Making a device extremely simple is sometimes exactly what is needed. These days it seems that most manufacturers are packing every device with more and more featured and functions. To use these modern gadgets there is always a multitude of buttons, wheels and touchscreens. The learning curve is also so high that years after owning some equipment obscure features still pop-up.
Bushnell has gone in the opposite direction with the Backtrack GPS Finder. This thing is super simple to use since all it’s doing is keeping track of a few programmable GPS locations and pointing to them so that you can walk back to it. This would be perfect when camping, you could program the campsite, washroom and the campsite office. Some sites have complex paths that make it easy to loose your bearings. That would not be a problem with this device.
Via: Red Ferret
Permalink
Is it accurate enough to
get me back to my car in the parking lot ?
Permalink
Yes it sure would be good enough for that.
Permalink
Seems to be a cool product!
Permalink
I think one thing that gadget makers have forgotten over time is something called simplicity. Sometimes, people just don’t need to have every feature known to man put on one device (I’m still waiting for the GPS-enabled Bluetooth WiFi Toaster router). We forget that having one device being good at what it does is all we need sometimes.
Permalink
These are handy for finding a parked car etc. but only remember waypoints and points to those, providing a straight line indication. In my experience, for larger and wilder “get home” problems you need something that remembers most of the path so you don’t wind up trying to walk in a straight line that doesn’t exist (or exists off a cliff in the dark). My current fave is the Garmin Foretrex 101 but there are a lot of simple/low-end GPS units that will do the job, many of which can be gotten at discount at about the same price as the Backtrack.
Permalink
how do i make it
Permalink
Hi Billy,
This one you just purchase. 🙂