WHY BUY A GPS UNIT?
With GPS receivers more affordable and easier to use than ever, why not buy a GPS unit! There are a host of benefits to traveling with a GPS receiver and no detriments whatsoever. These days, some units are no bigger than a watch but can be a savior in the wilderness and in the city. There is no more getting lost and no need to fumble with a map. You can plan wilderness trips in advance, upload waypoints and routes before you set off and navigate with confidence. You can identify your current elevation, your current bearing and even predict weather patterns based on barometric pressure. With a GPS unit, you will know how far you have travelled and how much farther you need to go. Most of all, you can make sound decisions in troubled times, all based on hard GPS data.
WHAT TYPE OF GPS UNIT DO I NEED?
The biggest question about GPS is "What unit should I buy?" The answer lies within your activity. Ultimately, you must consider a multitude of factors when purchasing a GPS unit. Think about the activities you are engaging in and what GPS features complement those activites.
Different activities warrant different GPS features:
- Are you a hiker? Then you want the ability to upload maps to your GPS unit.
- Are you a fisherman? Then you want to make sure your unit can accept marine charts.
- Are you a hunter? Then you want the ability to create routes in the backcountry.
- Are you touring the country by auto? Then you want a mountable GPS unit.
- Are you a mountain biker? Then you want to know your speed on the single track.
- Are you a geocacher? Then you want to be able to upload cache coordinates and navigate to them.
Some things to keep in mind and important questions to ask when buying are:
- Antenna Strength - Can this GPS unit acquire signal under forest cover or in deep canyons?
- Battery Life - How long can this unit be used before it loses battery power?
- Waterproof - Is this unit waterproof? If so, to what depth?
- Elevation - Does this unit display elevation? If so, is it barometric, electronic or both?
- Compass - Does this unit have a compass? Does it display the current bearing?
- Maps - Does this unit have map upload capability? If so, what kinds of maps can be used?
- Durability - How durable is this unit? If I drop the unit during normal activity, will it break?
- Waypoints - How many waypoints can this unit hold at one time? 100, 500, 1000?
- My Activity - Is this the best unit for my specific activity?
WHAT ARE WAYPOINTS AND HOW DO I USE THEM?
As it relates to GPS and GPS units, a 'waypoint' is a fixed navigation position set by the GPS user. Waypoints can be destinations (alpine lakes, mountain summits, hidden fishing spots) or reference points along a trail, road, and body of water. Most handheld GPS units will give you the ability to mark waypoints with a simple one-touch application, and you would then enter a brief description of the waypoint itself (example: Lost Palms Oasis).
It is always a best practice to mark 'home-base' locations such as a trailhead, parking lot, cabin, dock or hunting blind. Should you ever become lost or disoriented in the wilderness, simply pull up your previously marked waypoints, find where you want to go and then the GPS unit will direct you to that location, generally with an arrow. While GPS provides an incredible service in navigation, GPS units should always be used in conjunction with a recent topographic map. Should your batteries fail or should the GPS unit malfunction, a topographic map will come in handy. Remember, there is no substitute for a topographic map and honed orienteering skills.
WHAT ARE ROUTES AND HOW DO I USE THEM?
Now that you know what a waypoint is, you can use them to create a route. A route is a group of waypoints entered into the GPS unit in the order you intend to navigate them.
The following is an example of a route to Lost Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park:
N33 43.897 W115 48.085 - Mastodon Peak Trail junction
N33 43.774 W115 47.819 - Mile One Marker
N33 43.343 W115 47.011 - Mile Two Marker
N33 43.170 W115 46.669 - Enter Arroyo Slot
N33 43.080 W115 46.548 - Exit Arroyo Slot (bear left)
N33 42.757 W115 45.896 - Lost Palms Canyon Day Use Boundary
N33 42.760 W115 45.756 - Lost Palms Oasis
Routes are important because you can use them to find your way back to a trailhead, share them with other outdoor enthusiasts or use someone else's route to find your intended destination. Routes can be used before a trip to plot your trek on a map, and they can be uploaded to your GPS unit before you leave the house.
WHAT IS A TRACKLOG AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
While following a 'route' takes you from one designated waypoint to another, a 'tracklog' records and measures the points in between (similar to leaving a trail of breadcrumbs in your wake). Because you are often not moving in a straight line, the GPS unit will continuously measure your travel at specified intervals in order to calculate an accurate distance. Some units will measure at time intervals and other units will measure at distance intervals. Most units will give the user the ability to set the tracklog interval. Keep in mind that the tighter the interval, the more battery power the unit will use and vice versa. If accuracy and not battery power is your primary concern, select the smalllest time or distance interval.
WHAT IS GEOCACHING AND HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
Geocaching is a GPS-driven 'treasure hunt' whereby a GPS user is given specific coordinates and then must find a hidden cache at that location. This is a great way to have fun and get to know your GPS unit, all at the same time. Several websites are dedicated to geocaching and enable users to upload their own GPS caches or to search for other people's hidden goods. You can comment, interact and share experiences with other geocachers, as well as create your own geocacher profile.
There are often rules associated with specific caches. For example, one geocacher might require that if something is taken from their cache, it must be replaced with something else of equal value. There is also a code of ethics among geocachers including a respect for nature and low impact geocaching. As geocaching is primarily an outdoor activity, great thought must be given to where one will lay a cache and how others may travel to find it. When geocaching, always consider terrain, accessibility, weather, time of year and overall safety for yourself and others. Anyone can geocache, all it takes is a GPS unit and a sense of adventure!
