Garmin eTrex Vista C Waterproof Hiking GPS by Garmin
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin eTrex Vista C Waterproof Hiking GPS
Digital camera Review: Awsome
Summary: 4 Stars
This little item is awsome. I take it everywhere. It has been through rain, mud, saltwater, fishblood, sand etc, and it is still as good a new. Make sure you wipe of any of these substances after each use. The screen is a bit small, and dont overload it with maps, because the map feature will become veery slow!Digital camera Review: Best GPS
Summary: 5 Stars
I had the non-color eTrex a few years ago and liked it very much I sold it to purchase this new one. Not much difference between the two except the screen is so much easier to see. For me doing backpacking and hiking the size is perfect and with the downloaded Topo maps for Maine it can't be beat.Digital camera Review: Best handheld GPS for the money for outdoor activities
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for something small to take hiking, snowmobiling, and plotting land boundaries and markers on maps. I have used it every other day for about a month and love it. I bought this handheld GPS after reviewing many Garmin models like the Etrex line and also the higher end handheld line. I also reviewed Magellan's lines as well.
I have had a Garmin StreetPilot III for driving from MA to SC to PA and loved it. I already had Garmin's MapSource detailed road and topographical software to use with the SP III. So going with a compatible handheld GPS that could use the software was a factor as well.
Obviously one needs to keep in mind the general limitations of any GPS system, those being the + or - accuracy of approximately 30 ft. both because of government regulation and the rotation of the earth and orbitting satellites. Also, that heavy foliage (dense cover where I could barely see sky) or extreme hills or valleys (being below a 50-100ft ledge for example)will temporarily disrupt your reception, but this is true for all GPS systems. But this GPS works well for me in the woods and hills of north central MA/southern NH.
I don't think a black and white display would've cut it, especially in shade and evening use. I would definately recommend color on any display. Color gives you so many variations for marking waypoints and is just plain easier to differentiate between things. I probably didn't need the altimeter and could've got away with a cheaper color model but I live in a rather hilly area and am just nosy as to how high or low I am compared to home, etc.
The altimeter is helpful in plotting trails, boundaries, and marks as it gives a better 3 dimensional perspective of the location you're at or going back to.
Everyone will have their own use or area, but I hope this was helpful for any similar desires or applications.
Digital camera Review: Does the trick
Summary: 4 Stars
I wanted a GPS to use for hiking in New England. mainly for off trail navigation. This does an excellent job, but not to replace map and compass! It also got me into Geocacheing, which i enjoy doing with my 3 year old daughter. She likes to look for "treasure". It works well and is easy to use and has the advanced features for serious bushwhacking. It has met my expectations and is just a fun little gadget all round.Digital camera Review: Don't Buy this GPS
Summary: 1 Stars
I would rate this GPS average, when it works.
As far as I am concerned, this GPS was put on the market before the software was debugged. I got one of the first units, which has had no end of glitchy lockups (always nice to have to pull the batteries to restore operation).
After it's last outing, it appears the backlighting has failed. I did firmware update #3 (and was happy to see they had finally fixed some of the lockups), just in case this was another one of the bugs, and now the unit is completely dead. According to Garmin, I have to pay to have this fixed. Nice Garmin, release buggy software, a buggy update utility, and charge people when the update doesn't work. And the backlighting is still probably screwed, which hopefully will be warranty.
Other than this, the GPS is difficult to use with gloves, the little joy stick is hard to use (selections usually result in a direction change), and the USB port is pointed out the back, which strains an already fragile connector.
I wouldn't buy another Garmin product in a million years.