Recreational GPS receivers are portable gadgets that receive signals from satellites whizzing around a few thousand miles over your head. Remarkably, these satellites can tell you where you are, how fast you are going, and how long it will take you to get there. GPS receivers are pretty accurate too. Depending on how many satellites the device is tracking, accuracy can be as good as a few feet.

GPS receivers are useful for all sorts of applications. Hikers and campers use recreational GPS units to help guide them to landmarks, find campsites, or even to keep from getting lost. Geocaching, a type of modern treasure hunt, would be absolutely impossible without GPS technology. And recreational GPS can be expanded to include many forms of recreation: horseback riding, offroading, hunting, fishing, boating and many more. A GPS receiver can even tell your current altitude, in case you ever wondered! Most GPS receivers will also be able to display your location on a map, whether it is a topographical map or street maps, to help make your navigation through the forest or urban jungle even easier.

Many GPS receivers are also sport specific. Some are designed primarily for hikers. Others might be intended for runners, while others might be specific for cycling. These specialized units often come with extra gear like arm or belt pouches for hikers and handlebar mounts for bikers. It can be really fun after the hike to see exactly where you went on Google Earth, or other mapping applications. It will also display the total elevation gained or lost, your average speed on the hike, and moving time and stopped time among other things.

In this site, you’ll find articles related to recreational GPS receivers, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side–by–side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which GPS unit is right for your needs.

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Recreational GPS receivers are designed to take you anywhere. There are many different models to choose from, and it is important to get one that will get you from point A to point B, and then back again.

Most GPS devices now come with large, well-lit displays and have simple menus. Some variations occur in the way you input coordinates or locations. Some GPS devices require you to hook them up to a computer to input information, whereas others allow you to do it directly with the GPS unit. Be sure to get one that matches your recreation style. You also want to pay attention to battery life and weight since these are significant factors relating to the kinds of recreation you enjoy.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate recreational GPS receivers:

• Battery Life/Type – You want a GPS receiver to have a good battery life. It can become expensive if you always have to replace the batteries. The best ones will have built-in lithium batteries.
• Weight – Since you will be carrying this thing around, you want one that is lightweight.
• Waypoints – A good GPS receiver will allow enough storage for many waypoints.
• WAAS Enabled – Be sure that your device is WAAS enabled for pinpoint accuracy. This is especially helpful if you plan to use it in an area with a lot of trees or other obstructions.