Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#135014 - 06/11/10 02:10 PM Garmin eTrex - is it good?
arcane Offline
member

Registered: 05/24/10
Posts: 21
Loc: WV
I've been thinking about getting a GPS and am looking at both plain GPS receivers as well as units that can display a map. I am looking at the Garmin eTrex H GPS receiver as well as the Garmin eTrex Venture HC.

REI - Garmin eTrex H GPS Receiver

Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver

At this point I'm not looking for something with alot of bells and whistles. Has anyone used this particular GPS model? Are there any considerations that I should be aware of? I'm fairly new to backpacking but do have good map reading/navigational skills.

I came across the following post , but a lot of informations wasn't included about the GPS unit.

I'm looking for something that I can use primarily in the backcountry and wilderness areas of West Virginia. I am inclined to forgo the map display feature, but I also do some cycling and the GPS unit would be handy for my bicycle rides.

I am also curious if anyone here has experience using solar battery chargers for charging the batteries.

Thanks in advance!

Top
#135089 - 06/13/10 01:47 PM Re: Garmin eTrex - is it good? [Re: arcane]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
I'm partial to GPS's that display maps. If you can find the lat/long that's given by a GPS on a printed map, then you don't really need the mapping feature. It's not to hard to do that, but it's still easier to view your location on a map displayed on the GPS.

I'm not a big fan of the eTrex series of GPS's though. I've seen two of them go wonkey, but these were when they first came out, so I don't know if there are issues that were resolved since them. In my experience, Garmin has some pretty good customer service, so I suspect they've dealt with those issues by now.

But I found the user interface to be clunky on the eTrex and it's been difficult for those I know that have them to remember how to navigate to the features they wanted to access. On the other hand, I carried my "Quickstart Guide" with me when I went hiking for probably a year and advised they did the same, but I was mostly ignored. I still use an old Garmin "eMap" and I still think it is a lot easier to use than an eTrex.

The screen is small on the eTrex, and the text is small and difficult for my old eyes to see. The eMap had a larger display and is easier for me to read.

Garmin gets a lot of money for their maps too. You can use free maps on some of the Magellan series of GPS's. This can save you hundreds of dollars so it's worth looking into.

That's about all I can offer you on this topic. I hope it helps some.

Bill
_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#136297 - 07/14/10 06:30 PM Re: Garmin eTrex - is it good? [Re: billstephenson]
Heather-ak Offline
member

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 597
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
My husband and I have been geocaching on and off for five years.

We have a Garmin eTrex (green) - have had it and loved it for about 6 years.

We "upgraded" to a delorom Earthmate - I hate it and can't figure it out - I RTFMed and read online - still can't use it as well.

I love the Garmin - just got my mom-in-law the newest high sensitivity one and she loves it too.

Of the two links I would go with http://www.rei.com/product/761620 (Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver) because of the front joy-stick. Yeah it sounds silly - but previously my mom-in-law had the other one in your list, and without the silly joystick it wasn't as easy to use.

I'm assuming you are using this on the trail/geocaching and not walking around in town or driving.

Heather

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 170 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum