Why GPS devices should be part of all our trips

Great travelers know this: it is always important to know where you are, even in the middle of no man’s land. To do this, nothing is better than a hiking GPS when you go trekking (Link). It is an ideal tool and its precision is unparalleled. Here’s why you should always have one on your travels.

Because they are more reliable than smartphone apps

Everyone has already used their smartphone to find the route to a trail. It is not uncommon for the indicated route to mislead us. During a long hike, such a mistake can be very detrimental if it wastes time and forces you to backtrack. Moreover, a phone depends on the Wi-Fi signal and battery life. Nothing serious if you walk for three hours on a marked trail. However, if you love traveling, hiking, and adventure, it is better to have a GPS.

 An outdoor GPS for hiking is a device that comes in the form of a small case that fits in your hand. It is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, to operate despite high humidity or violent shocks. It is also waterproof, and some can even stay underwater for 30 minutes at 1 meter depth. Moreover, its battery life easily exceeds 15 hours. The best models can last 20 hours without being recharged. The ultimate detail: the very essence of a GPS is to operate without Wi-Fi. The idea is to find your way, even in remote places.

Because they are more precise than any other device

This GPS (for Global Positioning System) is an electronic navigation system. It is designed to locate your position and it does it very well. In fact, on current GPS devices, the accuracy error is less than 5 meters, which means that the margin of error is very small. The waves captured from the detector of your GPS by three or four satellites allow you to find your position in space. This is called triangulation calculation. It is a cutting-edge technology that has improved a lot.  

It’s its basic functionality and it does it better than any other device: live geolocation. The hiking GPS can record your route in real time, providing you with up-to-the-minute information (coordinates, altitude, orientation, etc.). By storing your route in memory, you can compare it with others. This also prevents you from getting lost, quite simply. Thanks to an expandable memory capacity, the hiking GPS can integrate numerous maps and you can draw routes the night before to follow them the next day.

Because they offer a lot of features

The primary purpose of GPS is to give you your precise location. Simply read longitude and latitude coordinates as any self-respecting hiker would. But today, an outdoor GPS is more than that. If you’re aiming for the highest level, you can be sure to benefit from numerous sensors that will provide you with live temperature, brightness, altitude, or atmospheric pressure. The more sophisticated models feature night vision binoculars, information about lunar phases, or dual batteries. A true cutting-edge technology condensed into a case weighing between a hundred and several hundred grams.

An important feature is the ability to connect to your mobile phone. Almost all outdoor GPS devices offer Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity to transmit their data directly. This is very useful if you are traveling for several days and want to study your route on your laptop or phone. It also allows you to preserve your data and share it. A very useful feature for enthusiasts who like to communicate with other trekking enthusiasts.

And because it’s easy to use

Hiking GPS is the best in terms of route tracking. Like a mobile phone, you first need to familiarize yourself with its features and its display. A display that is easy to read, clear and precise. A zoom function allows you to read a map by changing the scale, for example from 5 km to 2 km. A transflective and anti-reflective screen allows you to see even in a blazing sun. Some models offer touchscreens that may be more suitable for some people. Others allow you to operate this screen with gloves. This is more than an advantage when hiking in the mountains.

Contrary to what one might imagine, a GPS is easy to use if one takes the trouble to understand the marked data. As on paper, the maps are colored. They mark the reliefs, the waterways, the areas of habitation, the forests… In short, details to help you understand your exploits. Exploits that you can then print out on paper.

Thus, a hiking GPS is an indispensable tool for long-distance hikers. It accompanies the eternal map and compass, which are also important tools. It is a beautiful gift to give yourself for future adventures.