GPS - WHAT I’M USING

My Garmin inReach Explorer+ is like a swiss army knife of a digital tool. It's my Global Positioning System, weather forecaster, satellite communicator, and emergency beacon. 

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. — Eleanor Roosevelt

While on our Olympic National Park trip I used the Explorer+ to check our position with the maps I downloaded before we left. I loved being able to check the way points I set up before the hike that identified known water sources, campsites, and other features. I always loved the quote "do one thing every day that scares you" which is misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. She actually said "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." and what I love about a device like the Explorer+ is that you can strive to face fear. You should of course have knowledge and not just rely on an electronic device but it certainly helps. 

The Explorer+ is more than just a GPS. Because it has satellite connection you can communicate globally by sending SMS and/or email messages. I fired off daily status and positioning messages to family and friends. Since phone service was so spotty this gave a peace of mind to those back home. Lastly, I checked the weather forecast every few days to have a heads up to temperature fluctuations and precipitation that could be coming our way. Being out on the Olympic Peninsula the weather can change fast and we wanted to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature threw at us. All in all, this tool allowed us to safely further and faster into the wilds.