My boyfriend and I use one for hiking. it is an Etrex Summit. It's very small, which is great for hiking. It also shows altitude which is helpful for hikers. I don't think these things are necessary for you, but Etrex does make other models and we have been pleased with it's performance. we often mark different waypoints, including our beginning point and find it to be very accurate in helping us to return to those destinations later (which sounds like a tool that may be helpful to you). It also tells us the speed we are walking, has a compass and about a hundred other features I don't know about, including the fact that I have not downloaded any maps onto it and am not sure of its capabilities in that regard. It cost $250. The batteries run down quickly, so we always keep spares. Also, like Barbara said, it's best to be safe, so we keep a manual compass with us, too!
But, overall, we find the GPS to be something that enhances out backcountry experience. It's a good tool, especially when I'm like, "We've been walking forever...how far are we???"! Good luck finding the one that fits your needs. There are so many out there and, I'm sure, new advances all the time.
|
Threaded Mode