GPS Navigation – Using a Portable GPS Navigation Unit in the Field

Using a portable GPS navigation unit in the field can be a blast, whether you are day-hiking, trekking, hunting, camping or geocaching.

There are a few tips to getting the most out of your portable navigation device, which will get you to where you want to go, and extend your battery life too!

One very important distinction to understand clearly before using your GPS navigation system in the field is the difference between “Heading” and “Bearing”.

You can set your display to show either, and it will seriously mess you up if do not understand the difference.

“Heading” refers to the direction you are moving relative to north, either true north or magnetic north (you can set your mobile navigation unit to reference either). As you move, say in a northwesterly direction, your GPS unit will display a heading of, say, 315 degrees, and adjust this for any variations in direction you make while you’re walking.

“Bearing” refers to the direction to a specific destination, or waypoint, you have programmed into the navigation software of your GPS unit. Let’s refer back to the earlier example. As you are walking in a northwest direction, let’s say you’ve entered your destination as a mountain peak southwest of you. The bearing will display as possibly 215 degrees, and will vary depending on your position change as you walk. You’re heading northwest to get around a steep hill in your way, but ultimately your destination is south west.

If you confuse your bearing, where you want to go, for your heading, the direction you’re actually going, you’ll think you are walking in a southwesterly direction.

Vice versa, and you’ll think you are southeast of your destination- that your destination is northwest of you, and you need to continue in a northwesterly direction.

With that clearly in mind, here’s a good practice for navigating in the field with your portable GPS unit.

First, get a distance and bearing to the waypoint you want to get to.

Then take out your compass (you do have a compass with you as well, right?) and sight a line on that bearing.

As you sight down that bearing, pick a landmark feature that you can easily find as you walk.

Next, turn your GPS unit off to conserve battery power and put it away.

Now make toward that landmark you chose. You don’t have to make a beeline toward it. Use common sense and follow a path that gets you there and isn’t too wearing on you or the environment.

If you lose sight of your landmark, stop and get a new bearing and distance as needed, and re-sight on a new landmark.

When you get to your original landmark, get a new bearing and distance to your final destination.

Following these guidelines will save your battery power, so one set of batteries can last you up to a couple of weeks in the field.

And also you’ll avoid the practice of newbie’s of staring at your GPS screen as you stumble through the brush trying to stay on the exact bearing to your waypoint.

Most important of all, you’ll have more fun, and enjoy the outdoors around you!

Read more about GPS navigation by the author, Mike Wreggitt, at http://GpsForHiking.net.