Free pdf from Camping's Top Secrets - Falcon Guides

G
GPS (Global Positioning System)
he hottest navigational device is the handheld
GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. With a
GPS unit, you can determine an accurate position
anywhere on Earth in a matter of minutes. Or you
can enter a set coordinates of a place you want to
go and the GPS receiver will provide a compass
bearing and distance that will be updated by satellite
information as you progress. Press a button
and you get a speed readout and an estimated
time of arrival. You must be moving faster than
about 11 miles per hour to get an accurate measure
of your speed. Hikers and canoeists should
not take GPS speed readings too seriously!
Without a map, GPS can be used to track
your location. Enter your starting position into
the unit and save it as a waypoint. Establish
other waypoints as you proceed, then, like
Hansel and Gretel, follow your electronic bread
crumbs home. GPS accuracy is 3 meters or less!
You must know how to read and interpret
topographic maps in order to master GPS technology.
You must also have—and know how to
use—an accurate compass. he one built into a
GPS has limited capabilities. Be aware that all
handheld GPS units operate on small batteries
that could fail when you need them most. Most of
the new hand-held GPS units are waterproof so
you can safely use them in the rain. Submersion
in water for a very long time is another matter.
It is not practical to leave a GPS unit on for
continuous positioning unless you have battery
recharging capabilities or an unlimited supply of
batteries. Lithium batteries are a smart choice,
even in summer, when you don’t need reliable
cold-weather performance. he most useful GPS
GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
feature is its ability to verify your location on a
map—possible only if your map has a reference
system to which your GPS unit can relate. Not
all maps have appropriate reference lines. hose
that do include all US and Canadian topographic
maps that are marked with degrees of latitude
and longitude. Canadian maps and US military
maps also provide decimal-based Universal
Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, which
are much easier to use than latitude/longitude.
Any GPS receiver can be set to read lat/lon or
UTM coordinates, as you prefer. (See page 108.)
Maps that don’t have a coordinate system to
which the GPS can relate include nearly all public
road maps, most state and national park hiking
and boating maps, and special-purpose recreational
maps like those drawn for the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area of Minnesota. If you use one
of these special-purpose maps, you’ll also need
to carry a GPS-compatible topographic map.
Learning to use a GPS unit is like mastering a computer.
If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it! Garmin Oregon 400T GPS.
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