Summer may be over in the northern hemisphere, but this does not mean that you cannot hike anymore. By using one of the 3 GPS devices presented below, you will make sure you do not get lost while off the beaten track.
Garmin Colorado: Rock’n’Rolling GPS
The Rock’n’Roller wheel that dominates the top of the device is surely one of the first things to catch your attention. This is primarily used for zooming in and out, as well as for browsing through the menu. The amount of detail differs from one model of Garmin Colorado to the other. For example, the 400T version comes with topographic maps for the entire USA. The 400I model, instead, features the maps of the inland lakes and rivers, while the 400C version comes with postal information.
One of the most interesting features of this GPS device is the wireless exchange of maps. On top of that, it is waterproof, comes with preloaded maps and allows you to do paperless geocaching. Two AA batteries will keep Garmin Colorado alive for up to 15 hours. Since these batteries are really cheap, you can get more of them, to make sure the GPS device does not die on you.
Magellan eXplorist GC: For the Premium Hiking Experience
Magellan eXplorist GC is also waterproof, but unlike the previous GPS device, this one comes with batteries, so it’s ready for use out of the box. The battery lifetime is of up to 18 hours, which is quite enough for a whole day of adventures. The device comes preloaded with some of the most popular geocaches from around the world, as well as a 30-day Premium membership on Geocaching.com. Accuracy is one of the most important things to look for in a hiking GPS device, but with Magellan eXplorist GC you can rest assured, as it has a very sensitive GPS sensor that will pinpoint your location with an error margin of only up to 3 meters.
The compass overlay will surely prove to be useful, too. Not at last, you are given the option to customize the dashboard screen to your desire. This is a feature that not all the manufacturers of GPS devices provide.
Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx
Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx is yet another device coming from one of the biggest players in this industry. One of the features that makes GPSMAP 60CSx one of the best GPS devices for hiking is the barometric altimeter. The device is entirely waterproof, which means that the battery compartment is safe, too. Since there is where the micro SD card is located, you can get this problem off your mind. As well as the other devices from this list, Garmin’s product is also geocaching friendly. It includes a digital compass, sun and moon info and even a hunt/fish calendar. Area calculation and outdoor GPS games are also listed among the features of this device, so it can be considered rather complex.
The device does not have a touchscreen and this may be one of its main downsides. However, the TFT display is very vibrant and reproduces colors very well, so you will have no problems using the GPS device, no matter if it’s day or night.
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