Hand Held GPS
Hand held GPS devices have drastically changed many outdoor sports nowadays, rendering most maps and compass obsolete. They may still have a hefty price tag and is vulnerable to technological constraints such as lack of signal or battery, but their useful features more than make up of for them.
Hand held GPS are so versatile that they can be used by a variety of outdoor activities which includes but is not limited to golfing, fishing, hiking, biking, camping, orienteering, hunting and many more. These devices are so prevalent nowadays that an outdoor activity has even been invented which solely uses these devices as a main tool, which is called geocaching.
Most hand held GPS that are available today are built to withstand the harsh outdoor conditions. These GPS units are often shock, dust, and splash (if not water) proof to ensure that they are durable and rugged enough.
The primary use of hand held GPS in these aforementioned outdoor activities is to determine your present location, elevation, and topography. These are the most basic features of a hand held GPS that will help you survive and not get lost in your current location. The device can store the route that you have taken so in case you ever get lost while exploring an unfamiliar place, you can easily retrace back your steps.
However most hand held GPS that are sold nowadays offer better features that can enhance the outdoor activity that you are doing. For instance, one thing that you can do is tag a location or a waypoint to mark a favorite fishing spot, a shortcut mountain route, a campsite, or any place that you may want to access again in the future.
Furthermore, the latest hand held GPS that are available in the market today offer more advanced and extra features that many people will find useful. There are now a lot of touch screen hand held GPS that are more user friendly. Some units come with cameras that can be used to geo-tag photos. Some handheld GSP devices are even more versatile that they can be mounted on vehicles and be utilized as a navigation system when on a road trip.