it works like a charm and is very accurate to just a few feet. Detailed topo maps for Garmins are available for free at:

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/all  

I didn't carry a paper map this year or last while elk hunting, and didn't feel the need, but I am also familiar with the area. If I was going to a totally new place, I would back up the gps with paper map and compass.

I too use the Garmin Oregon (mine's the 450) with maps from gpsfile depot.com.

I wish it had a bigger screen but it has never let me down.  Battery life isn't great but better than my smart phone.  And it is much more rugged.

That said, I always have a map and compass, especially if it's an area I can get lost in.

Thanks all.
Cavscout, I have spent some  quality time on the back side of Benning, and like the way a normal topo tied into terrain well.  Out on the east coast the trees have been so thick, and covered up enough reference points that I am not always 100%, if I am not making some form of deliberate effort. I have tried to power scout a few locations, and want to be able to rove the woods aimlessly and mash a key for a waypoint, make a note and call it good.  I have been using some GPS/UTM app, sending emails to myself with waypoints and notes.  I have done the same making chicken scratch on paper, but like I said..... Looking for the lazy answer to this one.
Centaur/John,
Thanks for the recommendation... May have to start  looking for one as I am digging through pawn shops and classifieds. Free has always been my favorite color, so I could go for some topo updates. I think the one GPS we have been kicking around for a while is a Garmin as well. ... May have to check the maps out either way.

I do understand there is no substitute for a true understanding of the land you are on. I miss disappearing into the mountains, and can't wait for the next two years to pass so I can get back into them again. Barely needed a compass back home, around here you don't need one, just go to the sounds of the trains, planes, or cars.... It just hard getting back to the spots where you couldn't hear them.

I have both the Garmin 450T and Dakota 20.  I purchased 24K topo map chips for each for about $30 ea.  Either unit is recommended.  The battery life of the 450T is terrible, so I purchased the Dakota used for under $100.  I also had one of the first Etrex units- $100 then and the same today.  It would take you straight to whatever waypoint you saved.  Loved it but the screen played out.  My wife has Backcounty Navagator on her cell phone.  She likes it but her battery life is very poor and she doesn't have extra batteries. Unless it is a short hike it will be dead= I think the program needs a lot of power to run.  If a new area that needs pre-planning, I will print a paper map from whatever source you have, then study it and decide where I want to be.  The Garmin assures me where I am and where the pickup is if I need help.  So, I like to combine the paper map and GPS.

When I floated in AK last year I went old school with topo and compass.  My partner used his smartphone.  In our initial attempts to establish our starting position, the smartphone put us miles from the river that we were already on!  It took less than five minutes to figure it out with map and compass.

we did not bother with conventional GPS units simply because we were centered on the river and maps and compass made going out and getting back easy.  

Later in the trip it turned out that my partners new camera with GPS was dead on!

First and foremost I rely on compass, knowledge of the area topography/ map and landmarks, and when I leave a clear cut path/road I always orient myself and keep track of my turns and general heading once I am in the woods.  I also make sure I figure out which direction reversal will have me headed back on my original heading BEFORE I make a turn or change direction.  Awareness is key.  Make note of unique trees, stumps, deadfalls, water features, etc and burn them into your memory and how they relate to your starting point.  

Secondly I keep a GPS with waypoints in my quiver as a back up.  I also use my smartphone with Google Maps as well as Trimble Hunt Pro as a supplement to basic orienting/compass.

It's easy to get turned around in really thick bush but it really helps so build your awareness of landmarks, sun/moon and just general N-S-E-W.

Here's a review on the hunting GPS app that I'm currently using.

http://rysanpei.blogspot.com/2015/05/onxmaps-hunt-app-initial-review.html

I like huntstand lite app for my cell , works great and has many features

Almost any handheld GPS unit will be more durable and reliable than a phone app. They are waterproof, you can drop them, change out batteries, and buttons work even in freezing conditions and rain. Free maps are easily downloaded with a USB cord from your computer. They are readily available on Craigslist. My used Garmin 60CSx cost me less than a third of what a new one would of.

Iam trying out the onxmaps app as well. Haven't got to do much with it yet. Most excited about being able to see property lines and who owns it. Easy to scout when I am at work also

Big woods, swampy areas and out west I  carry my GPS.  That being said if I have phone coverage a SAT view on my phone is invaluable.  Out wests I also have maps.

I'm old school. I've always carried a compass, even in areas I'm familiar with, and especially in places I'm not. When I can see the sun, I tend to use that instead of my compass.

I use the wind for a guide too, but that's been known to change, so on cloudy days I'll confirm with a compass from time to time.

I have a couple topo maps tacked to the wall at camp, of the places I hunt in the Adirondacks. I've hunted most of these places for over thirty years, but It's nice to be able to study the maps, and get the general lay of the land if I'm going to check out a new spot. I've found some good places to hunt by looking the maps over and noting terrain features, then walking back in for a look too.

GPS units and the other electronic gadgets, are probably wonderful things, and most people seem to use them these days. If you like them, I couldn't be happier for you, but they're just not for me.


Bob

I like both a map/compass and a gps. I few years ago I started to teach myself how to use a topo and compass to navigate and a gps was invaluable for checking my work.

I'm a fairly tech savey individual and I do enjoy the GPS features on my phone.  However, for areas and properties that I'm familiar with, I prefer a nice vinyl covered paper map and the clip on compass on my watch band.

I use a map and compass for backcountry hunts of a couple of weeks or so.  Batteries burn out, and a lot of back country areas don't get cell reception.  Both devices are extra weight.

On day trips close to the road, a compass is all I use.  I can usually remember places I want to return to long enough to write it down in my journal.

No doubt the latest technology works in most cases.  I just find it cumbersome, unnecessary and try to keep it simple.

I didn't read any responses so it may have been covered. I have been exclusively using Backcountry Navigator for Android OS phones for five years. I do still carry a small non fancy Garmin in my pack for a backup. I could never go back to a standard GPS. You download map tiles for the area you want to hunt at home on Wi-Fi, you can get free topo and satellite map tiles, there are pay maps too if you want the fancy maps, I do the free and they are great. If you download maps ahead of time you don't need cell service, they also have add-on features that cost extra r that show game management units and private property boundaries, I don't think those are available for all states though. I bought all three and I think it was less than thirty bucks. You can add pictures to the way points and notes etc. If you don't already have a smart phone it's not worth getting one to use this software but if you already have the phone it is the greatest thing ever! Touch screen color GPS with a good size screen for cheap and if you have a tablet it doesn't cost extra to have it on more than one device assuming they are both linked to the same gmail account. If you have questions, PM me, I might not come back to thread!

I use all three when hunting Ft Sill in the impact areas to insure that I am in the boundaries Range Control set for the days hunt. They are also useful for setting a way point for a downed animal in the mountains or here on the prairie where I live and hunt. A whole lot of flat land can look the same.

I too am looking for a good APP for my IPhone 6+.  The OnxMap won't work for me, I don't think, I am in Texas.  They don't list Texas as part of their map info inventory.  I don't know whether the basic functions will work or not.

I am going to be hunting Public land here in Texas, mainly Sam Houston National Forest.  I am mainly wanting something that can get me back to my truck or camp.  I've been told that you can get lost very easily in that place.  The other problem is that it's 105,000 acres and GOD only knows how many TOPO maps it takes to cover it all.

I wouldn't mind getting a dedicated GPS unit, but if I can get by with an APP on my phone, I'd rather go that way first.
Any other suggestions for apps?

Nalajr