The Department of Defense developed the Global Positioning System in the 1960s and still controls it today. Yet civilians equipped with the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx, arguably the industry's top-drawer handheld navigation device, are at a serious advantage on leisure-keeping missions. The bright color display (a little longer and narrower than a video iPod's) is protected by a rugged, waterproof case, and the snub-nosed antenna and WAAS-capable receiver (WAAS is a system that fine-tunes GPS signals) provide smart-bomb accuracy—to within three meters, 95 percent of the time. The device is tricked out with more advanced features than you'll ever need: Note MOB (man overboard), which marks a spot on the high seas where, for whatever reason (including the one suggested by the feature's name), you might want to sail back to later.
Marketed primarily at gorp-eating outdoor types, the 60CSx is just as useful for urban explorers. Garmin's MapSource software, although no Michelin Guide, contains a vast database of POIs (points of interest), including hotels, restaurants, and museums in nearly every city in the world. At less than eight ounces, the featherweight 60CSx is remarkably shockproof and often inspires heavy awe. ($535.70; garmin.com)
