If you are among the tens of thousands of people who get pleasure from hiking then you ought not to leave home without the proper equipment and that means water, food, a basic first aid kit and the best GPS hiking system you can find. Taking a hike in the woods, or in one of the many lovely state parks, can be very exciting and you will enjoy a lot of exercise and see many animals and plants that you may not get to see at any other time. However, if you manage to get yourself lost while you are out hiking, especially if you get injured at the same time, your lovely day could well turn out very differently to the day that you planned. This is why taking a GPS tracking device is vital as it can help to get you back on track and home again safely.
Should you suddenly discover that you are lost when you are out hiking you easily can program your GPS device to find out the direction you are heading and this will stop you from accidentally heading the wrong way. Then, once you have regained your bearings, you can also find your way out of the woods and will find that many state parks have rest areas and other similar places that can be used as landmarks. Even when you are unable to find your way out using the GPS system then usually rescue units will be able to find you simply by tracking your signal.
If you are out hiking alone and have taken a GPS system for emergencies then you can also use it to indicate how far you have walked. By keeping track of the distance you travel you will then be able to find your way back onto the proper path by merely retracing your steps and will know exactly how far you must travel to return to your starting point. As a consequence you will not simply be walking for miles speculating about just how far you need to go before you get back on track. In addition it is an excellent way to make sure that you do not travel too far in the first place and will often stop you from ending up lost at all.
Anybody who has ever found themselves lost in the woods will know that it can be a frightening experience and the ability to know where you are and how you can get out again will help in keeping you and the remainder of your group calm. You will find that you can find significant areas and landmarks using your GPS system. Just as importantly, having calculated how far you want to walk during the day, your GPS system can indicate when you have reached your goal and stop you from going too far which could be dangerous. Knowing when to stop is very important and can help you to stay healthy and avoid injury to your body.
Going for a hike alone is not recommended but if you want to set off alone remember to carry your GPS so that you will feel safe and you will be ready in case of an emergency. Lastly, do not forget to tell someone where you are planning to go and when you expect to be back so that they can alert the rescue teams if you fail to return when expected.
By: Donald Saunders
Posts Tagged ‘State Parks’
Nowadays It Is Unwise To Go Hiking Without A GPS
March 23rd, 2010Price Comparison GPS, Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom
November 18th, 2009
In this article “Price Comparison GPS, Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom,” I’m going to talk about what you can get from these three manufacturers and approximately how much it’s going to cost you.
I’m also focusing exclusively on after-market, automotive GPS receivers-not the kind you take hiking, but the kind you see mounted on people’s dashboards. To get started, let’s talk about GPS systems in general first, so you understand what they do, what their basic features are, and what additional features you can upgrade to.
What GPS Systems Do
GPS systems (or receivers) are electronic devices that show you where you are on an electronic map and tell you how to get where you want to go via some sort of voice instructions.
All GPS receivers also have a database of Points of Interest (POIs). These are pre-programmed locations of gas stations, restaurants, state parks, hospitals, well-known buildings, etc. Basically these are public destinations.
GPS receivers also all come with the following:
A touch screen interface A choice of “views”-either 2d, which looks just like a map, or 3d, which looks a little more realistic All of these devices auto-calculate your route to your destination. Usually you can choose between shortest or fastest route Come pre-loaded with maps. Even most of the base price units have maps of the lower 48 states
Upgrades
Popular upgrades are:
A wider screen, 4.3 inches diagonally as opposed to 3.5 inches Saying the names of the streets, instead of just saying “turn here.” More maps Bluetooth integration for hands-free calling Real-time traffic and weather Millions of POIs, instead of a few hundred thousand Multiple route calculation
Price Comparison GPS
GPS systems range in price from around $150 for base units to $1,000 for Garmin’s top of the line Street Pilot 7000. You can get a lot of bells and whistles for $200 to $300.
Magellan’s Maestro line currently runs anywhere from about $150 for the Maestro 3100, which has a 3.5 inch screen, maps of the lower 48 states, and about 750,000 POIs. The top of the line Maestro, the 4250, currently runs slightly more than $250. With the 4250, you get a 4.3-inch screen, maps of the U. S. and Canada, 6 million POIs, real-time traffic capability and Bluetooth.
Garmin’s GPS receivers are comparatively priced. Their introductory model, the Nuvi 200 does about the same thing as the Maestro 3100, and runs about the same amount of money. Their top of the line Nuvi 770 currently costs slightly less than $600, but it has every feature imaginable-4.3-inch screen, more maps, huge POI database, says street names, real-time traffic and weather, Bluetooth, and much, much more.
The other main manufacturer, Tom Tom, has fewer models to choose from, but they make a great product and their prices are in line with Magellan’s and Garmin’s. Their base model, the Tom Tom One, runs slightly more than $150. Their top of the line model, the GO 920 has a 4.3-inch screen and all of the other features.
To learn more, your next step needs to be finding an informative website where you can actually browse, look at pictures, and compare models.
By: Lee Cole
