Handheld GPS units are portable and users can walk, bike, drive or even sail with them. Carrying a GPS unit should never give anyone license to be reckless, but it can and does open up a myriad of possibilities for people to experience the world in ways they may not have been able to imagine without this technology. In a sense, GPS makes the world smaller in that more people can find their ways around with fewer problems and at the same time bigger, because people can experience more of the world.
There is something almost miraculous about holding a device in your hand that will tell you where you are when you could be almost anywhere in the world. The global positioning system broadcasts signals from satellites orbiting the earth. Average people can use
handheld GPS units to find their current positions and navigate a route to go somewhere else.
Different manufacturers fill their handheld GPS units with different features. More expensive models will have larger screens and more automated options than less expensive devices. Entry level units might not have as many maps or data pre-loaded into the machine, however, by investing time and effort, users will be able to add that information to their units. Units also differ in the way that you can carry them around. Clips and cases make it easier to keep your hands free while you are climbing hills in a forest or navigating the streets of a large city.
Advances in GPS technology allow users to transfer data they have gathered with their handheld GPS units to their computers. This makes it easier for adventurers to share the knowledge they collect on their trips with others easier. Other people can upload the information to their personal GPS units and build upon the information. In this manner, individuals can form an expedition without ever needing to be in the same place at the same time.
Geocaching is a popular game that highlights the best that GPS offers. To play, someone hides something in a secret location and tells the other players only its coordinates. Players must navigate their way to the cache. Depending on the specifics of the game, if someone finds the treasure, they may get to keep it, replace it with something better or leave it for the next player to find. With handheld GPS units, looking is often as rewarding as finding.
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