Iditarod Vs. GPS Technology

In 2011 the Iditarod ended with a new winner, a new record set and a new component. For those unfamiliar with the Iditarod, visualize a person on a sled pulled by a team of dogs over some of the most extreme and gorgeous wilderness terrain known to man. For around 1,150 miles the dog sled team crosses frozen rivers, jagged mountain ranges, desolate tundra and dense forests. As if that weren't enough, factor in subzero temperatures, winds that generate zero visibility and long hours of darkness and you have a race called the Iditarod that Alaska claims as its own.

If you're wondering what does this have to do with GPS devices, well for the first time in Iditarod history, the mushers were permitted to use personal navigational devices (PND) - GPS units. Race participants who are in favor of making the use of personal GPS devices an option, are quick to point out the significance of maintaining a steady pace. They explain that if the speed is inconsistent or too fast, the rate of injury to the dogs is increased substantially. Additionally, it is easy to misjudge your sled speed without the benefit of a GPS. Proponents for the use of GPS tracking devices, such as Garmin, like to call attention to John Baker's experience. In 2010, Baker was considered a contender for the title. Regrettably, thinking himself to be lost, he miscalculated his position and lost hours trying to get back on the trail. Those lost hours ended up costing Baker a chance at the title. If he had been able to use a GPS device, he would have quickly discovered that he was in fact on the correct path and not at all lost.

In spite of the benefits of GPS technology, there are the purists who hold fast to their opinion against allowing the use of handheld devices. Since the first Iditarod race in 1973, the so called "Last Great Race on Earth" has been considered the ultimate match pitting man and animal against nature and the Alaskan wilderness. Finishing the race with only trail markers, dogs, a sense of direction and raw instincts is what makes the experience riveting. Four-time Iditarod champion, Lance Mackey, sides with the purists and said recently, "I think it's kind of funny that all of a sudden they need a GPS to figure out how fast they're going and what their dogs are capable of doing. What have they been doing this whole time?"

Author's Biography:
Bradley Jacobs is a GPS enthusiast and touts the benefits of garmin, tomtom, magellan, lowrance, and other gps system available with unmatched on-line store experience. With over 20 years of direct engineering, marketing, and customer service experience in the GPS industry, he is uniquely qualified to offer top-level support. His favorite distributor, GPS City, sells to thousands of customers in the USA, Canada, and worldwide. They range from small businesses to many Fortune 500 companies. From major universities and technical colleges to the Pentagon, Canada's DND, military and other government institutions.