For about $150 anyone can access the United States' multi-billion dollar GPS program. Using GPS Units: A Practical Guide for Hikers, Bikers, Paddlers, and Climbers shows readers how to plug in and enhance most any outdoor experience. Whether a hiker on a weekend trip through the Great Smokies, a backpacker cruising the Continental Divide Trail, a mountain biker kicking up dust in Moab, a paddler running the Lewis and Clark bicentennial route, or a climber pre-scouting the routes up Mount Shasta, a simple handheld GPS unit is fun, useful, and can even be a lifesaver. Described in conjunction with today's most popular GPS software, easy to understand information enables readers to plan a trip, navigate along a route, gather data from the outing, and analyze trip data after the trip. Information is power, and a GPS unit is today's preferred tool to harness the power of navigational technology for a more enjoyable, more informative, and possibly safer outdoor experience.
GPS Outdoors: A Practical Guide for Outdoor Enthusiasts
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
As an editor of outdoor guidebooks and a committed lover of outdoor adventure, Russell Helms gained his practical knowledge of GPS technology through putting boot to rock, paddle to water, and tire to dirt. A tireless advocate of enhancing outdoor experiences through GPS technology, he also hires and coaches other guidebook writers to capture and analyze accurate trail data with handheld GPS units. A resident of Birmingham, AL, he is the author of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Birmingham.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Most outdoor travel, whether hiking, biking, or skiing, generally follows an established path or route. A bolder type of outdoor excursion involves leaving the beaten path and exploring off-trail. One simple way to introduce yourself to the joys of exploring uncharted territory in your own backyard is to do a beeline hike, using the GoTo function of your GPS unit.
Pick a nearby state park, or the equivalent, and peruse a map of the area. Look for a spot where you can park your vehicle and access an established trail. Follow the trail out about a mile or so and note that position in relation to where you parked your car. Draw a straight line from the chosen spot on the trail and your car. That's the beeline hike that you will attempt. If the line passes through a lake, river, or another obstacle that you do not want to negotiate, then choose another area of the park.
One of my first beeline hikes took place in a small Ohio state park east of Cleveland. With my nephew in tow, we randomly parked near one of the park's many multi-use trails. It would have been wiser if I had followed my own advice in the previous paragraph and scouted a line by map beforehand. However, I dropped a waypoint at the car and off we waltzed into the woods and around a boggy lake. About a mile or more out, I randomly picked a spot as the departure for our beeline back to the car.
The waypoint that you drop (mark) on your GPS unit is what your unit will use to navigate you back to your vehicle. Once you have hiked to the point where you want to begin the beeline, initialize the GoTo function (see sidebar, for specific steps). On the GPS screen, a large arrow will appear and will point directly toward the spot where you dropped the initial waypoint. And off you go, keeping the arrow centered in the screen. If you deviate from the prescribed bearing, the arrow will falter left or right depending on which you deviate. To get back on track, just stand still and orient yourself until the arrow realigns to center and points straight ahead.
We pushed through tall grass, then scrub, followed by dense briars and some scraggly trees. Cattails led into a mushy muck, which degraded into a knee-deep wade through water lilies. Keeping true to the beeline, though, on we slogged, unable to see more than a few feet ahead. I suppose the wisdom of doing a little map research ahead of time is beginning to ring clear.
The water deepened, and as we began to sink ever deeper into the foul muddy bottom, it became apparent that a major departure from the beeline would be necessary. We zigzagged a bit and then hit dry land. A single glance at the GPS unit and we were off again, now on a new beeline that we were able to successfully follow directly back to the car.
Pick a nearby state park, or the equivalent, and peruse a map of the area. Look for a spot where you can park your vehicle and access an established trail. Follow the trail out about a mile or so and note that position in relation to where you parked your car. Draw a straight line from the chosen spot on the trail and your car. That's the beeline hike that you will attempt. If the line passes through a lake, river, or another obstacle that you do not want to negotiate, then choose another area of the park.
One of my first beeline hikes took place in a small Ohio state park east of Cleveland. With my nephew in tow, we randomly parked near one of the park's many multi-use trails. It would have been wiser if I had followed my own advice in the previous paragraph and scouted a line by map beforehand. However, I dropped a waypoint at the car and off we waltzed into the woods and around a boggy lake. About a mile or more out, I randomly picked a spot as the departure for our beeline back to the car.
The waypoint that you drop (mark) on your GPS unit is what your unit will use to navigate you back to your vehicle. Once you have hiked to the point where you want to begin the beeline, initialize the GoTo function (see sidebar, for specific steps). On the GPS screen, a large arrow will appear and will point directly toward the spot where you dropped the initial waypoint. And off you go, keeping the arrow centered in the screen. If you deviate from the prescribed bearing, the arrow will falter left or right depending on which you deviate. To get back on track, just stand still and orient yourself until the arrow realigns to center and points straight ahead.
We pushed through tall grass, then scrub, followed by dense briars and some scraggly trees. Cattails led into a mushy muck, which degraded into a knee-deep wade through water lilies. Keeping true to the beeline, though, on we slogged, unable to see more than a few feet ahead. I suppose the wisdom of doing a little map research ahead of time is beginning to ring clear.
The water deepened, and as we began to sink ever deeper into the foul muddy bottom, it became apparent that a major departure from the beeline would be necessary. We zigzagged a bit and then hit dry land. A single glance at the GPS unit and we were off again, now on a new beeline that we were able to successfully follow directly back to the car.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
good book for novice gps users,
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This review is from: GPS Outdoors: A Practical Guide for Outdoor Enthusiasts (Paperback)
ideal book for those who have little or no prior knowledge of the concepts and principles of gps. explanations are in easy to understand and concepts are reinforced with helpful illustrations. easy reading and enjoyable to boot. highly recommend.
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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