Sea captains do it. Pilots do it. Hikers and hunters can now do it.
When planning hikes and hunts, take spacial guesswork out of using topographical maps while wandering the back country, by using handheld GPS receivers.
Imagine, accurately determining your latitude/longitude position and pinpointing your exact location on a map of Los Padres National Forest or the Mojave Desert.
It takes the guesswork out of hunting, trail hiking or backpacking. Becoming lost isn’t a worry.
Handheld GPS receivers are small, lightweight and economical. They receive position information from satellites, so reception is good in the back country, except in caves or in tall and narrow ravines.
A good unit is about the size of an iPhone, weighs just ounces, and is available for a price range of about $100-$800, depending upon features and durability.
Screen size ranges from one to five inches, and the quality of downloaded maps, and required subscriptions are variables in your purchasing decisions.
Use it to plan a hike or hunt in advance. Sit down at home with your handheld GPS unit, a USGS topo map and a guidebook of interesting sights along a trail system.
With a high-end unit you can get driving directions to a spot near a trailhead to make your drive simple and pleasant.
Enter the position of the trailhead and each point of interest along the trail, as waypoints, by checking the Lat/Lon on the topo map and entering it into the GPS unit. Then head out on your adventure.
Once on the trail, you are able to navigate to each pre-planned spot on the trail.
Feel free to add waypoints along the way when you encounter something of special interest that you may want to visit again or share with other hiking buddies.
This is done with push-button ease by saving your current position. Accuracy is so good you can store a campsite within a campground.
A GPS unit can also function as a very real safety device. When part of the group wants to venture off from camp, have them take along a compass and the GPS unit with the campsite set as the active “go to” waypoint.
If they get a bit turned around, all the wandering group needs to do is read the bearing to waypoint on the GPS unit and consult the compass to determine which direction to head to return safely to camp.
We want everyone back in camp in time to enjoy a meal and share adventure yarns. That is my favorite part.
