Who Can Benefit from a Handheld GPS Receiver?
Hikers, climbers, mountaineers and backpackers: Plan a route on your paper map or digital map and enter the “waypoints” (specific locations) in your GPS receiver. It is very easy to download existing trails or routes from websites. Many of these are at no cost. A GPS will help you get to your destination, whether it’s to a scenic vista, sweet crag or your campsite. Be sure to mark your car as a waypoint before you leave! Backcountry skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers: As snow obscures the trail, a GPS receiver can help you determine the correct path down the mountain. Checking your receiver on the way down can also warn you of any danger zones you noted earlier. Geocachers: While all GPS handhelds will help you find your next cache, some have dedicated geocaching features. The most common is called “paperless geocaching,” which allows you to download and view a cache’s coordinates, name, rating and other data on the GPS, so there’s no need to bring along paper printouts. You can downl
