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By Greg Bartlett

Hiking and camping are two very popular pastimes in this country. With thousands of square miles of wilderness area open to these activities, it is easy to see how a person could become lost or not be found before it was too late in the event of a serious injury. This is where GPS tracking can be a big help to lost campers and hikers in the case of an injury.

Most people today carry cell phones with them everywhere they go. Many hikers and campers are now going out with the latest in GPS technology to keep track of their location and aid in navigating back out of the wilderness area when the trip is over. In either case, these people have in their hands a very powerful tool that could save their lives in the event they are injured during a long hiking or camping trip.

If a person is embarking on a trip into the wilderness that is expected to last for a week or longer, it is a good idea to have someone who is able to track the movements of an individual via GPS in addition to whatever cell phone tracking device the person may be carrying to tell himself where he is. This way, if the person falls and is injured or unconscious, the signal will show zero movement for an extended time that alerts the watcher of the possibility of injury. The watcher can then summon aid and give them the exact location of the missing hiker or camper.

If the injured camper is not unconscious, he can try to call out on his cell phone or activate a help signal in the GPS device he is carrying that will alert someone to the fact that assistance is needed at this location. From the viewpoint of the rescuers, knowing exactly where they are going to within a few feet makes their job much easier. Instead of spending a lot of time putting together search parties to try and locate the individual, rescuers can move in a more direct fashion to the location of the downed person and render aid in a more timely manner that could save someone’s life.

GPS tracking has proven its worth in several different arenas, from aiding in the recovery of stolen vehicles to asset tracking for large corporations. Following the movements of campers and hikers and signaling in the event of an accident or injury is just another way that GPS cell phone tracking is becoming an invaluable tool.