Use Nike Plus with an iPod Nano for repetitive routes. If you like, the iPhone 3G already has the receiver/software built in. You will still need to acquire a sensor for the shoe. Nike brand shoes are not required if you buy or fabricate a pouch to hold the sensor that typically attaches to shoe laces.

There is an excellent utility on the Gmaps Pedometer website. You can calculate distance by strategising beforehand or mapping your path after the fact — saving the route for future reference. These days high-end smartphones feature Global Positioning which means that an expensive Garmin or Magellan accessory for that function is no longer necessary. With smartphone software to manage GPS one can record a trek in real time. There are quite a few applications of this genre from which to choose. I use this app when I want to map a new trail I’ve not previously explored. This app uses the built-in GPS to track waypoints and even allows for picture snaps along the way. Tap a button and the whole shebang uploads to the cloud thusly.