Get A Garmin Handheld GPS For Your Next Camping Trip
June 20, 2008
You may be thinking to yourself, why would I need a Garmin handheld GPS to go camping. Well, the answer is simple, For Fun and Enjoyment.
I originally purchased my first hand held GPS to take hunting due to the fact that I would spend the better part of the day wandering through the woods. My Garmin GPS saved my butt more than once. But that story is better saved for another day.
I soon found that there were many more uses for my Garmin handheld GPS then just getting my butt out of a jam.
Marking Points of Interest
One of the things that we love to do when camping is spend the day exploring areas that are off the beaten path.
The area where we live in the Pacific Northwest is rich in history and the North Cascade Mountains are just full of beautiful waterfalls, lakes and even ice glaciers. You might even come across an old mining town or an old cave where the Indians of old would stay while out on fishing and hunting trips.
Having a Garmin handheld GPS is invaluable for marking these locations when you find them. It makes it much easier to find these locations the next time you venture out into the great North Cascade Mountains.
Treasure Hunts
Now this works much better if you have friends that have their own GPS, but you can also do this if you only have access to one.
Each person in our camp will go out in the early morning and hide something of value and mark a location within about 50 feet of where they placed the object. They will then write something down that would give a hint to someone as to where the object might be.
Each person will write the GPS coordinates on a piece of paper and later in the day we will go out with out Garmin handheld GPS and try to find the things that the others have hidden.
This may sound easy, but I can tell you I have spent many hours trying to find something that was hidden out in the wilderness.
Believe it or not, there are actually websites that are set up for GPS treasure hunts in your area. Just do a search on Google for GPS treasure hunts.
What Is The Best Garmin Handheld Unit?
The two Garmin GPS handheld units that I personally own are the Garmin GPS III and the Garmin Rino 130. The Garmin GPS III is one of the older models, but mine still works like new and I always bring it along for someone else to use or for a back up to my newer GPS.
My Garmin Rino 130 is one of the newer GPS units on the market and it’s a combination GPS and two way radio. I’m even able to download forest service maps so I have all the back roads that you won’t find on a regular map.
The greatest feature of the Rino 130 is when someone else keys their unit to talk their location will show on your GPS so you know exactly where they are at. Pretty cool Huh.
Anyway, if you have been thinking of getting a Garmin handheld GPS for yourself or as a gift, then what are you waiting for, get yourself a handheld GPS and go out and have some fun.
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Happy Camping 
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I also have a Garmin Rino 130 and a Nuvi 350 in my truck. If your into camping and any outdoor wilderness activities they are a must for me. Like you said, fun and very cool to have.
A GPS is an awesome idea in the woods. I get lost on bike trails all the time when I’m mountain biking. Takes me forever to find my way again. A friend of mine got kicked out of a girls tent in the middle of nowhere and had to find his way back to our camp with no flashlight. Bet he wished he had one of these navigational devices. Took him until morning to find us again.
I just love our older Garmin GPS device. It not only gives us coordinates of where we are; it also gives us fishing stats, and allows us to GeoCache (fun activity, especially while camping or on hikes!). We like to save our favorite destinations on our GPS as well, so we can return to those exact coordinates in the future. This feature also allows us to save the exact destinations of our favorite fishing locations around the lakes and streams we visit. We don’t leave home without it! Thanks for the article…good read!