Using A GPS For Outdoor Activities
April 18th, 2008
For those who like to travel, a GPS device can be your best friend. It will get you to a meeting in the fastest possible way by avoiding traffic or simply keeping you right on course when heading to a place for the very first time.
Aside from the obvious use of getting directions to where you want to go, there are several other uses of a GPS navigation system.
The first is called geocaching. Since satellites can detect the presence of minerals on the ground, you can use this and the metal detector to go treasure hunting. Unfortunately, it can only sense up to a depth of a few feet so you shouldn’t expect to find much except perhaps some old jewelry or coins.
Another interesting outdoor hobby is hiking. You can walk for miles up and down the mountain, trek in the marshlands or the desert then get lost. The GPS unit can help the group get to base camp instead of walking around in circles. The nice thing about this device is that those who go off course can be alerted at once so a correction can be made.
For hunting and fishing, the GPS unit is helpful in locating where such prey frequent. This is much better than guessing a good spot since the odds of finding them are pretty slim without the proper information.
Ever wondered how skydivers are able to land on the assigned drop zone? Aside from directing the chute into the area, GPS units are also used to make the corrections. By getting the longitude and latitude, all you have to do is fight off the wind and then glide in for a smooth landing.
Joggers can also use a GPS to plot out their path. It can also tell you how far you have gone. This is especially useful for those who are training for marathons.
Can you think of other creative ways to use a GPS system?
