Outdoor GPS Buyers Guide
Over the years I’ve tested nearly a dozen GPS units from Garmin and Magellan and I thought I’d share my personal recommendations for the best GPS units for hiking and outdoor activities. These GPS units are great for hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, canoeing, mountain biking - you name it - and many of them pack the same navigation features you’ll find in expensive vehicle navigation systems.
The Garmin GPSMap 60CSx was built just for outdoor enthusiasts meaning it’s rugged, reliable, and ridiculously feature rich. This GPS unit is water resistant and beefy enough that you can get a good grip on it even with gloved hands in cold weather. Unlike some GPS units, the GPSMap 60C uses standard AA batteries making it a great choice for extended trips away from electrical charging opportunities. And talk about outdoor-specific features: the GPSMap has functions to tell you when the sun will set based on your location, the best times for hunting and fishing, and even tells you when to expect the next full moon! All of these features are in addition to the color screen, the ability to load and view topographic and road maps, basic navigation information (speed, distance, elevation, etc.), and the ability to mark and navigate to stored waypoints. Yep, the GPSMap 60C series is a great choice for the outdoor enthusiast looking for a dependable, feature-rich GPS for a reasonable price.
If you don’t need a color screen on your outdoor GPS, consider picking up a Magellan eXplorist 400. The eXplorist includes a rechargeable battery PLUS the ability to utilize AAA batteries in a pinch and has a memory card slot for loading detailed topographic maps. The buttons on the front of the eXplorist make it easy to mark waypoints and zoom in on areas of interest and the on-screen menus make navigation simple. My biggest complaint about the eXplorist 400 is the clunky serial PC interface - most new units use USB for maximum compatability. The eXplorist is a great value though and it’s one of the cheapest GPS units you’ll find with the ability to load detailed topo and road maps.
The eTrex series from Garmin is another popular choice with hikers and the original yellow eTrex is the first GPS I ever owned back in 2000. All the eTrex units are fine for geocaching and are great for beginning and younger users alike. The eTrex Vista comes with built-in base maps covering major US highways and even tells you what restaurants can be found at interstate exits. Some eTrex units include color screens, the ability to use more detailed maps, and other more advanced features that beginning users may not find all that useful initially. Luckily the original yellow eTrex GPS is perhaps one of the most affordable outdoor GPS units and you can usually find one on sale for less than $100.
Finally, if you’re looking for an ultraportable GPS for hiking and other activities like running, consider the Forerunner series from Garmin. These GPS units aren’t great for navigation, though they can certainly help out if you’re off track. Otherwise, the Forerunner series includes all the features you’d expect from a recreational GPS unit (distance, speed, breadcrumb map, elevation, etc.). I like to use my Forerunner for running or backpacking so I can analyze my route on a more detailed map once I get home without a lot of fuss while I’m outside. The included USB connection makes it easy to download your hikes to your computer for more in-depth analysis of your route and elevation profile.
Yep, a good GPS unit is a welcome companion for hiking and these days I honestly don’t know what I’d do without mine on the trail. Whether you decide to go high tech with all the bells and whistles of a GPSMap 60C or lean and mean with a Forerunner, you’ll certainly appreciate how a GPS can enhance your next hiking experience.
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