Guest Post (John Lewis): GPS Applications For Hunting And Fitness
GPS's Are A Staple in Many of Our Packs. Are You Maximizing Its Usefulness? (Photo Courtesy of sportsmansnews.com)
Hunting is one of the best fitness sports out there because hunting helps you to be mentally and physically fit. The whole hunting process, from patiently waiting, to getting your first shot on your trophy and then tracking it down to finally being able to kill it, is going to take you more than a few hours if not days. The thing is, hunting is not easy, but there are certain things you can do to hunt effectively so you don't just wait on the tree stand for days doing nothing.
Today, I am going to explain specifically how an advanced GPS (Global Positioning System) gadget can improve your hunting experience as a whole. Fitness is a necessity if you are a serious hunter. The ability to carry all of your hunting gear deep into the forest where most good hunting spot lies is really rare in most hunters. Especially for serious hunters, they will use a hang-on stand for greater mobility but getting up a hang-on stand will require you to be fit on your side. I would like to clarify how using a phone is not feasible first before moving on to how a GPS can help you in hunting fit.
Why using a phone to track your fitness is a bad idea?
If you are thinking of using your phone to track your fitness, especially during hunting, it is not a good idea. For one, your phones are much more fragile than a hunting GPS which is made for this kind of situation. With their industrial standards and security ratings, a GPS is made to be scratched and even get in contact with water. Using your GPS on your mobile phones can also really drain your battery. This is evident especially when you play Pokémon Go, right? Having multiple functions on your mobile devices can really eat up the battery. Furthermore, as you are hunting, you will get into places that have almost no satellite signal because they may be deep inside the forest.
A GPS has multiple satellite reception just in case you are in an area where most signals are unable to reach. I can be sure that your phone has no signal in such an area! A phone's GPS is also terribly inaccurate. GPS is made to directly connect to the GPS satellites which are in outer space. Hence, using your phone to even track how far or fast you run is highly inaccurate as the “current pace” can vary a lot from each second.
You will get feedback
With a GPS strapped by your body, you can get numbers regarding how far you have gone. These numbers can be the threshold for you to push yourself even further by introducing more performance in less time. For example, you are required to scout 4 miles in 5 minutes, and then you bring it down to 4 minutes and 30 seconds. You may even apply the Kaizen method here, where you keep on pushing the limit of your current record to go to the next level of hunting fitness. With GPS tracking your performance, you will know exactly how your training is turning out. Are you at your aimed distance traveled with the targeted velocity? Without proper records and feedback, you cannot really improve on what you are doing. Hence, getting a GPS will definitely aid you in hunting fit. If you are obsessed with numbers and data, you need a hunting GPS. Whenever you are running or even walking, a GPS can know how fast and far you are going. If you have a set time or even limited time to hunt, you can track whether you have to speed up your pace or even slow down for a rest. For some, the numbers and data actually mean something to them in terms of fitness.
If you are one of those who are obsessed with numbers, it is high time you get your very own GPS. I would recommend that you take a look at the post here for the best GPS in the market. Also, with a GPS, you can see how many miles you are going and it can motivate you to hunt fit. To illustrate my point, if you see that you have only 2 miles to go to reach your destination, you will definitely be more pumped up to reaching that place much faster than being oblivious to the existing distance. Seeing you only have 2 miles left and you have finished 10 miles before this, it will really feel great which is good for your overall motivation.
You will not dabble
With all the routes in place and the plans in your GPS, dabbling is not an option. If you really have a tight schedule and want to cover as much ground as possible, GPS is the thing for you. Having a GPS will also help you whether you are moving in circles or not. Without one, there is a much higher chance that you will walk the route you have taken before. But if you are just walking around freely, just to relax, then a GPS is not necessary. Since procrastination is the thief of time, dabbling will definitely eat your time away unknowingly. Without having a proper plan of what you want to do, you will most certainly procrastinate and think that you are covering a lot of ground. Remember, the food plots are not going to stay there uncovered forever. Especially in public land, other hunters will be able to find that out in no time, especially those who have a GPS.
Alleviate “wrong feelings”
I can be sure that it is very easy to overeat or reward yourself with calories that do not correlate to that which you have burned. Especially for hunting, you run around all day and you feel that you really burned a lot of calories, usually more than you think. With this thought in mind, you tend to consume that burger and fries which is well worth over 1000 calories although you just burned 500 calories. This will definitely bring your fitness level down the drain.
With the GPS tracking your calories lost, you can safely eat food which are within your means. This point is especially for people who intend to be fit, as in building the body they want effectively. Since being fit and being successful in hunting are correlated, I would suggest having a GPS and really tracking the calories you burned, making sure your output is always more than your input.
Increase your success rate in hunting
No doubt, every single step you trudge in the woods is going to use up your energy. With the heavy weapons in your hands, every single step you take counts. Hence, a GPS is vital in providing the best hunting experience because you will be able to save a lot of energy if you keep on the “right track”. Since most rifles are about 12.5 pounds and you have to carry them for hours on end, knowing where you go will definitely be very helpful for your hunting success.
Remember, after your trophy is down, you still have to haul it back to your camping spot or even your vehicle. Although using a hunting daypack may ease some burden, it is so vital that you know where you are going, even backtracking to your camp will be able to save you so much time and energy. Animals such as elk are a whole lot heavier than you think they are; it is much worse than dragging a tire in an obstacle race. Since most states ban doe hunting, you will have to carry the deer which are bigger in size and heavier in weight. A GPS can really help you ease the whole process!
Conclusion
No doubt, having a GPS will be able to track effectively how you are working out now. It is said that hunting is one of the most dangerous activities ever known where your heartbeat will spike to unhealthy levels. Hence, try to limit the distance you cover and take a rest after a hard day’s work. Having a GPS all boils down to training more effectively. With a GPS, you can be sure that you will not get lost and you will be able to track your performance flawlessly. What do you think can improve your performance in hunting fit? Please share with us in the comment section below.
Author Bio: I am John Lewis, a blogger, survivalist, and outdoor enthusiast. While I believe that everyone should enjoy their lives doing things they love, being financially, mentally, and physically prepared to face challenges that may arise is inevitably important. You can follow me over at Epic Wilderness. By the way, you can check out my reviews of the best GPS out there (at least to my knowledge).
