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Keeping A Sense Of Direction In The Outdoors

There are many navigating systems and GPS systems on the market today that will help you to be able to find out where you are at in the outdoors, which are real handy to have with you in case you ever do get lost while hiking.

There are some great navigating systems on the market that are small enough that they are perfect for backpacking and hiking. Many of these navigating systems combine an electronic compass and an altimeter with a GPS. The compass in these systems is one of the first on a GPS to work while standing still. The obligatory GPS feature set is all there with the twelve channel reception, storage of up to five hundred way points, and up to ten saved tracks to retrace path in both directions. These smaller systems require two AA batteries to power them for up to sixteen hours and many are waterproof for up to thirty minutes in three feet of water.

They have a built-in barometer that shows twelve-hour pressure trends. Many of these small systems weight less than six ounces, which is great for backpacking. You will find that the D-ring screws on the case covering the battery compartment is much more easier to replace than on the larger navigating system, because it only requires a quarter to turn the lock into position. The back light comes on when it makes sense and the contrast adjustment is very helpful. The menu system is easier to navigate than on the larger navigating systems, because it gives more information and context that is displayed as you move through the menus on these smaller navigating systems.

The buttons on these smaller systems are logically placed and allow a one-handed operation. These smaller systems will also allow you to set all of the options and calibrate the compass and altimeter without ever having to reference the owner's manual. Unfortunately, with the smaller systems the directional response is slower in reflecting the correct direction than with the larger, bulky systems.

However, many of the smaller navigating system will keep a type of breadcrumb trail of your path on their map page. So as you go to the map page you are able to see how far you have gone by simply replacing your steps, but the directional indicator on the pointer page is often pointing directly back to the *Home* way point. Fortunately, once you are within thirty feet or less of your way point, then you generally will not need the system anymore to find your way.

Another common navigation task that these smaller systems are great for is when you line up the compass with a landmark then select the option for sight-n-go, this will automatically lock the bearing into the compass. Then all you have to do is to follow that bearing and the pointer on the compass to the landmark. Many of these smaller systems will have a much better visual mapping system that have a graphical map page, which shows your track and way points that will allow you to zoom in and out to adjust your view of the area. This is extremely handy for seeing all the zigs and zags of your path.

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