I recent treated myself to a GPS, whilst it is something that as a qualified Mountaineering Instructor it is something that I have lived without and navigated successfully without since 1997. Times change and seeing that the retail price of GPS’s is down to around £80 for some Garmin models, their use is on the increase, and I am often asked to teach people how to use them effectively.
Now having used a few models before I choose the Garmin GPS 60 because until other GPS where the navigation through the various screens is done by less than a handful of buttons the Garmin GPS 60 has 10+ button to aid the user. In particular the mark and find buttons are priceless for using the GPS as a support for the map and compass.
In particular I often use my GPS to give direct and less questionable feedback to clients when it comes to walking on a bearing, whilst pacing. The joy of having the mark and find buttons make it very quick.
The unit has a better antenna than the earlier models that helps it stay on the ball when it valleys and apparently increase the speed of a ‘cold start’. Which in the pass could take in excess of 10 minutes for the GPS to be accurate, especially if the last altitude reading was out. Something to do with it trying to base its latest location on its last. This unit seemed to take just less than ten minutes.
What I am really looking forward to with this unit is programming in the most frequently needed attack points on Snowdon. For instance the position on the PYG track where it is possible to ascend to Blwch Coch and of course Blwch Coch. As on the rescue team trying to find these places quickly in zero visibility at night is not without error with just a map, or if your like me with just your memory to call on!
My House mate has the Garmin Oregon series, which is like having a map and GPS unit combined as you can upload 1:25000 maps into its memory. I am not sure that I can do that with my cheap version. However it does integrate very well with the mapping system that the rescue team uses for full on searches. I would have loved one of the Oregon series but at £250+ it was way out of my league, and besides it almost takes the fun out of navigation, besides as a Apple Mac user I can’t use the MapMemory that it integrates with!!!
I paid £105 for my GPS and so far it seems money well spent, even if it does spend most of its time switch off!