Fascinating thread, but what has struck me is how many people consider it worth repeating the mantra of no GPS, no phone or radio when referring to the pioneers in a way suggesting the very thought of that is astonishing, or even that anyone might need something that banal and obvious pointing out at all!
I know we tend to be slaves to technology (phones esp.) but I am surprised - perhaps I shouldn't be - at the reaction to no GPS and radio as though navigation is is a major feat without them. Radios (comms) play no real part in navigation unless totally lost, and are then at best a minor help, (though in the modern international ATC environment all but essential) but has GPS really become so ubiquitous that we have people thinking it is essential to get from a to b and using a map and DR is somehow too difficult to be practical? Or am I reading too much into this?