Bushnell BackTrack GPS Personal Locator : Never Lose Your Car or Campsite Again

The BackTrack GPS Personal Locator is the easiest location finder I've ever used! It stores and locates up to three locations, and, with only two function buttons, it's a snap to use.

I push one button to mark my location (campsite, trail head, parking spot, hotel, whatever) and another for the information I need for the return trip. Once a position is set, or, "locked, " the information is stored on the unit's built-in memory until I remove or change it.

It doesn't provide the turn-by-turn instructions or maps of more sophisticated GPS devices, but it does an excellent job of getting me from B back to A. The BackTrack provides the distances between points in miles or yards, as well as an arrow showing the "as the crow flies" line between A and B. It's super handy for camping. I just mark my site, then head off for a hike.

I've used it twice in recent weeks in completely different situations. My husband and I were in Amsterdam, and a little fuzzy on the city's layout. The maps we had were confusing, so we relied on the BackTrack. We stepped outside our hotel, and waited for it to grab a satellite signal. Once it did we punched a button to lock in our hotel's location. After that we turned it off and put it away.

A few hours later, when we were ready to return, we turned on our BackTrack and saw the arrow pointing in the direction leading back to the steps of our hotel. It also provided us with the distance we'd traverse.

A few weeks later I went to a rock concert and had to park my car in lot that was a 20-minute walk away from the venue. I locked in the location of my car, then made the long walk to the arena. The concert ended after midnight, so I was a little nervous about the long walk back in the dark to try to find my car in the vast sea of vehicles. However, thanks to the BackTrack, I was back at my car before I knew it ---without any wandering and searching in the dark like so many other people around me.

The BackTrack is compact, lightweight, weather-resistant and easy to use, with a self-calibrating digital compass. I found the unit got better reception than my cell phone, even in heavily wooded areas. Even with two AAA batteries and the lanyard attached, it weighs about the as much as a small cell phone (and takes up about the same amount of space). According to the manufacturer, the batteries should last for 100 uses.

I highly recommend the BackTrack for its ease of use, size, weight, back light function, and its value versus larger GPS units. More sophisticated GPS units will provide more detail but this scaled down model is ideal as a direction and distance source. I carry mine with me in my purse or backpack wherever I go because I know that I can point and go. it's as simple as that!

Bottom LIne: Outdoor and urban folks alike will find many uses for this pocket-sized device. The BackTrack is a great value, and makes a smart addition to any backpack, purse or suitcase.--C.W. (Nov 09)

BUY ONLINE : $69, on sale at amazon, click to shop at REI .

Manufacturer's Site: www.bushnell.com

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