Using a GPS Device for Backcountry Skiing Adventures
Charting a ski course through unfamiliar territory ramps up your adrenaline and pushes you to test new limits. But backcountry skiing isn't for sissies. Getting lost, avalanches and injury are just a few of the dangers lurking on the trails.
If you're planning some off-trail skiing, research your destination carefully and understand what risks are unique to the location. Check the route for avalanche risks and take avalanche probes and beacons. Then learn how your GPS can save your life:
- Make sure the GPS device you choose will meet your needs in a remote location.
- Pack extra batteries.
- Before you leave the safety of the lodge, enter your starting point so you'll know which direction is home.
- Did we mention pack extra batteries?
- Once you're on the trail, enter waypoints on your GPS device and create a map of your journey.
- Don't forget your extra batteries.
- After your trip, upload your GPS waypoints to your PC for future reference. A few trips to the slopes and you'll have a map of unique trails you've cut yourself.
Whether you're a techno junkie or a tree hugger, GPS devices can make your outdoor adventures safer and fun. Just remember that most mistakes are the user's fault - not the GPS device. And no tool can replace common sense.
Need some GPS ideas? Nomadik has the lowdown on the hottest GPS devices on the market and where to buy them.
James W. Coates,
National Park Expert
Want more GPS info? Read my other GPS blogs
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Outdoor Adventure and Your GPS Device
GPS Device Boating - The Next Greatest Way to Boat
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GPS Devices - The Difference Between A Trip And Wilderness GPS
