Handheld GPS for the Outdoorsman

In the western parts of the United States, there are large sections of land available for personal use within the National Forest system. Whether you are driving or riding, hiking or fishing, a handheld GPS unit is essential for keeping your bearings in the vast expanses of unpopulated areas. Every year, people get lost in the uninhabited areas of the western region and some even die because they cannot find help, or they panic and head off into the wrong direction. Having a handheld GPS can save many people from the threat of being lost, and assist them in getting quick assistance when it becomes necessary.

The first step to avoid getting lost in the mountains or forest is to mark the location of your vehicle before starting out on a hike or bike ride. As long as that initial waypoint is added, you can always backtrack to your starting point. A handheld GPS can make any outing into the great outdoors safer for the participants. However, safety is only one important function of the handheld GPS. If you find a great place to camp or fish, you can program the precise location into your GPS, for easy return trips. The same holds true for the hunters following game. Having the handheld GPS allows the hunter to safely track his progress, so that he can focus on the chase without the concern of knowing how to get back to camp.

Handheld GPS Problems

While there is no doubt to the usefulness of a handheld GPS, there are some problems with these devices that should be considered before purchasing one. Handheld GPS units usually run on batteries, making it very important to have extra batteries available when you head out on a trek with your device. You don’t want your GPS unit to lose battery power when you are in the middle of nowhere without a way to get back to camp. If you forget extra batteries, don’t assume that you will be okay without them. It is better to find a place to buy batteries and be a little late to your destination, than to not have them and be lost in the middle of uninhabited territory.

It is also important for you to make sure that your GPS will work effectively in the area that you are heading into. Sometimes the unit may not work if it located in a deep canyon, or heavily wooded area, for example. Losing the signal is as good as not having taken the GPS along with you at all. Despite these limitations, by exercising some common sense and a bit of preparation, a handheld GPS can make wilderness trips safe adventures.