SIMPLE HIKING GPS ?

I'm a Garmin customer going back 10 years, and my preferred series is the GPSMap 60, as it evolves, because of the outstanding sensitivty and location performance, ruggedness, and functional flexibility. You can make it what you want it to be, buying the appropriate maps.

But thats probably a whole lot more than you want to pay. ETrex 20 will do what you want. It comes with a global basemap, not much detail on that, but you can buy 1:24K topo maps regionall or locally, or 1:100K maps for the whole U.S. ($117 list) and there are sources for free maps.

Alternative I wpuld consider, am considering, is Earthmate PN series from DeLorme, which sells for $300 with DeLorme's 1:100k equivalent TopoUSA, which I find really useful on the PC as well. For more detail locally, DeLorme has larger scale map and image products, including GPS registered satellite inagery.

If you want large scale maps, generally you can expect to pay as much or more for maps as you do for the basic mapping GPS receiver. When you look through the product lines for each manufacturer in the mapping GPS business, compare model to model, you might see that the larger price jumps have to do with which maps are included in the price. The electronics, displays, packaging are all pretty cheap to produce. The big cost is producing maps, and keeping them up to date. Updating is not as much an issue with topo as with road maps and higway and urban points of interest, but there are still changes to be incorporated over time.

PS: I see the 100K US Topo from Garmin is discontinued, they are selling those maps in pieces for $60. 1:24K maps are sold in smaller pieces for $100, larger pieces for somewhat more, and products at that scale are different for hiking and general use versus products for hunting GPS.

If you have a mapping GPS, yes, you will see your location marked on the built in map.

Oasisbob wrote:
So can the above units pretty much turn on and see my location on a map? or ?BTW Thanks for your help.

yep, my garmin can.
bumpy

So can the above units pretty much turn on and see my location on a man? or ?BTW Thanks for your help.

SteveAE wrote:
Oasisbob,
All that said, no one should rely solely on a GPS receiver. Bring along a real map (topo) and compass and learn how to plot your location (as measured by the GPS) on your map. Also learn how to navigate with your compass and map. For where I go and what I do, these skills are, quite frankly, lifesaving.

Steve

X2 on that! In the days before GPS, I spent some time as a volunteer instructor introducing newbies to the outdoors in both urban and remote wilderness. Our mantra was STAY FOUND. Carry a map. Figure out where you are on the map before you start. Look at local landmarks or "handrails" - This hike will stay between the freeway and the lake or this hike will stay in the valley between these mountain ranges. Pause at each intersection and figure out where you are again, including a glance back down the trail to see what it looks like in the other direction.

Updating for modern tech: I now take photos of the kiosk map at the trailhead and of the trail along the way; I can refer to them along the trail if need be. I carry digital topo maps downloaded free from USGS in my iPod Touch. I also sometimes scan or photograph hiking guidebook pages and carry them along in paper or digital format.

Make your technology work for you. Otherwise, it is just more weight in your pack.

And no, I do not have a GPS. If I ever decide to get one, it will probably be a Garmin.

I have a Garmin GPSmap 62s which has been a good little unit. a previous thread about geocashing was frequented by someone who used a slightly lesser model than mine and it seemed to work fine for him.
bumpy

Oasis Bob,

I'm very happy with the Garmin Oregon series that I've owned over the years. Used for recreation and in my military service. You can get them pre-loaded with topo maps with updates available from Garmin. I currently have a 550t, which is pricy, but comes with a camera that I never use. It also allows for the loading of imagery off Google Earth after conversion to jpeg.

Good luck in your search.

Vince

Oasisbob,

Over the years, I have had the following handheld GPS receivers in this order:
- Magellan
- DeLorm
- Garmin
My use has been for hiking/backpacking, backcountry skiing/snowshoeing, and canoeing/kayaking/rafting....sometimes at night (except the boating activities).
I have concluded that the smaller Garmin is the best choice for me because:
- Small and light weight
- Best battery life (spare battery are not only heavy, but a pain to find if you drop them in the snow while changing).
- Adequate map (if you purchase the separate Topo map)
- Good service (I lost a battery compartment once and Garmin promptly replaced it for me at no charge).
No, the screen isn't huge, but I guarantee you, you will pay a price in $$$, battery life, and extra weight for that big fancy screen.

All that said, no one should rely solely on a GPS receiver. Bring along a real map (topo) and compass and learn how to plot your location (as measured by the GPS) on your map. Also learn how to navigate with your compass and map. For where I go and what I do, these skills are, quite frankly, lifesaving.

Short story. Last spring while hiking a remote canyon in S. Utah, we ran into a couple that had a working GPS, but was totally lost. Pulled out my GPS and got the coordinates (canyon happened to be wide enough to get our location), plotted them on the map, and showed them exactly where they were. They had missed their turn several side canyons back. That's awfully big, and harsh, country to be lost in.

Have fun with your new toy...whatever you may get,
Steve