If you are heading into the wilderness, there is no need to leave technology behind. A GPS can be a very useful device to take along with you. In the old days, a portable GPS would set you back a pretty penny, but these days they are becoming very widespread. It is usually possible to find some bargains, but if you spend a little bit more money, you can get something like the Garmin Rino 530 HCx and it is a rocking portable unit.

The 530 HCx packs a lot of different technology into one little unit. The GPS information is displayed on a nice clear color display. While color is not strictly necessary, it does make it easier and faster to interpret information. Where the Garmin Rino 530 HCx departs from lesser models is with the extra features it packs in. It operates as a two-way radio with 14-mile range and manages to pack in an electronic compass, barometric altimeter that monitors weather trends and NOAA receiver. It has a micro-SD card slot, the micro-SD is, of course, not included. You do get one lithium-ion battery, which is good for about 14 hours of use, if you are going for an extended trip and are really getting off the beaten track, it is hardly enough. Sure, you can conserve power by switching it off when you do not need it, but you might want to look into some additional batteries and perhaps a solar charging station.
As for adding maps to the system:

The Rino 530 HCx comes with a built-in detailed base map of North and South America. A removable microSD data card, not included, lets you add memory to your Rino. When combined with Garmin’s optional City Select® software, your Rino provides automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest. A mini-USB cable and microSD card, not included, let you quickly download lots of map data from Garmin’s line of outdoor cartography including US Topo®, Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spotsâ„¢ and BlueChart®.

All of the extra maps will probably cost you more, but it is quite a cool alternative to a car based GPS system. Unfortunately, the optional extras are likely to crank up the price a fair amount. Still, if you need a GPS that you can take off the road and you are a person who needs a map and a compass quite often, the Garmin Rino 530 HCx is a very nice piece of technology. If you just need something to feed you some coordinates when you upload photos for Google Earth, get something cheaper. The Rino 530 HCx is an outstanding system but the extras are going to put a serious dent in your funds.

Price: $499