Looking to buy my first GPS for finding portages campsites and not getting lost on big island studded lakes. Looking for a unit around 250.00 price range. Any suggestions ????

Etrex 20 62ST
Newer versions that work well with mapping programs (BaseCamp, MapSource) and can use custom maps.

Delorme PN60 Comes with a customizable topo mapping program.

Both Garmin and Delorme are well established units with lots of user history and support, both accept and display personalized home made trip maps.

butthead

I have a Garmin Vista HCx and it works well for me. Also accepts custom maps and interfaces well with BaseCamp and MapSource, has a slot for a Micro SD card. With lithium AA batteries it has lasted for a week long trip having it on when travelling to provide track information as well as occasional 'how fast are we going' spot checks.

A few of my personal recommendations to look for, expandable/removable memory, color display, topo maps included.

If you think you will use it beyond simple route direction, consider, paperless Geocaching (best training tool/game for a GPS user), extended custom mapping: Garmin On the Trail Maps Garmin Custom Maps Delorme comes with Topo 10 and you can get Map Subscriptions.

I know there are other makes out there but have direct experience with Delorme and Garmin.

butthead

Thanks guys

DeLorme PN-60 is on sale now from Delorme for $200, a map subscription is 25-30 bucks a year.

it is a refurb, but in many ways that is better than new, at least in this engineers opinion.

You picked an excellent time to jump in on one of Garmin's GPSMAP62 series units (62, 62s, 62st). Price is less than half of original from a couple years ago, due to upcoming release of their 64 series which replaces it. Example price, very common across sellers: 62s for $199. Very pleased with how my 62st has served me on BW trips, hiking, skiing, etc.

Butthead im curious about the battery life on these units. I usually take six day trips in the bwca. How long will they last if your being conservative with the unit.

To compare with butthead's future response: my 62st will give me near 2 days of constant use on 2 AA Energizer Ultimate lithium batteries.

schweady's the same as my use. Both the Delorme PN60 and the 62st, 2 day use a set without fully draining them (they go into a flashlight before they go dead). 2 8hr. stints of continuous operation including tracking.

butthead

quote butthead: "schweady's the same as my use. Both the Delorme PN60 and the 62st, 2 day use a set without fully draining them (they go into a flashlight before they go dead). 2 8hr. stints of continuous operation including tracking.


butthead"

Ha! We think alike. I use a Sharpie to mark batteries that come out of the gps with a black ring to indicate as 'used.' Still a surprising amount of life in them for stuff around the house and not concerned if they don't last too much longer at home... they can be changed again after squeezing the last out of them but out in the wild you want to have fresh sets.

If you want to extend the life of your batteries, remove them when you go to bed.

unless you need your GPS to find your way to the toilet at night :)

even when off, the GPS draws current
of course some may not want to do this for various reasons

and also the mode you leave it in while on will have a big impact, for example, if you leave it in the map mode it will consume more current as it redraws the map as you move

I see that Delorme has a deal going on for the PN30. Comes with Topo 10 for $149.

PN 30