[zliminator]

Can someone recommend a cheap, reliable GPS unit I could use for hiking and finding my way around?

Dan

 

[FredLee]

I just got a Magellan Explorist 100. Works pretty good.the Explorist 200 and 300 have more features and mapping.

 

[kev]

Garmin Etrex is all you need.

 

[Potantsuem]

Get a Tom Tom....or was it a Kev Kev. Kev kev do I turn here? Kev Kev where's the nearest lodge? Kev Kev.....


P.S. this is a joke. I'm not sure what the best GPS unit is as I don't have one yet myself. But both Kev and Fred give good examples I'm sure. Oh, and I doubt the Tom Tom unit would be useful or practicle.

 

[MCLMM]

Garmin Foretrex 101

Cheap and it's pretty much a miniaturized E-Trex.

Make sure you get the 101 model and not the 201 which has a rechargable battery. Out in the booneys or A-SHTF, you'll get 24 hours out of it, then it'll be useless.

The Foretrex 101 takes AAA batts - get rechargables with a charger that takes a 12v accessory plug. That way you can recharge off of your vehicle or even off a battery out of an abandoned car if need be. A solar charger will make it a pretty versatile unit.

Do you know how to use a map and compass at all? sorry if the question is insulting, but I'm seeing more and more newbs going straight for the GPS and not even bothering with traditional nav.

In my mind you should first be able to use a map and compass. Second be able to navigate using expedient methods such as using the stars or a watch/sun. Third use GPS as an AID to navigation.

If and when the world goes dark, those GPS satellites won't necessarily work. Your compass will.

 

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

Nowadays all the GPS units are pretty solid and reliable, as far as cheap and which one ? is an individual thing depends on the features you want etc

 

[Fishbread]

Garmin Etrex is all you need.

But maybe not all you'll want. I upgraded my Etrex for a vista, wife now has the Etrex. I do highly recommend Garmin. If you want to do geocaching a Garmin can load up the waypoints with just a click of the mouse. No more punching in coordinates which means more time outside.

 

[KevinR]

I got an Etrex years ago and it works well.

 

[kev]

Get a Tom Tom....or was it a Kev Kev. Kev kev do I turn here? Kev Kev where's the nearest lodge? Kev Kev.....


P.S. this is a joke. I'm not sure what the best GPS unit is as I don't have one yet myself. But both Kev and Fred give good examples I'm sure. Oh, and I doubt the Tom Tom unit would be useful or practicle.

Haha, very funny, very funnnnyyyyyy.

:thumb:

 

[bowona13]

I would get the Magellan Explorist 300 it has all the features of the 100 and 200 plus a real time electronic compass. Remember to carry extra batteries and a compass just in case of thick tree cover or bad weather.

 

[1248]

I have an older eTrex and recently upgraded to a 60cx. I like it much better and it seems to be more intuitive. Hardly even looked at the manual. USB cable included so sync-ing with a laptop is a cinch. NOTE: my kids and I do a lot of geocaching. The 60cx allows you to zoom in to 20 ft where the eTrex only gets you down to 200 ft. It has base maps, highways etc. Like the guys above said-depends on what you want to do with it.

 

[z96Cobra]

FWIW, the Garmin 'Etrex' is a series and not a single unit. In the Etrex series I would get the Legend or Vista. Within the last year or so, Garmin updated the Etrex series with better receivers and the ability to use/add micro SD cards. Look for 'HCx' after the name to get the newer updated units. I have an older Etrex Legend and hope to get a new Vista one of these days.

The Colorado series units are really cool too!

Roger

 

[test]

without a map and compass a GPS can get you in big trouble if you are not practiced in wilderness skills

 

[Chuckyt]

I have a Garmin GPS 60. I haven't used it much..it seems it has too many bells and whistles to complicate things. For the cost, I couldn't go wrong. It even has a geocache feature if you like that stuff.

 

[zoltan]

I had a Garmin Etrex legend (got stolen) and it was freakin' great. I acquired the topo base maps that it uses. The maps had everything that is on USGS maps. Trailhead names, peak names, rivers, streams, contour & labels etc. You could load the maps on your computer and punch in waypoints/routes and download them to the receiver. I could load a very large area that I was hiking/camping in and the maps wouldn't take up too much memory (it was built in memory).

 

[zliminator]

Thanks for all the great advice, friends. I'm also going to depend on maps and compass.

Dan

 

[dbacon]

Delorme has come out just this week the PN-40. You may find a number of PN-20 cheap. The mapping software is the best.

 

[SanzaRoux]

GARMIN Forerunner 201 Handheld GPS Receiver watch

 

[Lorax]

My old $200 Magellan is (i hate to admit) about as accurate as my $3000 Trimble commercial gps. Makes me wanna barf...

 

[FredLee]

A friend of mine sets up navigational units in farm tractors that will do accuracy down to a couple inches.They are ground antennae based,though.Kinda like the older LORAN,but much more accurate.