Better Hiking and Camping via GPS
Hiking and camping are good methods for city people to get out and reconnect with nature. What starts as a relaxing getaway, however, stops being fun extremely fast when campers and hikers get lost, which is the reason why it’s important to be prepared. A foray into the out-of-doors is always much better attempted with a GPS receiver well-suited to hiking and camping.
So what are the features of the best GPS unit for hiking and camping? Consider where, when and for how long the device will usually be used. Long walks and multi-day camping trips with no access to electricity for lengthened periods need a device with superior battery lifespan. A light-weight handheld unit will be more convenient out on the trail, though less sensitive models will have to be held in hand at all points to avoid dropping the satellite signal when carried in a pocket.
In addition to these very basic points to consider, there are tiers of GPS price and quality to consider when choosing a unit. At the base of the scale are cheap, bare-bones units that may suit the casual hiker or treasure hunter. At a minimum, the features of a handheld hiking or camping GPS receiver will include 1 or 2 basics. The first is a screen that can be read outside in bright daylight. To understand why this is important, simply think about watching TV or using a computer with sunlight shining on the screen. A basic hiking and camping GPS will also be able to read compatible topographical maps, regularly available for sale separately from the manufacturer, and will include a USB cable for transferring map files from your computer to the unit.
At the middle price range purchasers will find more advanced features. A touch sensitive screen is a slick, convenient feature seen on many current GPS receiver models. Increasingly common among more serious walkers and campers are units installed with barometric altimeters and an electronic compass, which remedies the indisputable fact that, when a hiker is standing still, say while plotting the subsequent leg of his route, the standard GPS receiver will tell the walker his location but not which direction he’s facing. Some GPS units in this intermediate price range will also have advanced tracking and navigation. This technology can use waypoints to more meticulously work out a hiker’s route and distance to a stated destination, whereas a standard receiver may only be in a position to figure out the distance to a destination as the crow flies.
The top-end class of GPS receiver has emerged on the market with an extra feature to all the features formerly observed. When trekking outside of cell telephone range, a hiker will be utterly unable to communicate to the rest of the world — unless their GPS comes with satellite communicator technology, allowing them to use satellites in orbit not solely to find their way, but then also, to touch base with the exterior world. Units with this capability aren’t cheap, but those hikers and campers who trek super-remote areas where help in an emergency is hard to find might consider shelling out the additional money.
Tom
one of the original contributors to the base data, as well
as, to the progress and advancement
of Satellite
Treasure Map Info overlaid on Google
Maps. Tom has accumulated this info
through many years of seeking out obscure
truths thru many wide-ranging
sources.