GPS
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It was initially developed for the military. Thankfully, civilians were allowed to use it for free in the 80's. Basically, GPS receivers figure out where they are by checking how far they are from three or more satellites. That is my take on it, click on the Wikipedia or Garmin buttons for a more detailed explanation.
You may be thinking, "What does GPS have to do with Jeeping?" Well, that is a good question with a good answer to follow. Have you ever gotten lost (temporarily disoriented) in the desert or the mountains? Have you ever gone off-roading and forgotten your map? It's not a good feeling and wouldn't you believe it, your buddies have no idea where they are either. And, there is no way your <insert> (wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other) is going to let you go back on the trail you just came from because you rarely had more than two wheels planted on the ground! So, this is when a GPS system can be worth it's weight in Pesos, Dollars, Yen, or Euros. I mentioned different currencies because GPS works worldwide. So, GPS can come to your rescue because it can pinpoint how far off the beaten path you have come to within about 6 ft. in accuracy. Heck, that's a lot better than I could when I was a Sgt. in the Army!
When I heard that the whole military was using GPS, I thought they were being lazy. But, then I started to remember how some senior people in command couldn't navigate to within 2 miles of any specific coordinate. I vowed never to use GPS. Then, I bought a used RV with a pioneer navigation system. I was hooked the first time I used it! It was pretty neat having it tell me which way to turn, how many miles before the next turn, merge to the right to take I80, and just plain talking to me when no one else would. Then, I got great deal on a handheld Garmin unit. This unit doesn't talk to me, but it is small, can be taken on hiking trips, and most importantly, has the ability to have topographic maps downloaded to it.
Topographic maps are the maps that don't have street names. They have little squiggly lines that show elevation, and can help you determine what terrain you are going to encounter. These are the maps you absolutely need when you go off-road, hiking, or mountain biking. There is nothing worse than thinking you only have two miles to go and then find out that the distance is straight-line which doesn't take into account all of the switch backs or the fact that the elevation will increase 3,000 feet!
If none of the above reasons for owning GPS appeal to you, there is always geocaching. This is a worldwide game where people hide treasures (things of interest) just about everywhere. I recently did a search for San Jacinto, and there were 20 caches within 6 miles. The caches are some kind of container that has geocaching coins, a log book, and other things. The rules are simple, if you take something from a cache you must leave something, you must log your visit, and most importantly, don't move the cache! You can click on the geocaching button at the bottom of this page to learn more.
So, this brings me to our next subject, which kind of GPS should I buy? I dON't kNOW! Just kidding, it pretty much depends on what you want to do with it. If you want a unit for hiking, make sure it is not bulky. If you want it for navigating city streets, then buy one with a color unit that has a big screen and talks to you. But, the best advice I could give you is to check out http://gpsinformation.net/ or click on the GPS info button at the top of this page.
Jeep Del Fuego
