The Hiking GPS Guide:

Find Your Way in the High-Tech Terrain of GPS Devices

Let’s demystify the GPS selection process...

Once you have the right device for your needs, you’ll find they’re actually handy and fun things to have.

Hiking GPS Receivers: A Quick Intro

What is a GPS receiver? Like a radio or cell phone, a GPS unit receives information signals in the palm of your hand.

The difference is that this information comes from a network of satellites (as well a ground-based transmitters) that all work to give your near-exact position on the globe.

Combined with a base map, a GPS lends itself to accurate navigation as well as recording information about your hike.

Used by military and aircraft for years, GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers became available to the general public in the late 1990’s and have improved a lot in performance since then.

GPS technology is now popular for use in cars, as well as recreational activities like backpacking and geocaching. Many smart-phones on the market also have built-in GPS receivers.

A GPS for hiking is built rugged for the outdoors and has specific tools for finding your way in the wild or on the trails.

Hiking GPS: The Big Picture

GPS technology is a super useful tool for outdoors men and women. They make navigation easy, and can help in the event that you get lost on the trails.

A hiking GPS gives you several tools to record or track your hikes so you can view data from your past treks such as: distance, elevation changes, calories burned, and average speed. The possibilities to extrapolate from such data are endless.

But...

While many of the features that a hiking GPS unit offers are cool to have, they are also not necessary for you to have an enjoyable hike.

Some may even argue that using a GPS in the wild takes you away from the real experience of being in touch with nature. Others may say that GPS technology gives you a better understanding of the land you’re exploring.

In any case, a hiking GPS should NEVER replace a simple magnetic compass and a paper trail map. Right when you need to find your way, your batteries could run out. A magnetic compass won’t quit on you.

The Basic Functions of a Hiking GPS

1. Giving Your Location

At the click of a button, your GPS device will tell you almost exactly where you are on the globe, using the UTM coordinate system.

(The UTM coordinate system is an imaginary grid covering the entire globe. This way, we can assign every tiny spot on the Earth an “address” if you will. If you want to learn a little bit more about this system, click here .)

You can use your location in coordinates to find your position on a topographic map, since most use the same UTM coordinate system.

2. Point-to-Point Navigation

Simply, you can tell the GPS receiver the location of point A, point B, etc. and it will point you towards each point and tell you how far you have to go.

A Simple Example Using Waypoints

To start, I’ll plug in the waypoint for a trailhead. Let’s say: 37°43’06.79”N by 122°07’48.95”W.

(As you can see, the coordinates have a reference on the North-South axis and one on the East-West axis.

The first point will either be North in the Northern Hemisphere, or South in the Southern Hemisphere. Same goes for the second—either East or West. They are also divided into degrees ° , minutes ‘ , and seconds “ .)

Then I’ll plug in a waypoint for a campground using a second set of specific coordinates. Now, when I enter the park, I can tell my hiking GPS to lead me to waypoint 1 (trailhead).

An arrow on the screen will point in the direction of those coordinates until I get there. From the trailhead, the GPS unit can point me to waypoint 2 (campground).

The down side of this method is that the GPS will point to the waypoints in a straight line, or “as the crow flies.”

Since most of us don’t have wings and are stuck to hoofing it on trails that are rarely straight, it takes a little brainwork on your part to figure out where to go. Over flat open terrain, like a desert or plain, this might be less of a problem.

Using a paper trail map to compare to the arrow on your GPS screen makes navigation easier. That is, if you don’t have trail information uploaded to your GPS receiver already.

3. Plot Navigation

Taking waypoints one step further, you can plan your whole route before you take a step on the trails. Using map information, you can plug in a sequence of coordinates into your hiking GPS.

Now, your receiver will lead you to point A, then point B, C, D, and so on until you reach your destination.

4. Leaving a Track

This is one of the handiest and coolest features of using a hiking GPS on your treks. Unlike a route, which tells where you are going, this feature tells you where you have been.

You can program your hiking GPS to record your location at intervals, say every three minutes, for example. By the end of your hike, or at any moment, you can view the track you have left since you started, just like a trail of breadcrumbs.

How is that useful? Well, for one if you get lost. Just follow the track you left back to your starting point. Even in the dark, you are sure to get back to the trailhead. (If you have enough light and battery juice, of course!)

Besides finding your way back, leaving a track also lends itself to tons of other useful, fun, and interesting data about your hike:

• view your average speed
• view altitude change
• see graphs showing your overall hike, including speed, altitude, and more
• know the total distance of your hike
• calories burned

...just to name a few.

Things to Look For in any GPS

You can have all the bells and whistles in the world, but without a good strong signal, those features are useless.

• WAAS-Enabled Make sure the device specs have this item.

  This means that ground-based transmitters are combined with satellite signals to provide a more accurate position, including your altitude. More accuracy is a better.

• High-Sensitivity Processor Chip

  This littler bugger makes your hiking GPS grab even the weakest signals.

  Even under heavy tree cover, this chip will greatly improve your signal strength. A high sensitivity processor chip can make a so-so antenna work very well. One example is the SIRF Star III.

• Antenna

  With the presence of a high sensitivity processor chip, the antenna type becomes a little less important.

  There are two main types: Quad Helix and Flat Patch.

  The quad helix antennas are typically bulkier, a bit more expensive, but are recognized for maintaining a signal in tree cover. Understandably, they are the most common in the hiking GPS units out there today.

  The flat patch is less expensive and works perfectly well in open terrain. Again, having a chip like the SIRF Star III helps any antenna grab a good signal in most terrain.

Other Important Things to Consider:

• Screen Full color screens are a step up from their grayscale counterparts. One drawback to grayscale screens is that bodies of water are harder to spot quickly.

  Blue water and green land on the color screen can be recognized in a snap. But if you don’t expect to use the device in boating, kayaking, or fishing trips, grayscale may still be a good choice.

  You can save a little cash and the screen is likely to last a little longer on the battery.

  With screens, also consider how easy they are to read, especially in different lighting settings.

  Ideally you want a screen you can read in any conditions, whether in full sun, or in the dead of night.

• Internal Maps The software, rather than the hardware of the hiking GPS, can be one of the biggest price-determining factors.

  Almost all units come pre-loaded with a base map. For example, a unit may come out of the box with a base map of North America and a few other countries, including roads and topography.

  For hikers, though, a GPS will be tons more useful if you have trail maps loaded into your device. It’s a no-brainer following an established trail on your map in real time versus using only coordinates and waypoints.

  If your hiking GPS doesn’t come pre-loaded with trails, not to worry. Additional maps can be downloaded from the internet, or you can buy SD cards (the standard storage card used in most digital cameras today) with additional maps.

  Realize that each additional set of maps you buy can cost you in the neighborhood of $100 USD. Make sure you get maps that are compatible with your receiver, too.

• Barometric Altimeter This feature is a nice plus for hiking GPS devices. It’s true that satellite data can provide you with your altitude. However, the barometric altimeter in your receiver works whether or not you have a strong signal.

  Also, since a barometric altimeter reads air pressure, it can also give you information on trends in the weather. You may notice a low pressure front forming and will know to take your rain gear before you leave base camp.

• Usability This a personal-preference item, but still important. Do you like how the buttons feel? Does using the hiking GPS feel intuitive?

  Do you prefer a touch-screen or traditional buttons?

  Many people find a touch screen to be slicker to use and give you quicker control of your map, while some find them hard to type on.

  Do you have options for using with your computer at home, such as a USP port or removable SD card?

• Power Supply Power to your hiking GPS is like its Achilles’ Heel. As with cell phones or digital cameras, the screens, lights and constant processing drain battery power quickly.

  A sleep function in your device can help extend your battery life. Also think of the battery type. Do you want the option to pop in standard batteries (like AA) when the juice runs out?

  If so, Lithium batteries will out-perform Alkaline by many hours. They also keep your device running in freezing temperature which is good for winter treks.

• Speed Waiting for your hiking GPS receiver to process information and finding a signal can be a nuisance. To make sure your device works quickly look for the following two items:

  1. More channels = faster. Basically, more channels means the hiking GPS can grab more signals from satellites. That equals a more accurate location in faster time.

  2. “Time to First Fix” is the time it takes the receiver to grab a signal once you turn it on. Naturally less time is better. Look for this in the specs, also called “TTFF.”

• Size Again, a personal preference item. Remember that although a super-compact hiking GPS unit may seem super high-tech, a larger receiver is likely to have a better signal.

  It comes down to the size of the antenna. Larger units are usually equipped with the bulkier quad helix antennas.

• Durability GPS receivers for hiking are built for the hazards of the outdoors. Your GPS runs the risk of falling off a cliff, getting bashed against rocks and trees, falling in a stream, and getting rained on.

  Luckily, many models are built to withstand the rigors of the wild. Almost all are waterproof, and some float! Think of how extreme you get and choose accordingly.

• Cost As seen above, many factors contribute to the cost of your hiking GPS. Screen type, antenna, the presence of a high sensitivity processor chip, and especially map information play a part in the overall price of GPS units.

  Be careful about getting a cheaper GPS unit without a high sensitivity processor. You may be disappointed with the results.

  Remember the extra cash you may have to fork over for maps and accessories like chargers, cases, etc. As with any purchase, consider the overall value you are getting with your device.

  Many discounted bundles are now available which include the accessories you would end up buying separately. This is a good way to save a few bucks and leap right into navigating in the backcountry.

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