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Best GPS for Backpacking


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was looking at the 60csx when it first came out but was never very happy with the quality of the Garmin maps (have used DeLorme Topo USA for years) and along came the DeLorme PN20 unit with the map quality I would expect for a GPS at these prices, but no compass or altimeter in the PN20... wait a bit longer and out comes the Colorado 400t with the map quality I was hoping Garmin would produce, but I have been reading some comments on the 400t being more suited for geocachers and less for backpacking.

 

Any thoughts from users out there on what the best handheld unit is out there for backpacking right now... any chance Garmin might bring the Colorado up to par with the 60csx... can't believe Garmin comes out with the Colorado line and holds back on its feature set, especially at the price they are asking... thanks for any input.

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What are the issues with the Garmin maps? Just curious as I have never used a DeLorme unit.

 

I am guessing that the 400t will continue to evolve via firmware updates. Right now I think most avid users of the 400t are quite happy with the unit after all the firmware updates. It may be geared more for geocaching, but with TOPO maps, I suspect it would work for backpacking as well.

 

Battery life may be a factor for backpacking.....

 

Between and 60csx and a 400t - my opinion is that it depends on how much you want to spend. I paid $300 for my 60csx and even if you add TOPO maps it is still cheaper than the 400t. Seems to do everything as well except Wherigo (which I couldn't care less about).

 

Bottom line is the 400t is Garmin's latest and greatest and will no doubt be upgraded via firmware. Price point is higher than other GPSr. Boils down to what features you want vs how much you want to spend.

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tapar1,

 

I hear you about the quality of Garmin's Topo maps, they do not have the resolution of Delorme's maps. However, Garmin's Topo 2008 is much better then 3.01 but still not as good as Delorme's Topo USA 2.0 IMO but that didn't stop me from getting a Vista HCx for hiking and hunting. When it came down to it for me the price was right and figured realistically how much detail can you really resolve on a small screen. What I have found so far is that the Garmin maps have more then enough detail for the GPSr any more I can't see of being in use in the field, but they lack the detail I like when I am on the computer for planing hunts so I have Delorme Topo USA 3.0 and MapSource on my computer. I do have to say I like how MapSource has integrated Google Earth.

 

Personally for the price, durability, size, and performance I think you'll be hard pressed to beat the Vista HCx for hiking and hunting. I have been paying around $200 for GPSr since the early 90's and they are just getting faster, smaller and more features for about the same price. BTW I use to be strictly a Magellan user but when switched to the map models I liked the Garmin maps much better.

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...... but no compass or altimeter in the PN20...

I have a separate magnetic compass, but don't use it. Just walking a few feet and I have the direction.

 

Same deal with the barometric altimeter that I carry and never use. I use the GPS derived altitude in combination of eyeballing my horizontal position with respect to its distance from the contours on the Topo maps as displayed on my PN-20.

 

Outside of that, I'm a victim of information overload.

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I'm not sure why others don't like it for backpacking. I had a 60csx and now a 400t. I use it 90% for hiking and backpacking. In my opinion the better maps and bigger screen make it much better than the 60csx. I use 2 alkaline AAs per day, but in a 60lb pack six or eight extra AA batteries is nothing. I don't have any of the problems others have had, or just don't pay close enough attention to them so that they bother me.

Edited by dopoka
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I have a 60CSx and Colorado (300 because I live in Canada and don't need US Topo).

 

Hands down, the 60CSx runs circles around the CO. The CO leaks in raining conditions. The 60 gets and keeps a signal in 1/10th the time of the CO. You can change track colors in the 60. You get better accuracy.

 

I use my 60 for Search & Rescue. I only use the CO for paperless geocaching but still carry the 60 to get to Ground Zero.

 

The CO hangs up quite often.

 

Stick with a GPS. The 60.

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I was looking at the 60csx when it first came out but was never very happy with the quality of the Garmin maps (have used DeLorme Topo USA for years) and along came the DeLorme PN20 unit with the map quality I would expect for a GPS at these prices, but no compass or altimeter in the PN20... wait a bit longer and out comes the Colorado 400t with the map quality I was hoping Garmin would produce, but I have been reading some comments on the 400t being more suited for geocachers and less for backpacking.
I'll take a different tack than some of the previous posters. I have a Venture Cx on which I have Above the Timber's Colorado 24K Topos and I used these maps for entensive backpacks and day hikes in Colorado all last year. That combination is infinitely superior to any combination of paper maps, compass and/or altimeter. Forty-foot contours are NOT too much detail for map reading, one simply zooms in/out as needed. However, the Garmin Position Pointer centers in the map as you move, providing position context superior to paper maps. No question a paper map is easier to read, BUT where on that map are you??? With the GPS topo I know exactly.

 

I took a 4-day BP in the Weminuche Wilderness last Sept, all I had was the Venture Cx, the Colo Topos and 2-2700mAH NiMHs. No compass, no paper maps, had no problems finding my way and the pair of AAs lasted the entire trip. I would have liked an altimeter for an elevation log, the GPS altimeter will not do that.

 

Any thoughts from users out there on what the best handheld unit is out there for backpacking right now... any chance Garmin might bring the Colorado up to par with the 60csx... can't believe Garmin comes out with the Colorado line and holds back on its feature set, especially at the price they are asking... thanks for any input.
If I were in the market today, I'd get a Vista HCx or a 60CSx and a set of 24K Topos for your area. The Vista has almost twice the battery life of the 60.

 

I own the DeLorme Topo USA v6, I'm not impressed. The PN-20 will read the raster 3DTQ's but raster maps and a small screen are a no-no. On a vector map, every line, area or point is an object, touch it with the cursor and it returns a discription in the font size you select. On a raster map everything is a pixel . . . worthless for info.

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I used the electronic compass all the time when I had the 60cs and when the PN-20 came out, I was kind of bummed that it did not have one. It turns out that the maps are so good I don't miss it at all and don't really need it.

 

The screen size on the PN-20 is a bit small but once again with the maps being so good, it more than makes up for it (it is so easy to read).

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Isn’t the Topo map in the 400T the same as Topo 2008 which you can buy and load on the 60CSx, except that the 60CSx does not show the shading? Topo 2008 has more contour detail in some areas than the older Garmin Topo map, but it’s the same as the older one in other areas.

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I have a 60CSx and Colorado (300 because I live in Canada and don't need US Topo).

 

Hands down, the 60CSx runs circles around the CO. The CO leaks in raining conditions. The 60 gets and keeps a signal in 1/10th the time of the CO. You can change track colors in the 60. You get better accuracy.

 

I use my 60 for Search & Rescue. I only use the CO for paperless geocaching but still carry the 60 to get to Ground Zero.

 

The CO hangs up quite often.

 

Stick with a GPS. The 60.

 

I have tp agree with you, I have both ( 60scx and col 300) but for backpacking 60scx is the superior gps, on a multi-day trip you'd have to have a sherpa to carry your batteries.

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thanks for all the feedback from everyone... think I'll go with the 60CSx... question on maps, has anyone ever tried the National Geographic TOPO! series of maps... their website states they are compatible with the 60CSx, and they have 24K maps (mostly interested in California coverate)... going to pick up the Garmin National Park West maps which are 24K, but if the TOPO! maps work on the 60CSx they would have more detail (from what I'm reading) than the Garmin Topo US 2008 software... wish Garmin would include the wilderness areas in their 24K series... thanks again.

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Here's another endorsement for the Delorme PN-20, based primarily on the maps. I like to use the vectorized TopoUSA7 most of the time (which allows trail autorouting) in combination with the rasterized USGS maps for supplemental detail (e.g., better lake, pond, & stream data). I also value that it's easy to add tracks you record of your favorite trails to the Topo7 map database as routable trails and then cut the detail maps to the GPS. I think the editing advantages of Topo7 for backpackers is often overlooked--trail databases are nearly always very incomplete and outdated.

 

Like Ben, I really liked the electronic compass of my Meridian Platinum but I don't miss it much on subsequent models I've had like the PN-20. The GPS elevation readout is sufficient for my needs; others might want something more precise. Battery life for the eTrex and 60 series is better for extended hikes--although a pair of Lithium AA's are supposed to last 22 hours in the PN-20.

 

Last piece of advice: take advantage of Delorme's 30 day trial period. Not everybody finds the package to their liking, but the tryout period let's you check it out firsthand and bail if it doesn't fit your needs sufficiently. You're only out your time and the return shipping cost.

 

Edit: whoops! Missed the decision moment. :)

Edited by embra
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has anyone ever tried the National Geographic TOPO! series of maps... their website states they are compatible with the 60CSx
If you read carefully, they state that their maps are "GPS compatable"!!! That phrase is meant to hoodwink the unsuspecting consumer into thinking they can load the maps, when, in fact, all it means is you can transfer routes, tracklogs and waypoints, NOT maps.
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thanks for the heads up on the NatGeo TOPO! software... can anyone tell me the best route to go with capacity for a microSD card for the 60CSx... thought I read somewhere to stick with a 2 gig card, sounds a bit odd to me to have a limit like that...

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If you read carefully, they state that their maps are "GPS compatable"!!! That phrase is meant to hoodwink the unsuspecting consumer into thinking they can load the maps, when, in fact, all it means is you can transfer routes, tracklogs and waypoints, NOT maps.

 

You can actually upload NG Topo maps to the Magellan Triton. It's a really cool feature. Unfortunately, everything else about the Triton completely s....s. So it's not even an option worth considering.

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I don't think a person would need anything more than a Venture HC and Topo2008 for backpacking. Unless you intend to hike the entire Continental Divide trail before you return to your computer, 24 mb of memory likely would be sufficient for any trip. And, regardless of which unit you decide on, you probably would appreciate having a copy of USAPhotoMaps running on your computer (shareware from jdmcox.com)

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If you read carefully, they state that their maps are "GPS compatable"!!! That phrase is meant to hoodwink the unsuspecting consumer into thinking they can load the maps, when, in fact, all it means is you can transfer routes, tracklogs and waypoints, NOT maps.

You can actually upload NG Topo maps to the Magellan Triton. It's a really cool feature. Unfortunately, everything else about the Triton completely s....s. So it's not even an option worth considering.

I briefly looked into the Triton's NG upload "feature" and I was not impressed.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong. As I understood the how of the upload, one had to save a screenshot of the map image, save that as a JPEG, then import one or more of these JPEGs to the Triton.

 

If correct, then I see two serious flaws:

1] JPEGs are rasters and are very large files for a relatively small map area. This would slow the small GPS CPU to a crawl.

2] Unlike a vector where points, lines and areas have attributes, a JPEG only has dumb pixels, no info.

 

For the small CPU and small screen of a GPS, you want vector maps.

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