GPS suited to waypoint fastpacking sought, for GPS newbie.

October 8, 2008 1:46 PM

Outdoor tech: GPS units - for backpacking, not for a car? Looking for something best suited to solo already-know-waypoint 2-3 day fastpacks.

To repeat, I'm not looking for a TomTom or anything else that is GPS for a car.

My time available for backpacking, both on and off trail, is getting limited for the next few years, and it looks like I'll be soloing almost all the time. My idea is that I'd start saving planning time and trail days by doing "canned" GPS waypoint trips, like those found in Backpacker as fastpacks - carry less, lighter gear and/or resupply and cover miles fast vs. taking a week to cover the same miles carrying a week of plush gear and food.

But I don't have a GPS for that and haven't used one before. I can use a topo and compass, and will be taking one anyway, but I'm looking for something that will help get me from trailhead to waypoint to waypoint and back without falling off a cliff or getting lost. So I think something pretty basic should do fine.

But I have questions about features from real-world users:
1) I don't need, and won't be buying, models with 3-D holographic topo maps on a 10-inch display. But is there a big benefit you've seen between a b&wLCD simple direction-and-distance indicator and a color LCD with a small map section?
2) Even though I'll be soloing, I'm not very interested in personal locator beacons - but are the models with built-in walkie-talkies, like the Rino, worth it? Again, I'd be soloing, so it would only be to contact help in emergencies, not to keep track of a team.
3) Hardware things to consider that a GPS newbie knows nothing about: Batteries? Connecting to a PC to load waypoints/maps? Are there several GPS standards/frequencies/formats that I should be aware of when shopping?

posted by penciltopper to sports, hobbies, & recreation (6 comments total)

I *heart* my Garmin 60CSx.

If I were to buy again, on a budget, I'd seriously look at the Legend HCx.

I'm not sold on the Colorado/Oregon series ... yet.


To answer the Qs - colour is useful and makes the maps easier to read. You can also colour code trails (either made or uploaded). Disregard the Rino (get a separate radio that takes AA batteries - having it in the rino isn't a selling point imho). Most any unit has usb connection today - garmin has decent software for windows (I run it on my mac through parallels without a hitch, but the mac native stuff is coming along nicely). Batteries -- I use alkaline AA. I tried rechargeables but didn't get enough benefit for the cost and effort. Be aware that, e.g. the NatGeo Topo! series is useful (I have two map sets) but will NOT load onto the unit unless you have one of a limited number of Magellan models. I'd get a Garmin, get the topo maps and you're golden.
posted by devbrain at 2:06 PM on October 8, 2008

This only deals with the personal locator aspect of your question, but I felt impelled to tell you about my favorite gadget. I am in love with the Spot personal tracker. My Dad goes out on solo jaunts all the time, sometimes going for weeks or months at a go, but doesn't want to carry a satellite phone.

The Spot is a personal tracker (no waypoints) that allows you to both a) signal your location to anxious friends and family during your trip and b) call for help when needed.

You press a little button on the device and for the next 24 hours, it will plot your progress, allowing friends/family to watch you on google maps.

If you, say, run out of granola bars, or reach the trailhead and are ready to be picked up, you can press the "help" button, and it will email/text whoever you've set as your help contacts that you need help, and give your location.

If you fall and break your femur, you hit the emergency button and local authorities are dispatched to your location. Another really awesome aspect of the Spot is that if you sign up for emergency insurance when you buy it, it is only 9.99 per year and covers any emergency extrication services you may require, both in the US and abroad.

It is really great as a personal tracker/emergency dispatcher, even though it doesn't have the waypoint capability you seek.
posted by arnicae at 2:17 PM on October 8, 2008

I've got a Garmin Legend Cx (bought it before the H model was available, otherwise they're the same) that I like quite a bit. Only downside I've found is that the little joystick you use to scroll is a bit fragile and annoying, otherwise no complaints, and I've done some awful things to the unit like dropping it off a dirt bike at speed and then running over it again. I've used it extensively while backpacking and it's held up pretty well. There is no substitute for a 7.5 quad, but it gets good reception most everywhere and with the expandable microSD slot I put 1:100K topos for the entire western US on mine. Battery life is ~8 hours on standard AAs if you don't use the backlight a lot; I don't leave it on constantly during a week-long trip so I don't carry more than one spare set of batteries (and a compass and paper map). I had a regular B&W eTrex before this, so I can answer some of your questions:

1) There's a big difference, I wouldn't go back to B&W. The color screen is much easier to see, details pop out better, and with a map you can look at where you are and go "aaaah, ok, that mountain is over THERE, so the turn will be HERE".

2) The location radios are pretty worthless if your soloing. My experience is that if you get hurt, it's unlikely that the SAR team or ranger will be carrying a compatible FRS radio.

3) The Legend Cx takes AAs, alkaline or rechargeable. The cable is a standard USB to mini USB, and the unit can be powered from the cable. The Garmin 1:100k topos are all right but not fantastic; they'll do for rough navigation. Maps for the US cost around $90 for the set, which is over and above the cost of the GPS; I don't know what's available for other countries. The base map on the Legend is primitive at best, but if you just care about really major features and waypoints, it'll do. If you need more detail or areas not covered by the Garmin maps, you might want to consider the Colorado since (I think) it can use georeferenced images like you can get out of the National Geographic map packages, or wherever else you might find georeferenced TIFFs. The microSD slot makes it easy to switch maps in and out, or just load the whole US on one 2GB card and fuggedaboutit. It takes about 1-2 minutes to get a fix from a cold boot, and it gets good reception everywhere but in buildings, under heavy canopy, or in a deep slot canyon. Garmin has finally released some OS X software too, so you don't have to have a PC to use all of the features of the device.
posted by hackwolf at 2:40 PM on October 8, 2008

Add me to the Garmin fans. I've had both Garmin and Magellan personal GPS units, and even though the Magellan cost more, the Garmin is my favorite. Easy to use, intuitive, the whole deal.
posted by misha at 6:05 PM on October 8, 2008

I'm not sold on the color screens. I've used a couple and don't feel they're useful for hiking. Car navigation is another story, but I'm quite happy with the high-contrast monochrome displays on the Garmins and Lowrance I've used for general outdoors stuff. Also, the monochrome screens use ambient light, with a backlight provided for nighttime use. I believe color screens require a full-time backlight, and to be readable in daylight it has to be pretty darn bright. Mmmm, batteries are delicious.

I own a Garmin eTrex Legend, but like the rest of the eTrex line, the screen connection is wonky and requires regular "percussive maintenance". It's small and pretty darn weatherproof. The stick-and-buttons interface isn't perfect but it's pretty easy to use with a fairly short learning curve.

I also have a Lowrance iFinder H2O. It's larger and sports commensurately more screen real estate. It's pretty solidly built, though it appears to accumulate scratches more readily than the Garmin. A protector is a good idea in either case. Lowrance's interface is clunky, for some reason I always expect the Enter and Escape buttons to be in each other's places, and this causes no end of frustration. The fact that Lowrance builds mp3 (and Ogg Vorbis) player functionality into all their audio-hardware-equipped units is pretty freakin' cool, though.

As it happens, when I bought my Garmin I cheaped out, and got the one without the barometer or compass. My Lowrance has both of these features, and while I've still never used the barometer for anything, the magnetic compass makes a dramatic improvement when trying to locate a cache. The positions derived from the GPS readings are used to figure out what direction you're moving, which generates the "go that way" arrow. If you're moving slowly or over short distances, minor signal variations dominate the reading, and the "direction" guess becomes useless. If you're trying to locate a waypoint more precisely than spitting distance, having the compass really, really helps.

Both units eat whatever AAs you throw at them. I'm a big, big, big fan of rechargeables, and would only stray from them if I anticipated significantly-below-freezing operation, for which lithium is the only sensible battery chemistry. (But in this case you should check the GPS specs too -- crystal oscillator frequency is temperature-dependent, and while they're able to compensate for this drift over a pretty wide range, exceeding that range may render the unit unable to achieve signal lock.)

Both units use custom connectors on their data cables, which is slightly frustrating for the DIYer trying to feed data into a project, but that's not relevant here.

Software support for the Garmins is better, being the bigger name in the hiking market. (Lowrance makes a lot of marine electronics, fishfinders and stuff, too.) Paying for maps rubs me the wrong way, and if you're just doing basic waypoint navigation or geocaching, you can probably get by with the basemap built into the unit.

Geocaching, by the way, is probably a fine place to find other outdoor GPS aficionados and information. Holler "Garmin sucks!" in the Groundspeak forums, and watch the fur fly. ;) Or just read some of the recommendations they've given other people.
posted by Myself at 9:32 AM on October 10, 2008

Some more thoughts: If you need to call for help in the middle of nowhere, an amateur radio license and an HT are cheaper than a satphone. Drop in on your local club meeting for details.

Most of the modern GPS units seem to connect via USB. Even more frustrating for the DIY-er, but probably better for the majority whose computers don't include RS232 ports anymore. If you go used, which is a fine option (find someone who's upgrading?), you might have to deal with serial. Some units transfer waypoints over serial, but accept map data on removable cards, for which you'd use a regular USB reader.

As for batteries, I don't know if you currently have a lot of AA-powered devices, but if you're looking to get into the world of rechargeables, or to upgrade your existing blind charger, look no further than the LaCrosse BC-900 analyzer. It baffles me how anyone ever used rechargeables before this came along -- being able to see what your batteries are up to, and when they're ready to be retired, makes the rechargeable lifestyle much less frustrating.

Oh yeah, enjoy your hike!
posted by Myself at 10:02 AM on October 10, 2008