A Must-Have for Every Outdoor Enthusiast
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009Global positioning technology is currently appreciated by motorists who prefer to move safely through the most confusing areas. Although, if you consider the earliest applications of global positioning devices, you soon realize that GPS devices were initially used by campers and other people enjoying the great outdoors who prefer to steer clear of losing their way. Once manufacturers went about perfecting the technology in the most recent GPS devices for road warriors, those very advances were put to use in the handheld GPS models as well. These next generation handheld GPS devices look more like mobile phones because of their profile and LCD screen. For your car, an excellent unit is the TomTom GO 740 Live GPS Navigator.
Quite a few of the GPS devices that mount on cars may also be useful for people on foot providing they are comfortable with the interface. Most of the products manufactured by TomTom, Garmin, and Magellan are unobtrusive enough to carry around in an adult’s hand or fit in your pocket. However for the job of using the appliance while climbing or using merely one hand, helper or two might be useful. Below you will find a few products to consider.
Magellan Triton Series
The Magellan Triton series is a good set to consider since each of the models from the starter model to the top of the line all look the same. The most affordable models come with a very suitable 2.2” QVGA color monitor while some of the higher end models offer a slightly bigger screen of 2.7”. Every one of the Magellan units benefit from a hardy casing and are waterproof, therefore you can safely carry them along while crossing rivers or during rainstorms.
Some of the Triton series devices have a special AdventurePack label on them which indicates that they include some special software called the TOPO! Explorer. Extreme explorers will want to sincerely consider buying these packages. The benefit of this lineup is that you can find a Triton model that works with your budget with so many different devices to select from. For your auto, a great option is the Tom Tom GO 740 GPS.
Garmin Series
Garmin sells a large collection of handheld products and each different series handles certain kinds of navigation. As an example, the GPSMAP 7X series devices are all maritime-friendly and intended for sailing on the open seas, but the GPSMAP 6X series units benefit from a more resilient casing for heavy duty usage, yet are still relatively inexpensive and contain a useful set of features like microSD support and efficient navigation.
The eTrex series are handheld GPS devices you ought to look for when budget is a major issue. They are particularly portable with some of them offering a screen wide enough to read with ease.
In case you are a serious traveler looking for a device made to be really durable and prepped with powerful features, the Colorado or Oregon series will probably suit you. Both series come with a full touch-screen display, a feature not included in other Garmin series, and they additionally have different maps particular for the individual model you get. For a great gps unit in your car, consider the TomTom GO 740 Live GPS Navigator.
Be aware that the aforementioned handheld GPS devices aren’t meant to be used while driving unless your passenger is using it. If you aren’t looking for all of the advanced features and want one device that will work on either the highway or the trail, it might be better to use an all-in-one device that you can tote in your vehicle or in a backpack.