Best GPS to get under $150?

[Chile Chef]

What's the best GPS unit to buy that has the large screen you can hold in your hand? I like spot but for what I want to do with the unit I can't use Spot.


Going geo treasure hunting this once I find a couple of events which souldn't be too hard.

[renodesertfox]

Garmin's Good!

Howdy Chef,
I like Garmin products and there are other units, but I've been happy with Garmin. Either the Forerunner 101 GPS unit, it comes with a wrist strap and costs about $90 from Garmin. Or I would suggest the "eTrex H" and that costs about $100 also from Garmin. While you are here reading my reply, all you have to do is find the Amazon link(usually at the top of the page here) and click on that link. That amazon link will take you right to amazon where the price for those units are less expensive and camping forums gets a little credit kicked into it own pocket to help defray the costs of running our site. Check these products out, I think one would be perfect for you and geo caching. Good luck!

[Chile Chef]

Howdy Chef,
I like Garmin products and there are other units, but I've been happy with Garmin. Either the Forerunner 101 GPS unit, it comes with a wrist strap and costs about $90 from Garmin. Or I would suggest the "eTrex H" and that costs about $100 also from Garmin. While you are here reading my reply, all you have to do is find the Amazon link(usually at the top of the page here) and click on that link. That amazon link will take you right to amazon where the price for those units are less expensive and camping forums gets a little credit kicked into it own pocket to help defray the costs of running our site. Check these products out, I think one would be perfect for you and geo caching. Good luck!

Have you tried it?

I haven't had the chance to do anything last summer do to college, And I thought while I try to find relibile camping groups in Michigan I can also kill 2 birds with one stone. And learn how to read a gps unit although I can read the one that came with my Iphone just fine.


I hope it will be a lot of fun, I have a feeling it could be.

[Chile Chef]

VDF, I was thinking this one here, You've mentioned it once.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846


I really like this from all the others I've been doing research on!

[renodesertfox]

Yes Chef, that is the one I purchased. It's portable too! Very good! I like it a lot!

[Chile Chef]

Yes Chef, that is the one I purchased. It's portable too! Very good! I like it a lot!

Have you used it for Geo choaching much, or just hiking, camping?

[Bigdog57]

I have the Magellan xPlorist 200 - $117 OTD at Wally's. Good rugged unit, has survived falling from a motorcycle onto the road at 50MPH.
Only cons are battery only - no vehicle power, and no upload/download - it has a more limited map showing only major roads and highways - no local or dirt roads and NO trails. But for hiking and biking, it leaves 'bread crumbs' I can follow back out. Easy to save POIs and set waypoints.
But, it has NO capability to show where the nearest gas station or eatery is. Hey, what do ya expect for a C-note......?
I plan to upgrade to the more feature-filled xPlorist 400 - has color screen, takes map cards, can have data downloaded, has power plug-in.
I find Magellan's can often lock onto sats when the cheaper Garmins cannot.

[Chile Chef]

I have the Magellan xPlorist 200 - $117 OTD at Wally's. Good rugged unit, has survived falling from a motorcycle onto the road at 50MPH.
Only cons are battery only - no vehicle power, and no upload/download - it has a more limited map showing only major roads and highways - no local or dirt roads and NO trails. But for hiking and biking, it leaves 'bread crumbs' I can follow back out. Easy to save POIs and set waypoints.
But, it has NO capability to show where the nearest gas station or eatery is. Hey, what do ya expect for a C-note......?
I plan to upgrade to the more feature-filled xPlorist 400 - has color screen, takes map cards, can have data downloaded, has power plug-in.
I find Magellan's can often lock onto sats when the cheaper Garmins cannot.

Magellan's, They've been a round for a very long time. And that's probably why they can do what they do!

I'm still planning on the etrax has everything I want.

[renodesertfox]

Howdy Chef,
We don't geo cache. We use the gps unit to track weather, our way points , and log in points when we kayak. When we are out on Lake Mojave, it a 60 mile long and three mile wide lake, one really has to keep a weather eye about for strong winds. Lake Mojave is in a funnel with the Spirit Mountains on the west at nearly 5,000' and the Black Mountain Range in Arizona on the eastern side at 3500'. Flat-water is very rare there and when there is flatwater we like to be out on it. Otherwise, paddling is a constant thing one has to do to stay afloat in these waters with such a tiny vessel. The GPS unit has saved us many times advising us to hug the shore when winds exceed 20 knots.

As far as using the GPS unit for more elaborate searches we haven't really explored those uses yet. We've only been using the Garmin for about 6 months and at the beginning of the summer of 09 I had back surgery, as you well know. Big Dog has some good things too in his notes.