People are increasingly relying on cellphones, GPS devices and other portable electronics to navigate their personal lives. But technology is also changing their relationship with the great outdoors, a topic CBC Radio's The Current explored by talking to guests with three different perspectives.

Tim Jones, president of Vancouver North Shore Search and Rescue, said many people are taking their wireless devices with them when they head hiking or camping, creating new problems. City slickers may get into dangerous situations when their devices give them a false sense of security, he said, and the devices may even lead them astray.

Meanwhile, some people are turning to nature to help them get over their addiction to electronic devices. Todd Lucier, founder of Northern Edge, spoke about his company's e-tox retreats in Algonquin Park. He thinks overuse of technology may cause people to lose their connections to other people, nature and even themselves.

David Strayer, director of the University of Utah's applied cognition lab, wanted to find out what happens to people's brains when they stay away from their electronic devices. In May, he and four other brain scientists went out into the wilderness to conduct first-hand observations.

His experience was that being in the wilderness seems to recalibrate the brain so that you become more aware of the sights and sounds in your environment. He suspects the use of technological devices may lead some parts of the brain to become overloaded, and those parts of the brain may be restored when they get a break. The researchers are now going back into the lab to test their ideas.