Photo: drgillybean / Flickr

One of the core complaints about technology is it stops humans from interacting more with each other, and, at worst, it keeps us indoors too much. While this is often the case, it doesn’t necessarily have to be so and satnav devices have shown us this. A GPS smartphone or handheld GPS device in a city centre can be your gateway to meeting people in fantastic locations you otherwise would not have stumbled upon.

Points of interest

Standing in the middle of a busy inner city area with a handheld GPS device or a smartphone running a on-foot navigation app, and flipping the ‘points of interest’ dial can lead you down a rabbit hole of interesting locales to check out while you’re in a foreign city. If you own an Android phone, the fantastic augmented reality app Layar is a must-do for most major cities, particularly in Europe.

Nearby hotspots, deals and people of interest

Location-aware applications like Foursquare and Gowalla are fantastic in tech-saturated cities, since they’re very good signaling devices for what’s hot and happening where you are at that moment. These, of course, are limited to GPS smartphones with the right app installed, but allow one to get a quick pulse of what’s buzzing in your location based on the number of check-ins happening there. You can also discover fantastic sales, and big once-off events this way, too.

Or you could just leave the tech altogether

If, however, you still prefer leaving your gadgets at home when you go out exploring, you can always do it the old school analogue way by asking locals for directions. Sure, you won’t find major sales, or hidden gems, but it will also mean that you’ll get to embrace the city as if you lived there. And if there is one thing locals look down on it’s tourists who only go to ‘touristy’ destinations in cities that have a lot going for them.

For those of us who are technologically inclined and love GPS smartphones and handheld GPS devices, you’ll be surprised at just where you can land up in a travel destination if you use your device intelligently.

Photo: Stock.Xchng

While motor vehicles are widely considered the domain of GPS devices, the handheld GPS has managed to find a growing audience outside of its core user base. We look at the benefits of a handheld GPS and some of the more interesting devices on the market.

The benefits of handheld GPS

Adventurers, explorers and those who find themselves in the great outdoors often likely know the value of handheld sat nav devices, but what of those staying in cities? While it may seem unnecessary to own a handheld GPS in cities where the primary mode of transport is vehicle-based, in cities where pedestrians or cyclists (like Amsterdam) make up a large portion of the pedestrians, the handheld GPS becomes an interesting prospect. Outside of the fact that you’ll virtually never get lost (a major bonus, of course), GPSes with solid landmark features make for fun, revealing companions when you plan on exploring your home (or places you’re visiting).

The best handheld GPS devices

‘Best’ is always subjective but certain handheld sat nav devices stand head and shoulders above the rest.

The pricey Satmap Active 10 Plus is the successor to the hugely popular Satmap Active 10, released all the way back in 2007. This handheld sat nav device’s charm is that it’s highly adaptive, usable in a car, on your bike, for extreme sports and so on. The waterproof, rugged built GPS has touchscreen functionality, with detailed maps displaying outdoor terrain as much as it would roads and traditional locations. Go off the beaten path to see just how remarkable this device is. And if you can afford it, don’t even consider the price tag. It’s well worth it.

Photo: Memory-Map

The Memory-Map Adventurer 2800 is also a notable GPS device, sharing many of the Satmap Active 10 Plus device’s features. It’s compatible with all memory maps, it’s intentionally built for outdoor use and, for your money, it is aesthetically more attractive than the Satmap Active 10 Plus. It’s a touchscreen handheld sat nav with a 2.8-inch screen and weighs in at a reasonably light 135g.

And, if you’re looking towards more mainstream GPS makers for your handheld GPS purchase, Garmin’s range has emerged the most varied and interesting of the big players.

Handheld sat nav devices may be overkill if you never walk and are never in the great outdoors. If you do any of those things at great frequency, these are no-brainer purchases. Sure, they’re often quite pricey, but the value for money reveals itself fast.