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How To Protect Your GPS
GPS represents a significant investment as a single electronic device
that you’re going to take into the outdoors, expose to the elements,
and possibly treat roughly. W hile modern GPS units are quite
robust, they are still electronic devices made of plastic, and as such dislike
getting wet and knocked about. Moreoever, you may take PDAs and other
mobile devices with you that are far happier in the office than on the trail.
Even though GPS receivers are waterproof to a certain extent (most to
IPX-7, which means that they can handle submersion to a depth of one
meter for 30 minutes), they can benefit from a little bit more protection just
to err on the safe side.
This chapter examines the steps you can take when you’re outdoors to pro-
tect your devices from minor cosmetic damage such as scuffs and scrapes,
and more extreme treatment such as impacts and submersion. You also look
at ways to mount your GPS, both in the car or on foot.
Screen Damage
The screen on a GPS or other electronic device is obviously a highly vulner-
able point. Not only is it more easily broken than the rest of the device, it is
susceptible to minor but annoying cosmetic scratches. In fact, the screen
picks up scratches easily, which shows a
well-cared-for (well, reasonably well-cared-for!) Garmin Vista.
If you are taking along PDAs that have touch-sensitive screens, such as the
iPAQ, these are even more prone to screen damage. In fact, it only takes a
small amount of pressure on the screen to totally destroy one. W hen it
comes to screens, there’s no such thing as a small amount of damage.
The following sections describe some simple steps that you can take to protect the screen on your GPS unit.
Screen Protectors
One of the simplest ways to protect your screen from minor damage is to apply a thin plastic
screen protector to it. These screen protectors protect PDA screens from minor scuffs and
scratches picked up during use.
Chances are good that you won’t find a screen protector exactly the right size for your GPS,
as most are designed for PDAs. Buy some that you can use for a PDA, and you can cut them
down to fit the GPS screen.
The trick to applying screen protectors effectively is to first clean the screen surface thoroughly. It
helps if the screen isn’t too scratched to begin with, but protecting a slightly scratched screen and
preventing it from getting any worse is better than doing nothing at all. Clean the screen with
nothing more than a slightly damp cloth, as solvents or detergents can cause the material to cloud
over or even melt. Make sure that you get into any scratches on the screen — a Q-tip is ideal for
this. Also get into the edges with a Q-tip or toothpick.
After you’ve thoroughly cleaned and dried the screen, you can apply the screen protector. The
trick to attaching a screen protector is to work slowly and methodically, taking care to eliminate
air bubbles from within the plastic sheet as you go.
Your screen protector set should contain the following:
Screen protector sheets
Plastic applicator card
This is the best way I’ve found to apply a screen protector:
1. Start peeling the backing off of one of the screen protector sheets
Start from the narrow end so you can work along the screen. You only need to peel off
5–10 mm of the backing at this time.
2. Stick the screen protector to the top of the screen as shown in F igure 5-5. Make sure the
protector is applied well and that there are no bubbles in the film that will obscure the
display.
3. Slowly work your way down the screen at a rate of about 10 mm at a time. Peel the back-
ing a bit and use the plastic card to scrape the film onto the screen surface, as shown in
This method is the one that give you the best results.
4. If you do get a bubble in the film, peel back the film a little past the bubble and use the
plastic card to scrape the film again. Don’t worry about peeling back the film; you can do
this quite a few times without affecting the adhesive.
5. After you’ve covered the screen, it’s time to trim the film. Use a sharp knife or scissors to
do this and follow the edge carefully. Carefully work your way
around the screen, trimming the film as you go. Be careful not to scratch the screen in
the process! If you’ve already made a screen protector, then you can peel the old one off
and use that as a template for the new one!
Never trim a screen protector that’s attached to a touch-sensitive screen, as this will
severely damage the screen.
6. And there you have it — a protected screen! The finish won’t be perfect if the screen was
already scuffed (as mine was), but it will help to protect it from further scuffs, scrapes,
and scratches.
A low-cost alternative to commercial screen protectors is to use a self-adhesive plastic film
such as “Frisket" film.
More Screen Armoring
Screen protectors offer you some protection against screen damage, but don’t expect miracles —
all you’ve done is apply a thin film to the screen, which a rock or sharp edge can easily penetrate.
rock — that would represent pretty severe damage to your unit.
The best way to protect your screen is to take steps to prevent impacts from reaching the
screen. The following sections describe some simple steps you can take to help achieve that.
Rubber Bumpers
One way to help protect a screen is to apply a few rubber bumpers to the screen. This won’t
protect it against all forms of damage, but if you use your GPS for work or in extreme sports
such as kayaking, then this can certainly give it a fighting change of survival.
A simple way to do this is to squeeze out a few blobs of silicone sealant onto the corners of the
screen. This is what I’ve done to a Garmin 76.
This is a simple technique that helps to prevent damage. If you want, you can take this a stage
further and add ridges of silicone to the screen, running along the edges .
The great thing about using silicone sealant is that you can remove it once it gets a bit rough
and add some more. These bumpers won’t last forever and usually come loose after a few weeks
or months, so you will need to replace them regularly.
Some people make more robust rubber bumpers by using hot glue from a hot glue gun instead
of silicone. I don’t suggest this because the heat from the glue can crack the screen or damage
the underlying LCD display. The risks outweigh the benefits, and the objective is to protect the
screen, not subject it to possible destruction.
Wire Bumpers
Another option is to create wire bumpers for your GPS. This mimics the protectors used on
some sports watches to protect the LED from damage.
These are quite easy to make. All you need are the following:
A few big paperclips
A pair of pliers with wire cutters
Silicone tubing (as used in a fish tank aquarium to pipe the air)
Creating the wire bumpers is easy, and there are no real hard and fast rules as to how to do it —
it will vary for each GPS. To help you complete this small project, you will need a good pair of
pliers that have wire cutters on them. I find that a multitool such as the Leatherman
1. Straighten out a few of the paperclips to give you the tough but flexible wire that you’ll
need. Don’t remove all the bumps in the paper-clip wire, just straighten them out as
shown in F igure 5-13.
2. Take the tubing and thread it over the wire to give it a quick and easy rubber coating.
3. I’ve cut the tubing so that it extends a little beyond the end of the wire
for safety. This is especially important if you have to cut the paper clips and expose a
sharp end.
4. Take the silicone-coated wire and w rap it around the GPS. Try to avoid covering the bat-
tery compartment, so you can still change the battery without first removing the bumpers.
Sometimes this is not possible, forcing you to choose between convenience and protection.
5. close-up of one of the ends of the silicone-rubber-covered wire
where I’ve overlapped the end to prevent the wire from poking through.
And that’s it — done! Depending on how you arrange the wire, you can offer more protection
to some areas on the GPS than others.
Commercial Protection for GPS and PDAs
If you have spent hundreds or perhaps thousands of dollars on your electronic equipment, you
might choose to protect it with some of the commercial protectors available. Inexpensive cases
also exist for your GPS. These cases are similar to cases used to hold cell phones, but they can
only be relied upon to offer the bear minimum of extra protection. Nonetheless, these cases are
ideal for storing your GPS when at home or in the car, and do prevent scratch damage from
keys and coins when in a pocket.
Here is a quick tour of some of the commercial protection solutions available that enable you to
take your precious gear out of the safety of your home and into the outdoors.
Storm Case
The Storm Case by Hardigg is the ideal way to package your gear for transportation. These
cases can really take a battering while still offering excellent protection to the equipment they
contain. shows the smallest case in the Storm Case range — the iM2100.
These cases are crush-resistant, shatterproof, dent-resistant, watertight, airtight, and virtually
unbreakable — everything electronic devices need. They are also equipped with a pressure-
equalizing valve that accommodates pressure changes and prevents burst seals
when the pressure increases or drops (handy for aircraft travel).
The inside of the case is lined with special shock-absorbing foam (see F igure 5-19) that cush-
ions and protects what you keep inside.
The trick when using a case such as the Storm Case is to pack it so that nothing touches the
edges of the case and no items touch one another. This arrangement
offers the contents the best chance of survival if worse comes to worst.
For more details on the Hardigg Storm Case range, visit
www.stormcase.com
Aquapac
A great way to protect your GPS or PDA when on the move is by using an Aquapac carrier. A
small one suited to GPS receivers
Some carriers are soft PVC cases that have a special closure at the top to prevent water and dirt
from reaching your device.
These are very effective and both water- and dirtproof. If you want the capability to run cables
to your GPS or PDA, you can get an Aquapac with a special cable port, which is also water-
proof and dirtproof. Aquapac containing a cable-connected PDA, sealed
in safely from the environment.
The Aquapac doesn’t offer much in the way of damage protection, but it does offer a great
defense from the environment. It also offers the added advantage that you can still use your
device while it is in the case.
In addition, if you drop a GPS inside an Aquapac into water, the whole package will float, giv-
ing you the chance to retrieve it before it sinks to the bottom.
These cases come with a lanyard designed to be worn around the neck. Personally, I don’t like
this because of the danger posed by the cord snagging on undergrowth and choking you. In
addition, if you trip or fall, the device is in a prime position to take the brunt of the fall.
For more details on the Aquapac range, visit
www.aquapac.net
You might also be interested in checking out Voyageur bags, which are similar to the Aquapac.
See www.voyageur-gear.com for more details.
Further information on armouring your GPS unit is coming soon...
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