To map or not to map

In terms of features, probably the biggest decision you’ll need to make is whether to get a GPS receiver that displays maps. If you plan to use your GPS receiver for on-the-road navigation, you need a mapping model. If you’re primarily using your GPS receiver for outdoor activities, you need to decide whether to spend the extra money and get a model that displays maps. Quite honestly, no matter what a salesperson might tell you, a GPS receiver with built-in maps isn’t required for activities such as hiking, geocaching, fishing, bird watching, kayaking, or other outdoor pursuits.

Using waypoints and tracks are all you need to navigate and successfully stay found. (Of course, you have a paper map and compass with you, and know how to use them, right?) Even though your GPS receiver doesn’t display maps, if it can interface with a PC, you can still download information on where you’ve been and have it show up in a digital mapping program. That said, mapping GPS receivers are pretty handy because they give you a quick, big-picture view of where you’re located in relation to other features. And just the sight of a map, even though it’s tiny and lacks a lot of detail, can be pretty reassuring at times; even for a seasoned outdoors-person. Although I’m a firm believer that a mapping GPS receiver should never take the place of a paper map and compass, if your budget allows a mapping GPS receiver along with the digital maps to load with it, I’d say buy it. I personally use a mapping model for outdoor navigation and treat the map feature as just another tool in my bag of navigation tricks.