Email

by Greg Bartlett

One of the greatest things about living near the mountains is the ability to take off into the wilderness on a hike whenever nature beckons. No matter what time of year it is, there are always new sights and sounds, new wildlife to observe, and the sounds and smells of life and growth all around.

GPS Tracking & Outdoors

Seasoned hikers know that it’s important to take precautions when heading into the woods. They take care to hike with a buddy, bring plenty of water and food, and carry a first aid kit. Still, stories surface each season about hikers who become lost and require search and rescue teams to come to their aid. Such stories can result in happy endings more often if the hikers have the forethought to bring along a GPS tracking device.

Most GPS tracking devices will fit easily into a pocket, clip to a belt, or slip into a backpack zipper compartment. As the carrier moves, the device will send signals at intervals to pinpoint its location at any given time. While most hikers plan their routes carefully and follow maps and trail markers, the unexpected can happen anytime you head into nature and even the best of explorers can become disoriented if a fallen tree or rockslide changes the landscape.

A pleasant hike can quickly take a turn for the worse if one of the hikers becomes injured or sick, making an exit impossible. Without cell phone coverage, GPS tracking provides the best way for rescue teams to find stranded parties in the wilderness.

It’s easy for ‘outdoorsy’ people to place too much confidence in their skills without taking into consideration any possible problems that may arise, as five hikers in the White Mountain Wilderness area discovered. After spending a night in the woods, they were found with the aid of GPS tracking after placing a 9-1-1 call regarding their predicament. Rescuers reported that the search was one of the easiest they had conducted and that the GPS tracking coordinates led them within twenty-five feet of the lost hikers.

No one plans to get lost or injured when they head off into the mountains on foot, but GPS tracking helps even the best of hikers be prepared for the unexpected. With a GPS tracking device along for the trip, lengthy search and rescue missions can be reduced to quick and painless targeted searches that nearly always have a happy ending.  Your family will be at ease knowing you can be found with hi-tech satellite based tracking.