One way to use a handheld GPS device is the way that I use one. I am a FedEx driver and use one to help locate addresses. It is especially useful when I am learning a new route, it keeps me from constantly reading directions or looking at my outdated atlas and maps. When using one on a new route it saves me a minimum of an hour a day. Even on routes I know well, it easily saves me half that for those streets I don’t know well.

The beauty of using a handheld GPS unit for this is that when I get home I can take it out of the van and use it for other things if needed. Of course it would be good for anyone who needs to find lots of addresses. Pizza guy, Car Repo guy, newspaper guy all can use a good handheld GPS.

Another thing they are good for, is research into historical stuff. I know some historians use one to try to find the exact location of things. Plus they use them to mark locations of archeological finds. A handheld GPS device is very important when you are carrying lots of heavy gear in the woods. Being small and portable it does not take up much space or add a great deal of weight to your load.

Another great use for a handheld GPS is for people who use metal detectors, whether hunting for gold or lost coins or whatever. Say you find an old home site and get a coin or two. Mark that location down in the GPS, and wait until the next big rainstorm. Go back to that place and run you metal detector again. Possible the rain has disturbed the ground and brought more treasure to within range of your metal detector. The same would apply to where you may have found some specs of gold if you are a miner. Having several GPS saved locations in the same general area can allow you to revisit places where you already had some success. This saves you that very precious commodity, TIME