O-p12-13 Tom Hutton:O-p12-13 Tom Hutton 29/12/2008 12:24 Page 12
TOM HUTTON - Outdoor Retail
SGB
Sports and Outdoor www.sgb-sports.com
Lost in technology
With so much talk about GPS’s and so many different units to choose from, it’s easier to get lost looking at them than it is in the hills. Tom
Hutton navigates a clear path through the murk.
I
f you look on the various outdoor forums, nothing and, more importantly, what they want it to do. I suspect doubt.
seems to raise the heat of debate more than GPS’s. it’s the same in every retail outlet in the country too. And Off to one side of this spectrum is Satmap, the only
Those that are a few hundred quid out of pocket knowing how to answer this question could prove to be full OS mapping GPS out there at the moment – more
scream their praises with the conviction of a trash the perfect reason why the outdoor loving public should on this in a minute; and off to the other side are a whole
metal singer – they wouldn’t be here today if it hadn’t go to their outdoor retailer to buy a GPS rather than an load of different gadgets including sport specific running
been for their purchase, they can now do twice as many on-line GPS store, which I suspect is what most do. and cycling units, as well as tiny gadgets that record your
Munros in each trip without all the hassle of map So can we simplify GPS’s? In my opinion, yes – loosely. starting point so you can find your way back to it at any
reading, they now feel secure no matter what the weather At the top end, we have all kinds of bells and whistles point, and others that allow you to send text messages to
does etc etc. including mp3 players, voice recorders and cameras. Just your loved ones or call search and rescue if you’re in
And while all this is going on, the traditionalists are below these, we have the upper end of the basic GPS trouble.
shaking their heads, tutting a lot and reeling off their own receivers, these have PC compatibility for quick inputting So when somebody decides they want to buy a GPS,
stories about how someone, somewhere got into big of route and waypoint data, barometric altimeters, they really need to think why, and what they want it to
trouble once because they didn’t carry four sets of spare electronic compasses, the capability of showing do. If all they want is a bit of security when walking in the
batteries, or they sat on their receiver and broke its topographic mapping. They also have a few page options high mountains, then all they need is a basic cheap unit
screen, or they tucked into a deeply cloven gorge and it designed to make the actual navigation out on hill a bit that will allow them to input waypoints eg the location of
lost reception just when they needed it most. easier. escape routes, short cuts, safe paths off of ridges etc, and
Both lists are almost ad infinitum. Just a little below these are the PC compatible, less will then direct them to these in an emergency. These will
The sad thing is that while all this is going on, the functional units that go without the electronic compass, also give them an accurate grid reference and a GPS
original poster only really wanted to get an idea of which baraometric altimeter and in some cases, sufficient elevation reading and will usually record statistics such as
GPS he or she should go for, bearing in mind the kind of memory to take the topographic mapping. distance, average speed etc
walking/cycling/climbing etc they usually did. The debate Finally there are the ‘get out of jail’ GPS’s: cheap to buy If they want to make following a predetermined route
continues, claims get made and names get called, yet the units that rely on manually inputted data, usually just a bit easier, perhaps a walk around a more urban region,
potential purchaser is still no closer to finding an answer. waypoints, but will navigate you accurately to these where the route taken is actually a combination of lots of
As a gear tester, I get asked all the time what is the best waypoints should the weather deteriorate – much paths, or a mountain bike ride, which by definition needs
GPS. It’s a question I find impossible to answer. It’s a bit quicker than pacing and leap-frogging with a map and to follow legal trails rather than open ground, then they
like someone asking me what’s the best car, or the best compass . They will also give you an accurate grid are definitely better off trading up a bit.
camera. Before I can give anyone any advice at all on reference or coordinate at any time, meaning you can Computer compatibility will allow them to mate their
buying a GPS, I really need to know what it is they do locate yourself accurately on a map if you are in any unit with some mapping software such as Memory Map,
12 DECEMBER 2008
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