Garmin eTrex Handheld GPS

I trek a lot in Nepal and it is very nice to have a record of the latitude, logitude, and altitude of places I have been.

When I separately bought my connection cable for transferring eTrek data to my computer, it did not come with the necessary software, but eTrek sent it to me without charge later (I thiink the normal price is about $25 and I do not know why that was not included with the cable).

I bought this gps to use for geo-caching. I have been out numerous times and have not been disappointed with the performance of the etrex. It is easy to use and very accurate for finding caches. I recommend this unit for any beginning geo-cachers. You will not be let down!!

For a simple GPS Receiver, this little thing is a powerhouse. I use it for geocaching, and it's never failed me. Granted, under a thick canopy of leaves it's a little iffy, but from what I understand, every GPSr is. I really like the fact that it didn't cost me a bundle to get into the game. It also leaves me room to have to use my own senses and sensibilities.

This is a great basic GPS but it is not color as indicated in the Product Description. The one pictured is eTrex Venture CX.

I really have no major complaints about my Garmin eTrex (lovingly called "the yellow eTrex"). The interface is simple, and the unit is small and light.

Some may wish they had gone a step up to a model with the thumb-stick for easier interface navigation. I was one such person, and I have to admit that the thumb stick is much easier to use than the up/down buttons that you're limited to with the yellow eTrex.

Buyer beware when it comes to USED yellow eTrex models. Many versions of it were sold that were not WAAS enabled. You can ask a seller if the system menu has an option to disable/enable WAAS. If not, you're looking at a slightly less accurate model (but if the price is right for you, it shouldn't matter too much).

There's nothing really wrong with this product. It is mostly what I expected when I ordered it. But as someone else pointed out, Amazon is advertising the wrong device! The eTrex personal navigator is NOT color, does NOT have maps, and does NOT have a USB connection for your computer. To interface with your computer, you need to order a strange sideways looking cable that connects to a serial port. They have adapters from serial to USB, but the port on the device is not typical. I would suggest buying the device first and then ordering a cable.

This is fine for a startup GPS device, specifically for geocaching. It's very simple. All it does is point you to your waypoint, which is great when Google Earth can't get you close enough. However, if you are expecting any mapping at all, you're looking at the wrong eTrex.



I received mine yesterday. It works fine. For some reason it took serveral minutes to get a signal the first time though.

**Just a warning if you are an impulse buyer like me.**

The Amazon add has details on the product and it shows a color display. That is the eTrex Venture Cx model. The one here is the basic. I was expecting color. My bad for buying so quickly without reading. duh.

Also I expected a data cable. Any other product on the planet comes with one if needed. I just bought the cable today. With shipping it was $45. I didn't expect this either. Again. My bad.

I'm sure I'll have fun with it.



Excellent device for the person who doesn't want a myriad of seldom-used bells and whistles.

I have used this device extensively since I purchased it, and I am quite pleased with the results.. As one who is new to geocaching, I have found the eTrex very easy to use, reliable, and it offers many functions. If you are new to geocaching, this is a perfect product for you.


I am also very new to geocaching, and I wasn't even sure that I was going to like it, so I couldn't bring myself to spend a bucket full of money on a handheld system. After talking to a few people at the local electronics store, this system was reccommended to me. What I discovered was a lightweight, yet rugged, EXTREMELY user-friendly device. Even my kids (9 and 6) can use it - that's a big plus for me!! We found our first cache in about 15 minutes.

The only feature that I wish it had is the ability to track my coordinates as I move, rather than having to store them as a waypoint.

Overall, I love the unit, and I can't wait to geocache with it again.

It's a simple device that does what it promises. You have to push the buttons hard to get the pages to change, and it takes some getting used to on how to do the different items, I wouldn't call the interface intuitive.

Factory re-conditioned with a new product guarante. Great bargin, Great service, and a great deal and believe me I have had several of these things quit in the past although Garmin has always replaced them without my asking. They stand behind what they sell.


KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE ISN'T IMPORTANT!
Knowing where you're going is.

One hand operation.

One button for enter.
Two buttons for scroll.
One button for power/lite.
One button for page-back.

Uses 2 AA batteries.
Has battery-saver mode.

I wish I had this in the Boy Scouts.
I wish I had this in the war.
I wish I had this in the Disneyworld parking lot to find my car.

Can be hung around the neck when used with the 13" sold-seperate companion:
Garmin 013-00052-00 Lanyard, Etrex

Sold-seperate back-up companion:
Digital Compass, Titanium Finish

Sold-seperate back-up companion:
Lensatic Military Marching Compass

There's a reason that Garmin is still selling (a lot of) the eTrex after all these years, despite the fact that there are many other, full functioned, well-priced GPS units on the market. It's because for a great price you get a reliable, hardy, well-built piece of equipment. It is easy to use and perfect for the first time GPS user who maybe doesn't want to spend $200-300+ on something they may never end up using. It offers a great introduction to using a GPS and does pretty much what it says - tells you where you've been, where you're at, and where you're going. I owned one for about 5 years before upgrading to the GPSMAP60 CSX, and it served me well through many camping, biking and hiking trips. If you want a basic GPS that will take whatever you can throw at it and don't want to break the bank, I don't think you can go wrong with this product. Have fun!

The GPS receiver came quickly and well-packaged. I have used in numerous times now and really like the compact size. I am getting used to the control button locations and uses and the unit seems pretty well organized for use. The buttons are somewhat harder to operate (require more finger pressure) than my older Garmin GPS 12, but it is a minor issue when combined with the lower cost and smaller size of the E-trex. It also means you probably won't activate a control button inadvertantly. I like the fact that it uses only 2 AA batteries (means I carry only two spares for emergencies). My older & larger GPS 12 uses 4 AA's meaning I carried 4 more batteries with me (2 more in the unit and 2 more as spares). I bought the e-trex for its compactness and lighter weight. Thus far the e-trex unit seems quick to lock on, accurate and fits just about anywhere (pocket, daypack, etc). It provides all the basic information needed to navigate in and out of the woods and to save your favorite landmarks to return to. I would recommend it as a great starter unit and a good general use unit for someone wanting basic GPS performance in a compact size at a very reasonable price.

This GPS offers MANY great features, including ability to interface with APRS Ham Radio position broadcasting. ( reason for purchase )

If you are just getting in to GPS', I would highly recommend this unit. I have tried 5-6 different GPS models over the years, and the Garmin Etrex series is the most impressive. They are simple, rugged, and deadly accurate.

The only reason that it did not get five stars from me, is that it does not come with a PC interface cable (although compatible), which takes it to the next level.

I am not a novice by any means, but this GPS is in my pack, car, or hunting bag every single time that I go out. If it is not my backup, it is my primary unit because of its reliability and simple use.

I purchased this unit after reading several reviews. Much like the difference in opinion people have when rating hotel rooms (on expedia ect) I went with the overall average opinion. I'm a middle of the road kinda person. Not expecting something I don't deserve, but not willing to settle with junk.

This unit met all of my expectations: It's very light. The manual is easy to understand. I felt comfortable with all the features in a couple of days. It gets you from point A to B and back again.

While it is not pinpoint accurate like some have complained, it is very dependable at 5'-30'. If you have trouble landmarking at that distance, you may want to reconsider heading into nomans land with only a GPS.

I will be using the unit for BWCAW camping trips and mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest. I plan on having a compass and topo map with at all times, but am looking forward to using many of the great features on the eTrex.

Good value. Easy to use.



Hands off from this piece of junk! I had it less than a day when it, accidentally, fell from the kitchen countertop to the floor. Even though there was no visible damage body, the device went completely dead. It is unacceptable that a device for handheld field operation is that sensitive to handling, especially when it is made to look robust.


We are new to geocaching, and the etrex was recommended to us. We have never owned a GPS before, so this was all new to us. The unit is easy to use, the screens are easy to see, and the light makes things easy at night. The accuracy is usually within 12 feet. The higher priced models, we are told, have a smaller accuracy, but for the price and fun, this etrex is well within our needs. Awsome.

The Garmin e-Trex was easy to use and did all that was expected of it for my local hunting adventures. Great value for the money.

I enjoy this product very much. I wish the shipping of this product was a little quicker. thank you

Great little gps, if you don't want mapping or other bells and whistles!

This is a great tracker. It's great with local and it can convert to universal time. I love that it's waterproof. The compass is not my favorite. I am glad I bought it and it is popular with fellow science teachers and hikers.

I bought this unit for my ATV Quad Honda Rancher and this thing is the best. Fits right on to the quad with a mounting unit I picked up at Amazon. It is not like a TOM TOM or a Magellen GPS but it will leave you a trail back to where you started from very easy to operate and you can save your spots so you can go back again. Also tells you the best hunting and fishing times from where you are and tells you when the sun will go down and rise so you know when to turn back before night falls. I bought it so I would not get lost and it has worked out perfect for me. Also tells you alt. speed you are going at and much more. When you turn it on for the first time it takes a little bit to get the sattelights, but after that it turns on fast. Takes batteries so if you go out take a extra set just in case it dies. It remembers where you are. Over all this unit is cost effective and if you get lost you will be happy to have this great unit to get you back. You do not want to land up somewhere for days with no food and cold temps. I am not a survival kind of guy so this is a must to have for me. I hope this reveiw was helpful.

I have found this Garmin eTrex GPS to be extremely accurate and reliable.
It fits well into the palm of your hand, and rarely loses its signal.

Been using it for 6 months already, and everything worked perfectly, just like it had to work, but suddendly the screen started to get transparent... Don't know why, since it didn't felt-down, though it got a little bit wet with the rain when I was hunting (it says it has a Waterproof exterior), but no big deal. I'm still able to use it, but I have to make an effort with my eyes... so, planning to get a newer one.

Got the gps to measure my walk of 6 miles (5 days / week). I've used it 6 times and have gotten no 2 distances the same. These are as much as half a mile off. I can count steps or watch the time and get more acurate distances. The moving average is not right, nor is the max speed.

I have not used a GPS unit before, but purchaed this based on reviews. With nothing to compare it to, I can report the following: Although the instructions are straight forward, I found that the buttons are not so easy to navigate. I make many mistakes in programing and have to start over. I also found the this is not very accurate. At 500 feet, the GPS unit will show any direction. I have to get to within 250 feet of a way point to start getting any type of accuracy. If I did not know the direction of the way point at 400-500 feet I literally have to walk in circles and watch the unit point me false directions. Again at 250 feet it is accurate.

I have used this in the UP of Michigan and it takes about 5 minutes to get the satellites up and running. Also, if you want to save the information on your computer you will need to buy the cords, about $20.00, once I purchased these I then found I would have to purchase the software, it was not free at Garmin, so that would be another $20.00. I returned the cords and did not get the software. So if you want to save your information plan on spending another $40.00.

For my first GPS I think it is okay. I think if you are hiking, you would need to do a lot more research and probably spend more money to get something with greater accuracy.

takes a little time to start operating, very good for the price a little trouble using it inside car

I am a new geocacher and this device is perfect. Even children can easily understand and operate this device. It is accurate to 10-15 feet of the cache in the city. It is dead on when there is little or no interference (West Virginia). I've even dropped it a couple of times and it still works like a charm. It is highly recommended in the forums of geocaching sites as well! A great device for the price.

I just got mine and I'm extremely impressed with it. It's very easy to use (hint - download the instructions from Garmin's website and read them while you're waiting for delivery - this one is newer and does more than those instructions say, but it works the same way and you will know how to use it before it gets there). It's accuracy is more than what I expected. I can mark a waypoint and it will guide me to within 10 feet of it, sometimes within 3 feet. This is far more than what I need but nice to have that level of accuracy (in WAAS mode). It doesn't have the features of more expensive units but it has everything I need, and everything you would need to get you unlost in the woods. It doesn't do maps but I didn't want that anyway. You can't beat this unit for the price.

I bought the Garmin ETREX gps (yellow)and am very happy with it. In fact I went back to Amazon and bought two more, one for the wife and one for our son. It does everything it says it will do and more. Also very pleased with Amazon and the ordering,and handling. I have started to buy all my products through Amazon whan available.

I bought the eTrex to begin geocaching. With WAAS turned on, it's plenty accurate for my needs. It has long battery life. It's easy to use with one hand.

It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of some GPS units, but for those of us who don't want to spend hundreds of dollars, the eTrex is perfect.

I had an etrex for a year. It was durable, got it at a great price, and was generally happy with it. The only real problems were that the battery case screw jammed sometimes and the coordinate numbers were too small to read easily. It would have been easy for the designers to make them bigger - this is just a flaw. Otherwise it was fine and well in line with other sub $100 units

This simple device is reliable for fixing positions. And If you know about coordinates, you can set it in, and bingo. You can compensate what it lacks of by using coordinates from a map while you paid unexpensive.

Compact, light, waterproof and carrying the GARMIN name of excellence, it's unbeatable in the catagory. I use it to drive a maping program on my notebook and then for hiking at my destination. Satalite aquisition is really fast even after driving hundreds of miles with the GPS off. Iv'e seen other
brands that seem to take for ever to find themselves under
this condition. I rated it 4 only because battery consumption
is higher than ideal.

I certainly won't say I don't know how I lived without this unit, and I can see how this little basic GPS has limitations depending on your lifestyle and expectations. But is EXACTLY what I needed. There is no way I use it up to its full potential, but knew that would be the case. Just wanted something to help me with knowing how many miles I"m covering on my daily hikes, changes in altitude (difficulty of hikes), keeping track of my route and time, etc. Every once in awhile my dog and I bushwack, and with this I can always find my way out of a tangle of underbrush, or back towards home should we lose sight of our obvious landmarks. Where we live is an area where people do geo-cache and I've thought about doing some of that while I'm out there, but haven't gotten beyond the thought yet. One day we'll venture beyond our immediate home area where the landmark's are strange and unknown and then this unit will really prove itself. Oh, and as to the matter of batteries - I use this unit about 90 minutes every other day and the first set of regular alkaline batteries lasted about 6 weeks. The unit kept saying the batteries were okay, but when it took a noticeably longer time to boot up and easily lost signal when under only slight cover, I knew it was time to replace them. So just keep aware about battery strength so you don't find yourself in strange territory without power.

This is my second gps, and is a very portable one. The batteries dure the double and are the half. Nevertheless, is not as accurate as the previous (a garmin xl12) for instances, in a point where the xl12 has an accuracy of 13 feets, the etrrx is about 20 feets.even so, for sailing is an excellent partner-

I love this product and would highly recommend it. The eTrex is the most affordable Garmin GPS, but still provides everything I need (it just doens't have the maps that the more expensive ones have - but usually there are no maps when you are hiking anyhow).

I have used the eTrex in Scotland when hill walking. It has picked up satellites 95+% of the time and has been an invaluable tool for helping me find my way back when I get off track. I would highly recommend. Besides being useful as a bread crumb trail and for marking waypoints, it is also fun to see the summary statistics for each walk -- total miles, avg. speed, elevation, etc. etc.

I also used the eTrex in Southern, Illinois, where there is thick tree cover. I picked up satellites about 75% of the time. This was still good enough to get my group back to our car when we got off the beaten path.

Ed

For my first GPS I selected the Garmin eTrex. Easy to use to mark waypoints and find them later. Have not had to use it in the dark yet. Setting up routes is nice just to know the distance between two points. I recommend this to anyone who needs something lightweight and simple.

I got this GPS for my [...] birthday 2 weeks ago. It was awesome for about a day then the words became really light and you could hardly read them. We returned it to target and got another etrex. The words were darker so I was exited but then after an hour of use became light again, I tried new batteries but, that didn't help. Has anybody else had the same problem? Any adivce?

This is my first GPS unit, purchased soley to enter the sport of Geocaching--see geocaching dot com--and recommended at that website as the cheapest GPS unit that would allow you to participate in this new sport of finding items placed by others by longitude and latitude.


Well, the unit certainly works for that, although you have to either manually set a waypoint location, then modifying its latitude and longitude by manual entry, and I can only apparently find a SERIAL cable to connect it to a PC, and Mac's don't have serial ports.

But it's been a blast and money well spent, with some unintended uses I've discovered, such as:

! Easter egg hunts for geeks. This year I placed Easter egg caches around town and my 12 year old went on an Easter Egg hunt by finding them based upon waypoints.

2. You need a first class pedometer? I like walking, and you can set a waypoint as soon as you get out of the car, and leaving the unit own it'll tell you your average speed, total distance walked and time, all at once. You can use it to measure walking trails, the trail around the lake you walk three times a week, etc. I mean why pay $25 for a pedometer that you have to set your stride into the machine when you can get THIS for under a $100?

3. Lots of useful information, such as it's exactly 30 miles as the crow flies from home to office, but 48 by road.

WARNING: Do NOT let your teenagers have this in the backseat of the car, unless you want to hear, "Dad, you know you're going 82 miles an hour", only to look down and find that you are. This unit is EXTREMELY accurate measuring your speed on the highway.

So, I'm just BEGINNING to find out uses. Sure, this unit doesn't have street maps, and it's not color, and it's got a lousy computer connection with optional serial cable. But for under a $100 it get's you into the world of GPS and I'm constantly finding ways to use this little sucker.

So get it!



as many people here, I decided to became a geocacher and got this device for start - it absolutely satisfy me needs and includes so many language versions that everyone can pick up his native. I do recommend to buy this GPS.

I bought this item for my 13 yr old son and he has been using it for geo-caching. It is a great unit for the price and a great way to enter the sport of geo-caching. He actually decided to do this instead of saving his money for an X-Box 360...it's nice to see him outside instead of in front of the TV.

I purchased this unit to try "Geocaching." It was recommended on the geocaching.com website as an inexpensive, entry-level unit. It has fulfilled and exceeded my expectations. It has a very short "learning curve." It took me less than 30 min. to initialize the unit, learn how to input a waypoint, and start a "GOTO." ( This is the method used to find a location according to GPS coordinates.) Within an hour of opening the package, I found my first Geocache!! I highly recommend this unit to anyone who wants basic GPS capability without all the frills.

My husband already had one of these, but says this one is much better and actually does alot more than his older one...FIVE stars in his book!

Before you lose the patience to read through the rest of the stuff, I would strongly suggest that you get yourself a PC interface cable and download free GPS software from www.easygps.com or pay for one at www.expertgps.com (with additional features)

With so many GPS in the market, it is confusing which one to buy, unless you are clear about what your needs are.

I jotted down a few points as to why would I really need a GPS:
(1) Never to lose my bearings on hikes
(2) Keep track of where I went and share this data to others
(3) Keep track of altitude
(4) Get to know of sunset and sunrise times so that I known when to get back to Camp and when to start the next day
(5) Speed at which I walk and estimate the amount of time I would take to reach my destination

etrex satisfies all of this.

What is that I do not like about the etrex
(1) Altimeters are not accurate (in any GPS), so get a barometric altimeter in addition to a GPS
(2) Something miserably wrong with Sunset and sunrise timings. My GPS shows sunrise time as 18:51 and Sunset ast 06:30 (???) and it is inaccurate even if you transpost it. Etrex loses a * for this
(3) Useless in heavy tree cover (in any GPS)
(4) Battery life could have been better

Despite all that, I am very happy with my etrex, it cost me exactly $100, meets almost all the features that I am looking for.

Many of my friends ask me this question - Are you sure that this GPS works in India ?

Ofcourse, it does, it is a GLOBAL positioning system ! I have used it in US, Canada, Singapore and Korea and works everywhere, even in the forests in western ghats in India.




I really like them, and this model is slightly improved over previous ones. It has an additional screen that conveniently displays additional information. It is easy to use and accurate. The first one I owned failed due to a software glitch, but Garmin provided me with a patch. I especially like the ability to download waypoints from my topographical program.

Get the carry case so the screen does not get scratched up.

I found the eTrex very easy to use - no manual necessary, despite the fact that it's my first GPS. It's also small, lightweight, and easy to handle. I bought it for openwater kayaking, and I like how little space it requires in my vest pocket. It it NOT completely waterproof, as the Garmin site claims, however. The battery compartment does not seal tightly, so it cannot be submerged even for a few seconds without the risk of getting the batteries wet.

I have had this model for several years and am now considering upgrading. It does a great job of pointing me in the right direction when I'm headed somewhere new. Good for geocaching, although under heavy tree cover it can be far off the mark. To get the most out of it, you really need to hook it up to a computer so you can download/upload data. For the PC, I recommend ExpertGPS.

Great GPS for the price. Went mountain biking and hiking and it worked great!! The manual was rather complicated, and don't buy the instructional video, it's worthless.

So you just heard about this sport called "geocaching," and you think it would be fun to try it if only the recommended GPS gizmos were not so expensive? Ignore the recommendations and grab an eTrex.

This unit will not find angels on the head of a pin, and it is not the perfect, ideal unit for geocaching. If you are already a GPS/geocaching fan, spring the big bucks for something with more oomph. But if you're a beginner, the eTrex a relatively small investment in a new sport that you may not even enjoy, and it will get your started. Then, when you are ready to upgrade (or quit geocaching), eBay (or the friends you have lured into the sport!) are ready to take it off your hands.

I've used mine for 16 finds and 1 hide so far, all 'beginner' caches of 1-2 stars of difficulty. Many have been in GPS-unfriendly areas such as wooded areas and near power lines. The eTrex has performed as expected on each of those caches: getting me within the noted range of error (usually 10-30 ft) so my dog's nose and my eyeballs can do the hard work. In a few cases where I thought the eTrex must be 'off,' I later went back and found out I was standing on or next to the well-hidden cache & didn't even notice it!

Battery life seems to be fine; I'm still on my first set of batteries, a month after purchase. I am also a fair-weather geocacher, so mine has not had a chance to prove or disprove its water resistance.

The unit will hold 500 'waypoints,' which is more than enough for a beginning geocacher. Unless you buy the cable to connect it to your computer, you will probably never enter that many waypoints before you are ready to upgrade your equipment, anyway. I have the cable, and I still only have 250 nearby caches marked in my eTrex so far.

A large disadvantage of the eTrex compared to some of the more expensive models is that you can't show streets, etc., on a map screen. You can, however, import waypoints from your GPS (or right from geocaching.com!) into Google Earth and then print out satellite pictures that are better than those expensive GPS units will provide anyway.

The eTrex is a good GPS device for the beginner user. I have recently got one and found it very easy to learn how to use it. It does everything you would expect a GPS to do, which is basically marking points and getting directions and distances.

After a few months of usage, however, you realize a couple of drawbacks, which are basically:

1. Small memory - after a few hours of usage, especially if you are moving fast, the memory on it will get used up completely. It will not trace a trip if it is more than one day long.

2. Short battery life - it is amazing how much battery the eTrex eats up. If you are just leaving it on, it may last more than a day, but if you are constantly using it, you will need spares.

3. Bad reception - I don't know if other GPSs are better, but if you put this one in your pocket, forget about reception.

As a cheap locating device, this is good. But if you need something for serious usage, I think there must be better devices. Then again, this is the starter model, so I think it achieves what it proposes itself to do.

It's a great unit for someone who would like play around with GPS. More advanced users will be dissapointed with it's lack of features.

The eTrex has the ability to make your own maps right on the screen and that's about all it's good for. Each landmark you place on the map can only have 6 characters and must be unique. If you were to purchase the optional data cable you could make these landmarks on the pc and transfer them over. This makes things easier because you don't have to actually travel to each landmark to create it on your map.
It has a tracback feature (so you can retrace your steps) but if you were to go on a trip for more then a few hours the memory quickly becomes full.

If you want a gps to play with for the weekend, this unit might interest you. If you were to use it any longer, you quickly realise how limited it is.

Do yourself a favor and get the model or two up with downloadable maps and more memory.

I wanted something small and easy to use. Basically just keep track of my route while hiking in the woods so I could find my way back to the truck.
This unit is slow, unreliable and has poor battery life.
It's a neat toy if you are walking around in your yard.
Save your money and buy a better model if you are really going to have to rely on it to find your way out of the woods.
Oh, BTW, even the slightest canopy or cloud cover and you'll lose your signal.

I own 3 GPS receivers and I will say Garmin did an excellent job. The receiver is much more sensitive to satellite signals than my other GPSs. Just don't expect too much from this small unit with tiny screen and very slow CPU for screen refresh. It will drive you nuts to use it for street navigation. It is suitable for back trailing in the mountains. For street navigate, I strongly suggest that you hook this unit up with a laptop but make sure that GPS is set to NMEA and the software GPS setting is also correct. Conclusion, don't street navigate with this unit alone and don't buy a no brand GPS under $90 because you will not be happy with the reception.

Eddy

This is a wonderful little unit, compact, light and very easy to use. I have worked with some other GPS units and this one is so simple for the minor simple functions! The unit has the ability to give you time for the time zone you are in, sunrise, sunset and many other functions. I have found this unit to work mainly outside, inside it seems to have troubles picking up the satellites, however if you are using this it is logical to be outdoors. I look forward to getting out on the trails now both hiking and biking, as I can map the trail I take. For someone that wants a simple unit, this is the way to go, as you cant beat the cost. For those that want all the big bells and whistles, keep looking. This unit gives a map of the trail but it is not going to give you every detail of area around you like some of the higher costing units.

I am VERY pleased with this little unit! As I have stated, it gives you lots of bang for the buck. I'm just a casual walker, and the WAAS-less navigation is plenty accurate for me. In fact, the accuracy is frequently within 20-25 feet of a waypoint even without WAAS. Heck, if I'm within 25 feet of something and can't see it, I deserve to be lost! I use it to record the distance I have walked as well as the track, which is all I really need. It's nice to have the Lat and Long, also, just for that "Star Trek" flavor!

The unit is great for driving as long as I keep the unit laying at the front of the dash where it can maintain a lock on satellites. I don't actually navigate by it, I just use it to have a bearing on where I'm going and record trip mileage. No, I don't play with it while I'm driving!!

An external antenna jack might be nice, but I wouldn't see the lack of one as an adverse characteristic. Since the unit is designed and marketed as a low-cost, basic, introductory unit, one wouldn't expect to need an external antenna hookup.

I would like to see capability for on-board charging of rechargeable batteries, since you get maybe one full dawn to dusk day of use before the batteries start getting low.

The only problem I have noticed, and this seems to be common to most all GPS units, is difficulty maintaining a lock under heavy tree cover. Again, however, this is not entirely unexpected and I don't consider it a detriment (at least for my applications). Signal strength from the satellites doesn't exceed "X" watts and GPS antenna sensitivity has to be limited at some point. Under the right circumstances, ANY unit will lose a signal.

I definitely give this unit two thumbs up! If a person expects more out of it than it can deliver, they may actually need one of the more sophisticated units. But for the casual walker and gadget geek (I am both) this is the deal of the century!

I was looking at the pedometers. I found this, and am extremely happy with it. Pedometers are limited in accuracy and function. This little guy is amazing. It has an odometer function, the accuracy of which is based on the signal strength the unit receives. I can usually get wonderful strength, and the unit is accurate to within 20 ft. Not only does it measure horizontal distance, it tells me the elevation of the hills I am climbing. I've since found out that in my 2 mile hike, I'm climbing and over 70 ft! It has a trip timer, so I know how long I've been traveling. I continue to find uses for it. No buyer remorse here!!

I've used a few GPS units over the years and have had my little yellow ETrex for a couple years now. It's been a great companion.

You don't get many of the features of the higher priced units - no map overlays - compass only works while you are moving - accuracy +- 15 feet or so - unable to pan.

What you do get though is impressive. Battery life is awesome, I go on weekend camping trips and usually run Saturday and Sunday without changing batteries (NI-MH rechargeables). I'm hooked on geocaching and preloading in geocaching waypoints means you are always a couple miles away from an interesting spot you never knew was there. Use it when visiting new places and always know how to backtrack the way you came. Play with the trip odometer, estimated arrival times, and my favorite; meet up with your camping buddies giving them nothing but Lat/Long coords and no directions.

I've read a few complaints about getting a signal and I don't get it. Mine gets a lock within a minute or so and only loses it if I'm in REAL tight canyons or dense forest, but quickly reacquires with the next patch of open space.

Anyway, if you want to get a quality starter GPS unit without blowing the budget, especially if you have kids, try geocaching (search the web) and get one of these. One thing, get yourself some rechargeable batteries, once hooked you won't want to turn it off.

I just wanted to share while I came back to Amazon to upgrade to a ETrex legend (I'm hooked and want a map and panning) and thought I'd add my 2c in to someone getting their feet wet.

I originally purchased the Geko unit from the local Shack. This was my first experience with GPS and I was pretty well hooked. I was out of town at Best Buy a few weeks later and picked up the yellow Etrex for the same price. They talked me into the warranty for the extra 10 bucks. I bought it for search and rescue training, and for an upcoming trip to Central America where we will likely find ourselves hiking thru mountainous terrain. I have been testing the unit for about 3 mos now. Great unit. Get one, and get yourself some good rechargeables and you are in like Flynn. Spot on accurate, and the ability to know where you are, anywhere on the planet, at any time, and in any weather for a fixed investment of $100.00 -- Impossible to go wrong here.

I tried to get this to work, but from day one it could never get a consistent satellite reading even in completely open space. I sent it back and tried it agian, still doesn't work.
I was told if you have it in your pocket it won't work. I tried just holding it in my hand, still doesnt work. The technology is not there, I can't think of why anyone would want this if the material in a pocket stops a signal?

I've had this gps for over a year now, use it for biking trips. Keeps track of speed, distance, and saves on the unit all tracks. I've also am using now for 4x4 driving. I recently went with my daughter to her campsite & mark it on the gps. Later I went to see her and only had her camp mark as a waypoint. The gps lead me right to her campsite with no problem. I am an experience user of gps-ing, use it on boating & hunting locations. But I especially like that it has a longer battery life compared to others. With good alkaline batteries it almost last all day.

So my buddies hooked me on geocaching...but I don't really have any other use for a GPS than this wonderful pasttime, so I couldn't see spending $200-$400 for the same types of units. This was the cheapest one I could find so I bought it. I have never been happier with a "tech" purchase. Not only is it perfect for geocaching, but the thing is incredibly durable & reliable.

In my haste to get to a newly posted nearby cache, I left my relatively new eTrex on the hood of my truck. Two minutes later, to my horror, I saw it bouncing off the asphalt at 35mph in my rearview mirror. It suffered nothing but a few dings on the yellow casing. My reverence for Garmin was born, seeing as my wife would never have allowed me to buy another GPS after that bonehead move.

As for performance, if you don't need a road map overlay, there's no reason you shouldn't get this unit. It's accurate, and easy to use, even with one hand. Thanks to Garmin for this wonderful, DURABLE product. It's even waterproof, though I haven't accidentally dropped it in a lake yet.

I found this GPS an easy to use product and generally quite happy with it. One thing i would like to comment on tho is the fact if you save a track to the memory then recall it then copy it to a pc software you will find the track differs at times to the actual course..THis maybe caused by the Track function trying to save space.

I am a heart patient, and I need to keep track of my walking excercise program. I bought this eTrex about 5 months ago because it has a trip odometer, time elapsed, and average speed functions which give me all of the information I need. It will lock onto a signal inside my RV, albeit with diminished accuracy. When you go out for the walk, though, it tracks with an accuracy of about 15 to 20 feet. Battery life has been good. It is very easy to use, and it is perfect for my needs. I would highly recommend it for anyone who needs to monitor their walking (or perhaps bicycling) program. Your doctor will be impressed with the records you can give him/her.

Got this GPS in 2000 as a fancy toy. Reception can be irritating, but it seems to do better than most -- it's locked on 5 birds / 20 feet in my living room. Battery life is great (I used NiMH rechargables), the screen is great, interface is intuitive, etc.

I've decided to give one to my dad for his birthday.

I definitely recommend the PC cable w/ 12V adapter (part #010-10268-00; double-check Amazon's recommendation), as there is a lot of free and not-so-free mapping and waypoint management software (TopoGrafix, for starters).

It holds 500 waypoints and ~ 1500 trackpoints (10 tracks). In 3 years of long (~ 60 mi) rides, long car trips, etc I've not had a problem with the memory limits.

The price is right, the unit works great, and it's plenty of GPS for my knocking around. And, for the record, I can get readings in commercial aircraft -- just hold it up to the window and give it time to acquire.

Our ETREX has been great, we walk all over Scotland, however we encounter a problem when we enter any wooded area, the ETREX cuts out, until we find an open space. Otherwise this piece of technology, has saved us many times, as we have a tendency to go off the beaten tracks, and since we walk mainly in the winter it is important that we are able to find our way back. Garmin this was one good xmas present that was bought, but please try and find a way for connecting with the satellites in the woods.

We bought this for geocaching, looking for something inexpensive and reliable. So far we've been thrilled. Inputting information is rather like using a cell phone, which is not a problem for our use. The unit itself is lightweight and comes with a long strap, which you can hang around your neck as you push foliage out of the way. We have found accuracy to be extremely high, and it has always gotten us within ten feet of the cache. Battery life has been excellent. I am sure that for more complicated or remote adventures there are better units, but for our simple needs, this has been perfect.

This is a good basic unit. It gives you a wealth of data, in fact more data than I could ever use like time of sunrise and sunset.

My one criticism is that I have to take about an hour to retrain myself on how to use it between trips. There is nothing intuitive about it.

Another thing I noticed about it is that if you are taking a curvey path to your destination and say your destination is 3.5 miles up the path, this will not provide you with the correct distance. I think it must measure more or less as the crow flies.

I run a lodge in northern ontario,and to get to work i travel by boat.Each day we travel 10 miles in and 10 miles back.Often this trip is made at 2 or 3 in the morning.Fog,rain,or snow the e trex always gets us home.On the lake we travel there are many bays and islands,and in the worst conditions,when you can not even see through the windshield we depend on the e trex to guide us back to safety.The backlight is great in the dark.The track back feature is by far the easiest to use.

I bought this as a "starter" based upon some reviews I had read. It is accurate to 12-15 feet and is a great little device for geocaching (the main purpose I bought it). However, for the price you get the Chevrolet. If you want to have maps at your fingertips with the unit you must buy a bigger more powerful device (meaning more memory to load software/maps into). I found myself investing another $200 in "stuff" (case, cables, and Garmin's Mapsource Topomaps). Once loaded onto my laptop, powered up by a new "inverter" (an additional $50)in the car, and hooked up to the laptop (the Garmin) I was "loaded for bear". I knew exactly where I was, could navigate cross-country, could chart waypoints, plot routes, and establish plans to find the first caches. Quirky software made uploads and downloads (to and from the device)a bit problematic but I'm not sure it's the device or the Mapquest software. It will run out of storage space for logging routes if you leave it on for over about four hours. Batteries are a challenge but I used the cable that has the cigarette lighter adapter along with the serial port hook up for the laptop - thus it didn't eat batteries quite as much. Over a four-day excursion to Big Bend I changed batteries once as a result. Like I said, it's a Chevrolet and Cadillacs are better - and more expensive. As with any other device - it works with Garmin software best - so decide and explore software compatibility if you're planning on buying Streetfinder maps as well as Topo maps. All in all, I got a great prize (thank you Amazon.com!), a solid piece of hardware, and had one hell of a great time geocaching. If you don't know what that is, go to "geocaching.com" and learn! You'll get hooked.

I bought one of these instruments in 2001. Used it twice when I was in Lithuania, and once when I was in the Andes in South America. It quit working. I returned it to the company, and they made good on it, although it was beyoud the warrenty period. Good customer service

This unit is a great example of being penny wise and pound foolish. Sorry I spent the [money]. It takes forever for it to acquire satellite signals, and then when it does, it loses the signal if you don't hold it horizontally; drop it around your neck and it loses the signal. Basically, a waste of money.

I work as a structural geologist, a job that requires spending long periods of time hiking around the deserts of Nevada. For obvious reasons I was keen to get a GPS reciever that was small, reliable, and not too expensive (one never knows when one might accidently set it down and walk off - "GPS find thyself!"). The Garmin eTrex proved ideally suited to my specifications and proved to be perfectly equipped for my purposes. I ordered it from Amazon and set off for Nevada a day later.
Well, believe me the Garmin eTrex got an exceedingly intense work out over the next two months, and it fulfilled its duties magnificently. First of all, and most importantly, it is as accurate as it claims. Most of the time it was able to give me 12m accuracy, even in valleys and on hillsides with a restricted view of the sky. It finds the satellites quickly and updates its position regularly. Storing a location is also very simple.
The eTrex also has one of the longest battery lives on the market, another major reason in my decision to purchase, and because it is only powered by two AA batteries, the maintenance costs are minimal.
Thirdly, all the settings are user determined, allowing you to work to various bases and differing units to your heart's content.
Lastly, the fact that it is inexpensive means that psychologically one can take more risks with it. Drop it, bang it around - the eTrex is robust enough to withstand a good deal of abuse, and it held up well under the searing Nevada heat. In the end I only managed to lose it twice, thanks to the handy little wrist strap it comes with, which I was able to tie onto my belt. Each time I was able to retrack my steps (using my notebook for guidance) and find the reciever again. Therein lies the problem with GPS machines in general - it's great when you have it, but you must still learn the basic skills in case you lose it, the battery runs out or you end up in a steep valley with no signal.
To conclude I highly recommend the Garmin eTrex to users of all abilities looking for a quick cheap and reliable GPS fix.

After several years' use of the eTrex, I upgraded to a more richly-featured unit by another manufacturer (probably because it was available as a Gold Box offer). But I haven't been able to stop using the good old eTrex! The people who designed it really had their eyes on the ball. To contrast it with the other unit, it can be operated entirely with one hand - a major advantage in practical use; smaller package; it sits flat on any level surface and won't slip if that surface becomes slightly inclined; and it has a sparse visual display - no maps, just waypoints that the user has entered. Now this last element is not desirable in an auto navigation system, but for the display size offered in a hand-held unit it is just what I want - no clutter. The uses of a small-package GPS system expand with experience. Yesterday I decided to row a boat between points in Puget Sound separated by two miles of open water. My destination was always at my back, and the currents were variable in direction and speed (speeds being comparable at times to my rowing speed). Put good old eTrex on the bench in front of me, and I always had an arrow pointing me exactly on course. Went to London once and found the Underground was not operating due to a strike. Thus it was hard even to get a cab. Decided to walk back a mile to hotel after theater one night through streets laid out in God only knows what pattern - with eTrex, no problem. Left car in large parking lot, came back later with no idea where it was - no problem, just backtrack with eTrex. Same story following poorly marked trails in woods - get to destination, a bit tired, head back and find confusing trail branches that were not noticed on way out - eTrex marked path prevents wrong decisions. Keep cab drivers honest in strange cities. My first acquaintance with the GPS as a user was with eTrex, and I keep returning to it. It does not have the sensitivity of more expensive units - it will take longer to lock on position if one has moved hundreds of miles since last use, and sometimes will fail to acquire signal under dense forest canopy or streets surrounded by tall buildings. But in my experience these disadvantages are clearly outweighed by its low cost, compact package, and outstanding design. For the dollar, the most fun, rewarding, and useful gadget I have bought in many years - and I have purchased quite a few.

good unit to go geocashen. works well even in deep wooded areas. easy to input waypoints. Not as fancy as some...GPS units, but still can find anything if you have the coordinates to it.

I bought my Garmin eTrex because I was interested in Geocaching but I didn't have a lot of spare cash to invest in the activity. I was a little concerned about purchasing what is essentially the "bottom of the line" device but once my eTrex arrived and I put it to use I was not disappointed. My family and I go Geocaching almost every weekend now. I have found this device to be extremly easy to use once you get used to it. I's features have been more than enough when it comes to geocaching. I would recommend this device to anyone looking for a GPS device for Geocaching.

For hikers and fishers and hot air baloonists, this little unit may do the job at a reasonable price. For runners who are interested in recording time and distance in unfamiliar territory, this little unit yanks my big unit. It'll give you a running total time and distance and, for those who can't do division, an average speed. It will not save split times at waypoints nor measure the distance between waypoints on a saved "track." (It only measures straight-line distances betweeen waypoints.) I imagine that the Timex Ironman GPS watch system is a much better choice--but I'll never know because my buget's already broken.

Execellent easy to use device with lots of options. Also the unit's graffics are fun and cute. It takes AA batteries so it isn't difficult to power. It also has a car adapter that you can purchase, but I don't recomend using it in a car since it doesn't have map software built in. It seems more for exploring by foot or watercraft.

The product seems well made, and easy to find if you drop it. It also is supposidly waterproof.

The manual is an easy read, and there is a pamphlet that comes with it that allows you to jump right in without knowing too much.

I picked this item up because it was recommened on the gecaching website as being a good value.

I bought this item just to see the buzz about GPS. I also bought an electronic auto compass the same time. By far, this little eTrex proved more accurate and useful. I don't bother to use the auto compass anymore.

Although this is the basic eTrex model, it has many features I'm still learning about even owning it over a year. I use it to mark places and routes of favorite places. I also use it to enter coordinates of new places I'm driving ... the accuracy is amazing and I rarely get lost anymore. It measures speed, distance, time, elevation, sunrise, sunset, and much more. Very simple to use and many possible uses.

I like this so much that I'm upgrading to the eTrex Legend.

My wife gave me an eTrex for my birthday, because we like to hike in the woods. When we're in a clearing, it works well, but when we're under any sort of leaf cover it doesn't acquire satellites very well at all. This also means that your tracks come out mutilated -- there are holes in them wherever the trees are.

This happens while I hold the unit horizontally, vertically, or in any other position. I tried a lot of positions, and it still doesn't see the satellites when it's under a tree.

If you can live with this limitation, the eTrex is fine. Otherwise, I'd recommend going up to a unit with a helical antenna.

The eTrex is AWESOME!!! I just got out of the Army, and have used the eTrex for the last 3 years. I used to condemn GPSs because soldiers werenýt learning necessary map/compass skills, and the Armyýs AN/PSN-11 was so UN-user friendly, it basically takes a doctorate in rocket science to operate effectively! I am an expert navigator with a map & compass and very competent with the AN/PSN-11, but neither is as effective or as easy as the eTrexýmy wife even used my GPS and loved it. I bought it before going to the Mojave desert (NTC) to train. I found it to be 100 times easier to use than the Armyýs bulky GPS and even more accurate! The AN/PSN-11 costs [a lot], is too big for your pocket, difficult to use, and requires a huge battery you canýt buy off the shelfýthe eTrex..., fits in your pocket, a child could operate it, and only takes 2 AA batteries. I have used it to navigate the desert, I have used it to navigate in urban areas, and even used it to set up land navigation courses to train soldiers on both map/compass skills as well as using GPS receivers. I may have gotten out of the Army, but my eTrex is still servingýmy soldiers begged me to let them take it to Iraq. I am now purchasing a Garmin Legend, and when my ýJoesý bring my eTrex back, Iýll have one for each car!!! THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR SOLDIERSýI just wish the Army would draft it and retire the AN/PSN-11!!!!

This was my first GPSr and have owned this unit for more than 1 year. For a beginner or the person that needs a no frills, basic GPSr, this is the WAY TO GO! This unit is GREAT for basic functions such as, getting your coordinates, bearings, hiking, recording favorite spots (hunting/fishing), and the great little past time known as geocaching. If you want maps, you need to look elsewhere (such as Legend or Vista), as this GPSr has none. I have used it to find my way on vacations, but without maps embedded in the unit, it makes it more of an adventure finding the way, so don't put away the paper maps. Like I said, GREAT for basic functions & beginners that don't want to be overwhelmed by other GPSrs, but if you need more, look to a higher end model!

This unit is great for what it is supposed to be. It's not the world's most accurate, down-to-the inch GPS, for that buy a differential unit. On flat terrain, it WILL tell you where you are down to 15 feet. It can be less accurate in the mountains, but that is to be expected by ANY non-differential GPS. A smaller view of the sky means fewer satellites will be in view, which means less accuracy. It still works pretty well, however.

It's also rugged. I've dropped it, smacked it on rocks, and taken it whitewater rafting. No problems.

The only drawback to this unit is that it does not display maps, only your course or tracks. This is the base model, for maps, buy one of the more expensive Garmins.

The computer interface works great, and is very useful.

I've owned an eTrex now for nearly a year, and use it often. I've used it flying, motorcycling, biking and jogging. Even after repetitive use, I'm finding new functions, like the ability to project a waypoint (bearing and distance) from any waypoint in the database.

Garmin got it right with this one. After minimal use, it becomes extremely user friendly to operate. Indoors, you can program new data or review existing data without GPS satellite reception.

The various pages can be edited to display what's important to you by selecting from a list of available data fields.

Simple to operate, inexpensive to own, and packed with useful options (sun and moon data etc.) I highly recommend it and will use mine for years to come.

I bought this GPS unit to avoid getting lost travelling in the mountains in winter. After several hikes and one accident, two things stand out.

First, the accident. When hiking, I kept the GPS in an inside pocket in my outer garment to keep the batteries warm. After one hike, I forgot to remove it from the pocket before putting the garment through the wash. I didn't discover this until after the GPS had spent an hour in the dryer. It didn't seem possible that it could work after going through the wash, yet it did, and there was no sign of moisture in the battery compartment. Machine wash cold, tumble dry low -- that's pretty impressive for an electronic device.

Second, the hikes. Every so often when hiking, I would stop and record my position. The idea was to keep a trail of "bread crumbs" to follow in the event of becoming lost. The GPS reports the current time, which is accurate to the second. This is really nice. Its altitude readings, on the other hand seemed rather inaccurate. This might have been expected because, in the mountains, being off by a few hundred feet horizontally can result in being off by a few hundred feet vertically. The GPS's distance readings didn't seem very important because, in the mountains, you don't generally travel in a straight line. Then I had two experiences that made me question the device's usefulness.

Once, before the GPS was laundered, I hiked a few miles along a path through mountain valleys. After a few hours, I recorded my final position and turned back. At home, I plotted my final position on a Trails Illustrated map and found it to be a quarter of a mile from the path I had followed, halfway up a mountainside that I hadn't attempted to climb.

Then, after the GPS was laundered, I found myself returning to my car which was parked on a road which ran along the bottom of a valley. I was descending into the valley and was almost at the bottom. It seemed the GPS should be able to say whether the car was to the right or to the left. Measuring from the marker that I had recorded when I left the car, the GPS first said that the car was .95 miles away, then slowly drifted down to .69 miles away where it stabilized. Both numbers seemed ridiculously high, so I dismissed these results and headed forward on gut instinct. The car turned out to be just a few hundred feet straight ahead. So the GPS was off by a half mile or so.

My conclusion is that this unit is a wonderfully waterproof, extremely accurate timepiece. As a GPS, its usefulness is questionable.

As soon as you start using this wonderful little gizmo, you are going to want to be able to download Mapsource maps into the system for greater detail than the basemap that comes with it. So just go ahead and spring for the eTrex Legend right off the bat. I have found that when buying things like electronics, binoculars, etc. it's better to spend the maximum first. The reason I say this is that in the end you will spend less money. The Legend has 8MB of memory and it can take quite a lot of extra maps into its memory. So why not do that first?

Otherwise, these little GPS units are the most wonderful things to own. They are incredibly helpful. I took my Legend to Florida with me and it saved me at least half-a-dozen times from making wrong turns that would have put me miles from my goal. When you go to an unfamiliar area, all "sense of direction" generally goes out the window. But if you have one of these...no problem.

The only problem with this GPS is that waypoint names are limited to six characters

a great price it is an ok GPS but i need more Designed specifically for hiking, biking, and camping any way a Gift options is a WoW
i think some time that i m 007 when Garmin eTrex GPS receiver continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites
but now im 004

This is great for those of us who set out on a trail and want to keep track of how far we've gone, how fast, how long, etc. I've also used it to measure out walking and jogging routes in the neighborhood. It is very compact too, so it's easy to take on trips.

My wife bought me the E-Trex specifically for geocaching. So far, it's been the right choice. There have been a few geo-caches that were under trees that gave me some trouble because the unit doesn't work well under tree cover. But finding the cache in that last 10 to 20 feet is part of the joy of geocaching.

It's worked great in the desert, in the mountains, and in the car. Add in the optional PC Cable and you can download software upgrades and new waypoints from your computer. (If you're downloading geo-cache sites from a web page this is a HUGE time saver).

It's a basic no-frills unit that does it's job well. If you don't need built in road maps then this is a great unit.

I own one of these, and I was really looking forward to it as an upgrade of my old GPS38. What a big mistake!

[My background: I'm a mountain climber, experienced land navigator, and use my GPS off-trail all the time. My normal use for the GPS is to confirm my location and figure out the bearings to other mountains so I can be sure which summit is which when viewing them from new locations. But I have actually used the GPS for real navigation when caught out on a glacier in dense fog.]

The problem isn't the unit itself, really. The antenna works fine and easily picks up a solid signal, even from inside my house (top floor, not bottom floor). But the operating system is TERRIBLE.

The GPS38 was much more usable. For example, this unit does not even feature a simple "you are here" page. You have to actually mark a waypoint and then get it to display the location of that waypoint.

For only about $... more you can get the Garmin eTrex Venture, which is much more useful. Frankly, I can't wait to break my eTrex so I can justify upgrading it.

This is the bottom end of GPS units, and it shows.

This little gadget is a wonder! I had been toying with the idea of a GPS for a while, but when I saw the price for this, I asked for it for Christmas. It is very accurate and easy to use, has everything you need to get from point A to point B.
A+

I use this bad boy for biking and I love it. The bike bracket is a little spendy for what it is. Never had a reception problem.

I use my GArmin eTrex with a laptop and Microsofts Streets and Trips and it works a treat. Makes my driving so much less stressfull having my exact location being plotted along.

I dont seem to have any trouble acquiring a signal and the startup time after the initial first time is quite reasonable

This is one easy to use unit, and extremely accurate for the price. You can read the owners manual and be operating this unit in about 1 hour or less. Forget about the other more expensive units that can cost upwards of [price] or more. This baby has more features than your average person will ever need and cost you about [price]. And anybody can use this unit without worrying about getting lost in the woods or over all the the fancy features on more expensive units which you probably aren't going to use anyway. The accuracy on mine is usually within 25 feet or less. I,ve been using mine for turkey hunting here in Missouri, and it has worked every time even in wooded area. I have even marked my house before and drove 30 miles to turkey hunt and turned it on to return home. It was within 25 feet of where I had marked the spot. What more could you asked for the price. AAA+++

I bought it for geocaching. It seemed to be a popular one and ... it didn't break me. I don't find anything undesireable about it. You can't download maps, but for geocaching you don't need to. I've found every cache I've ever searched for with no problem. If you buy the pc cable, it will make the downloading of coordinates simple, but manually entering them is not all that hard. ...

This little thing is great...the only problem is that it can hardly ever reach the satellites even when not under trees. It takes so long to acquire them that it's not even worth taking it with you. And then i put it back in the glove box. What is the point of a hiking helper that can't figure out where you are.

I bought this device for my brother who likes to hike and fish. Given the reasonable price I thought it would be a nice introductory GPS device. If your needs are simple and you don't need map functions, this would be a good choice as a starter unit until you decide if you want to invest in a more feature-rich GPS unit.

Tom

Garmin designed this unit to be a rugged, low cost, small, easy to use GPS, with good basic funtionality for casual users and beginners...and that's exactly what it is. It is water and vibration proof (mine is mounted on the handlebar of my motorcycle) and fairly simple to navigate through its menus. The display is readable and gives easy to use information, yet it easily fits in a pocket and the palm of the hand for one handed operation.

This is not a "super-deluxe navigate the highway systems know where all the gas stations are" unit. It is a basic unit designed for backpackers, canoers, campers, snowshoers and skiers. You can mark waypoints and save tracks (a record of your movements) and backtrack over a track easily. Any time it is on, it leaves a virtual "trail of breadcrumbs" that makes it easy to go back the way you have come.

Limitations? Remember, this is a basic, low cost unit. The main limitation is memory (lack of). A long trip (e.g. a highway trip) can easily consume all of the unit's memory, so that you run out of storage space for tracks. Way points are limited to six character descriptors, and trying to come up with something that makes sense can be challenging. You cannot download or display maps with this unit.

All that said, I've had mine for a couple of years, and find it very handy for traveling in unknown to me waterways and trails. I also used it on a recent long distance motorcycle tour and found the trip distance, altitude, average speed, and compass features super handy, and easy to scroll through with one hand.

If you are like me and want a rugged, basic, accurate, easy to use GPS unit that doesn't consume your entire bank account, then this is s great unit. It's also a great place to start with GPSing to see if you like it/need one/want/one, and will help you know what you want to see on the next GPS that you buy.

For the money, an unbeatable buy!

This GPS represents perhaps the greatest value in Handheld units out there. It is super easy to use, based on a menu system which is virtually fool proof. There are only a limited number of features, which make it cleaner and simpler to use, but if you are looking for lots of bells and whistles, look elsewhere.
I own one of these, and use it as a backup unit for my main GPS on my sailboat, and also take it along while I am biking and hiking. It is rugged, waterproof, and lasts about 16 hours or so with normal use on a pair of decent AA batteries. A must- have toy!

Although it took a while for me to get the device to pick up the satellites, once I did it was all it promises to be. This one is great because it fits in your pocket

I purchased this unit for my son. I was worried that it did not have the features that he would consider useful. I am very surprised at the features that are available in a unit priced at $(...). I am trying to purchase another when it is back in stock for my own use.

This doesn't have many bells and whistles. But if you can get a lattitude and longitude for what you want to find, it will take you to within 50' or so of it. If you want to know where you were (within about 50'), it will do the trick. I am a land surveyor, and have used this in the woods a lot to get in the neighborhood of something I'm looking for. Tough, simple receiver.

I bought the Garmin eTrex prior to a hunting trip to help ensure I didn't get lost. I was sold on the price and ease of use. The unit was very user friendly and had all of the features I needed to get to my tree stand in the dark (or at least within 60 feet of it). However, I soon discovered that the unit has very poor reception unless you are in an open area (i.e., a field or lake). In the woods, the unit struggled to get a signal and maintain the signal which is critical for navigation out of the woods.

This basic yellow one is the cheapest one. It is alright but I dont know if you can download maps to it or not, they might be pretty expensive to get the CD's. Also the compass on it doesn't seem to be very accurate as many times it will not point in the right direction until you turn several times to make sure most of the time it is in the right direction. All it really gives you is a marking of where you've been, it has good info like elevation and speed, but its not for the serious GPS user.

The speedometer on my car broke. I could spend $400+ to repair it, or buy a new GPS to hang on my dashboard.
I was impressed to find that this unit worked almost anywhere in the car, not just under the windshield.

I chose this low-cost entry level model (the yellow one) because it does everything I need -- for driving, hiking & boating. I know that a few months from now, there will probably be better, cheaper units available, so I see no reason to spend more for the high-end Garmin units.

Mainly interested in snowmobiling and off-roading in Lebanon, I would have given the Etrex a five stars rating (which it deserves)but it has two weak points that prevented me with doing so. First it has no software and no cable shipped with it.For the 12V cigarette lighter cable, the data cable and the software CD you'll have to spare at least and addtitional USD 150 to get the most out of the Etrex. One of the strongest points are the features you get for a relatively low price, the great yellow shape (no messy antenna)and the autonomy on two alcaline batteries. Overall, the etrex is an impressive product. My next step is the Garmin Summit. And this goes to people from Garmin "You've got yourself some additional brand loyalty".

I bought this unit for an extended trip in Costa Rica. It worked great for the first few days. It's easy to lay way points, has all the features I thought I'd need and the compass feature was surprizingly helpful. However, as rugged as it seemed, it just stopped working for no reason. I've switched out batteries, but I think my etrex has died. Unfortunatly, I'm in Central America, so it's kinda' hard to take it back to Bass Pro Shop (where I bought mine).

I may just have a defective unit, but I would not recommend this product if you are going away to someplace where you cannot return it. Get a more tough unit.

I think it is great and it is all that it is advertised. I have taken it geocaching 3 times and found every one. I now sometimes wish I had got the Vista, but for $X less this is a great little unit. You do need to buy a compass to go with it.

The only complaint I have is that it goes through batteries fairly quickly. I find that batteries will last about 4 hours which is not good if I take a 6 hour trip. Yes, I know I can bring more batteries. :)

the Garmin etrex GPS unit is truly a steal when you take into consideration the compact size, quality construction, and functionality of the unit. The etrex delivers a strong reading when trekking, cycling, driving a car, even when flying! True to Garmin's claim, the etrex does deliver a strong reading under foliage but only if it is held in the user's hand. The etrex's tracking seems compromised when the user is hiking under dense foliage while storing the etrex in a backpack. The units durability is amazing. I have dropped the etrex on the ground twice already, once while biking, and the only thing that the etrex suffered was a few very minimal scratch marks on the yellow plastic case. The LCD display seems to be resistant to scratches because I have used the unit extensively and the display wipes clean without a scratch with a moist towel... I give Garmin's etrex 5 stars without hesitation.

Got this GPS as a birthday gift for my husband this past May. He took it with him on our 10-day trip to Africa to see the solar eclipse. He had a "ton" of fun with it there and he like the way it works. He also brought it to Norway and it will be headed to Australia next. It is sometimes a little slow in receiving signals indoors, but I guess that is to be expected. The controls are placed well and it is fairly easy to use.

I like the yellow color a lot, but I knew I would rather have the upscale "Etrex Legend" model (the blue one) because it has a high resolution LCD and it allows uploading GARMIN map cartography from their CDs. They say the unit is waterproof and I found that to be true after I accidentally dropped it from my rubber raft into about 3 feet of water. It seems to have suffered no ill effects. I highly recommend the Etrex Legend.

The Garmin etrex is a marvel of modern electronics. As a botanist and a keen hiker I have used it for multiple applications from navigation to marking rare plants. It has more than lived up to my expectations, and with software upgrades available the cons to buying this are mostly negated.

This item is lightweight (perfect for hiking), Small (easily handheld or stowed in pocket) and water resistant. All screens and menus are intuitive including navigation and marking waypoints. With an accuracy that is given one can determine how accurate your position is and as the accuracy varies, can determine when to mark a waypoint. New software allows one to determine satellite signal strength which was the one drawback of the Gps. A fix (ready for use) is often obtained in under 15 seconds. With a brilliant battery life and the option of battery save or normal mode one can tailor make its operation. I appreciate that it only uses two AA batteries, easily obtainable,potetially rechargable and lightweight. I have fitted it snuggly into a cell phone pouch which I purchased for $2, aiding it's protection (yes, I have dropped it several times while hiking). The altimeter can vary, but I frequently obtain a vertical accuracy of a few metres (especially after leaving it stationary for a few minutes).

The only cons I see are not being able to scroll around the map. The six character waypoint length is limiting. I have found penetration through trees and the car poor (although I have not seen one with better acquisition.), although using the accuracy display one can determine the sattellite status and determine whether to trust the reading. The contrast on my eTrex is poor rendering some screens almost unusable. Perhaps a software upgrade will put the co-ordinates on a white background.

This has been one of my best buys ever and has aided me on many an occasion.

Being my first GPS reciever, I based most of my decision on the low cost of this unit. I must say that I got more than I expected. I haven't used other GPS units, so I'm not exactly sure what other features are out there, but the eTrex has most everything I need. I use the eTrex mainly for cycling, an occasional hike, and as a general tech-toy. It's small size and ruggedness makes it perfect for those things. I've found that I'd probably like more memory, and I'd like to have the option of an external antenna, and eventually I'll buy another GPS reciever with those features, but I'll still keep the eTrex. It does a fine job at a great price.

I would highly recommend the Etrex...I have had it for over a year now, and with over 30 waypoints, it has never let me down. I use it mostly for offroading, but I went hiking last weekend in a pretty wooded area, and other than having to hold it towards the sky, it had no problem tracking the satellites. I would recommend the Etrex for any users.

I'm a private pilot and I wanted an inexpensive handheld GPS that I could use in an airplane. Some of my friends have the Garmin 195. That's a great unit, but it costs $1,000. Another friend has the Garmin Pilot III. Also very nice, but I just didn't want to spend the $600. I just wanted a GPS that would give me some basic information. A professional pilot friend recommended the eTrex. It's got what I wanted -- waypoints, routing, elevation, heading, bearing, ground speed, and more. It does not come with any kind of database so I spent a little time when I first got it, punching in lat/longs/elevations for airports and navaids, which thankfully does not go away when you change batteries. It's also very easy to mark your current position, so adding to your database is a snap. It's small and very easy to see and use -- and it works fine in the planes I fly, both high wing and low wing. I wish it had an external antenna, but I have no problem with reception using the yoke mount I have, but truthfully, I don't bother with the yoke mount very often. I just lay it on the instrument panel and look at it when I need to. Pretty low tech, but you shouldn't be staring at the GPS while you're flying anyway! The batteries - only 2 AAs, another nice feature - last what seems to me to be a long time. If you use use the night light a lot, battery life goes way down, but you can optionally set the light to off automatically. I bought the cigarette lighter power adapter but I never use it. I also have the data cable to download/upload to the PC but I haven't used that much either. Supposedly you can use it with map programs that support GPS, but I haven't been successful with that yet. I've had my eTrex for almost a year now, and I haven't yet given any thought to needing a more sophisticated unit.

This little thing is cool once it gets going. It takes some time to find sattelites, but once it does it works great until it eats the batteries. I go through more batteries in a week with this then I will ever admit.

Being a first time GPS user, I read and followed the instruction booklet almost to the letter. First, as recomended, I spent several hours practicing to become familiar with the device. The intended use was for a new activity called "Geocaching", and the first use was in an area fairly well known to me. The unit brought me to within 15 feet of my intended target rather easily. The second time out was in a totally unfamiliar area and netted the same results. I found that if it is used as recomended by the manufacturer, this device operates exactly as claimed. This is an excellent teaching tool for a beginning GPS user such as I am. After I become proficient in using this device, I feel that I would easily be able to master more advanced GPS devices rather quickly. I am VERY satisfied with the operation and performance of this device. I highly recommend it for the first time GPS user and amature trekkers for geocaching type activities.

This item really rocks!! Its very small and portable but really packs a whallop!! I can set this to track my route, go on an adventure, get home and download the data into my computer, and then print out a topographic map showing my route and any points of interest I marked along the way. (the downloading and map capability are accesories not sold with the GPS) Anybody can pick this up and learn it in no time. I use it both for business and pleasure and never lets me down. Great toy!!

I've been using this GPS unit for a few months now, for geocaching and for normal land navigation. I've also taken a GPS class with it, and got to see how it stacked up against other GPS units. The consensus of other, less tech-savvy students in the class was that the etrex offered a very user friendly interface in a small package. It offers all the essential features one needs in a GPS, comes in a waterproof, rugged and small case, and is fairly easy to use and read. Garmin's claims of one handed usage are for real, it is easy to navigate the interface with the solid buttons on the unit. The main downside is the antenna, at least compared to units that have more sophisticated antennas, so pulling in weak satellite signals under thick tree cover can prove problematic in some areas. Also this is a basic unit, so it has no fancy bells and whistles, most notably you cannot download or view a map on it (though you can download waypoints). For those of you who hunt, the eTrex camo version would probably make more sense. And for more money, you can get more bells and whistles in the higher end eTrex models. The large screen is both a plus and a minus--a plus in that it's very easy to read and you can easily navigate the menus on it. A minus since it can be damaged, and a large LCD screen will not work well in extreme cold. The bottom line is, if you want to get started with GPS navigation, the eTrex is a friendly way to get going. If you do end up getting this unit, I highly recommend getting the cable to hook it up to a computer, so you can at least get the software updates Garmin posts on occasion.

I bought one last month, it works well, in every perspect except the power button. funny, isn't it? I got some problem with it which is, I had to push the POWER ON button several times then I could turn it on at the time I received it, now things is even worse, I have to push tens of times then I maybe turn it on by chance. But the worest thing is I bring it back to China and no one care about it anymore, both amazon and garmin. The distrubutor in China said it won't worth repairing, or with the fee I should be charged I could have a brand new one. Besides the repairing issues, I consider this as a design flaw of this product.

The E-trex is without doubt a superb gadget for numerous navigational applications. I bought myself one for christmas and having read the leaflet, took to the nearest park. I was amazed at the accuracy and more so the ease of use! Basic map reading skills mean that you can quickly input as little or as many waypoints for a hike. My first route was 14 KM, planned in the comfort of my living room and it was a great success. The compass page is clear and allows you to think about the scenery with the 'time to go' feature providing a guide to ensure you keep on target. Although you must be prepared if you lose satellite lock which has been rare in my case, the E-trex has made my hiking great fun, enhancing my navigational skills. As the guy in the shop clearly pointed out, the E-trex is always right, and it's you that's wrong ! - Buy one !

I bought one of these units because of its waterproof rating. That is 30 minutes at 3.3 feet. Forget that one. The battery compartment isn't rated for this.....so it leaks big time. I called Garmin about this and they said that nothing can be done. There is no fix. This was December 2000. Since it eats batteries, I bought a Radio Shack digital camera battery kit. It has 4 ni-mh batteries rated at 1500mah and a chargerfor $22. This unit worked very well. Since the batteries compartment isn't waterproof the batteries got wet. I was in sea water and these batteries got ruined. If you plan on buying this GPS and using it around water, I would be careful in not using expensive batteries in it. Windsurfing, Kayaking, canoeing, white water rafting and the rest, be careful. If you buy their super expensive cable, you can update your unit free from their web site. They do offer great upgrades for their products, free. Wow. I only give the unit 2 stars. I own three of their products and this is the worse one for not living up to what they say it will do. The best one out there for tuff service is the GPS 45 version.

If your looking for an affordable GPS unit that gives you most of the capabilities of a high-end GPS the E-trex is for you. I was so surprised to see that the E-trex kept a good signal lock while on the passenger seat of my car traveling at 70mph+! "Great Product"

The etrex works remarkably well for the sea kayaker. Since its waterproof, you can hang the unit from your PFD. Features allow you to pre-plot a destination (such as a remote key in the Everglades) so long as you know before hand the lattitude and longitude coordinates. You simply utilize the "go to" feature and the etrex points the way.

The only reason I did not give the etrex five stars is the relatively short battery life.

All in all, for those of you paddling about, the etrex in conjunction with a chart can give you everything you need.

This unit is simple to use and accurate, and the battery life is good. I think it lives up to everything a GPS in this range should be. Certainly it isn't enough GPS for some people's use, but it doesn't claim to be. It's a simple, small GPS, accurate and easy to pocket on hiking trips. I was surprised that it was able to maintain a lock even when sitting on the passenger seat of my car, with metal overhead, travelling at 70MPH. My previous GPS experiences were NOT that good. A friend borrowed it and it came back with a non-functional power button. I assume it got mashed up against something in his pocket and the button got crushed, so I'm not blaming Garmin for this one. I was very impressed by their service; they not only replaced the unit quickly, they also took the trouble to transfer my waypoints from the old unit to the new unit. Very good service, should you need it.

The sheer number of reviews here of the eTrex gives a very good idea of its huge popularity, and this is well deserved.

The great debate in these reviews seems to be sensitivity of the unit to usable satellite signals in forest conditions. Well, while it won't compete with an amplified remote antenna mounted atop your backpack frame (which you can't connect to the eTrex, by the way), I can say that I've found its performance under moderate to heavy tree cover to be never less than what one is entitled to expect. I haven't been in rainforest yet with the eTrex, but it has never run out of signal while sitting on the passenger seat of my car, and it will usually keep going even when located in the door pocket.

The most constructive comment I can throw in about sensitivity is that, from what I have both experienced and read, the eTrex has very good capabilities 'as-designed'. If you're an informed 'electronics fan' then you'll recognise that the occasional dud will turn up in even the best product line. Buy the eTrex with confidence. If you should strike a deaf one -- a very rare specimen, I think -- get it exchanged before you gripe about it to the world!

The eTrex makes particularly good sense if you're in a region not covered by Garmin's MapSource digital maps, such as down here in Australia. Bearing in mind that NONE of Garmin's GPS receivers (and I'm talking about the 'mapping' units such as the eMap, GPS 12MAP and GPSIII+) allows you to upload you own scanned maps, or anybody else's for that matter, you're far better off starting with a no-nonsense, highly accurate GPS receiver that is also extremely rugged and pocketable -- the eTrex to a tee. Then put the rest of your money into some good, third party, mapping software. And if you want mobile mapping buy a PDA or a secondhand notebook PC. Now you will have the best of both worlds.

Like most modern hand-held units, the eTrex generates its own map of your movements as a visual tracklog or 'breadcrumb trail'. But while you can manually or automatically zoom this screen, you can't scroll the display -- limiting the usefulness of the larger scale views. This has come about essentially because, unlike the larger units, the eTrex lacks a rocker key and doesn't have enough buttons to readily control scrolling. But this is a minor niggle that becomes insignificant when you use it in conjunction with a PC. For retracing your steps ('Trackback' mode), or for following any of the 10 pre-recorded tracks you can store in the unit, you will see all the detail you will ever need, and that is in fact the main function of the map screen.

A second minor annoyance is that the eTrex is not designed to operate efficiently with NiCd or NiMH cells. GPS receivers in general have quite a healthy appetite for batteries, and the eTrex shuts down well before cells of this type (1.2v nominal cell voltage) are exhausted. You can use them, but you'd better be carrying a good supply! The larger Garmin units (which use four AA cells instead of two) can be switched to use and correctly monitor these cells. Not so with the eTrex.

My only significant gripe (and the reason for just a four-star rating) is the staggeringly high cost of accessory cables -- about one third the price of the eTrex itself in the case of a combined data/external power cable! These can bring the effective cost of the unit much closer than you think to some of Garmin's more up-market units which tend to be supplied bundled with a data cable.

Look on the Web for third party plugs and cables -- having a PC link increases the utility of the eTrex (or any GPS for that matter) enormously. Other than that, it's a gem!

The sheer number of reviews here of the eTrex gives a very good idea of its huge popularity, and this is well deserved.

The great debate in these reviews seems to be sensitivity of the unit to usable satellite signals in forest conditions. Well, while it won't compete with an amplified remote antenna mounted atop your backpack frame (which you can't connect to the eTrex, by the way), I can say that I've found its performance under moderate to heavy tree cover to be never less than what one is entitled to expect. I haven't been in rainforest yet with the eTrex, but it has never run out of signal while sitting on the passenger seat of my car, and it will usually keep going even when located in the door pocket.

The most constructive comment I can throw in about sensitivity is that, from what I have both experienced and read, the eTrex has very good capabilities 'as-designed'. If you're an informed 'electronics fan' then you'll recognise that the occasional dud will turn up in even the best product line. Buy the eTrex with confidence. If you should strike a deaf one -- a very rare specimen, I think -- get it exchanged before you gripe about it to the world!

The eTrex makes particularly good sense if you're in a region not covered by Garmin's MapSource digital maps, such as down here in Australia. Bearing in mind that NONE of Garmin's GPS receivers (and I'm talking about the 'mapping' units such as the eMap, GPS 12MAP and GPSIII+) allows you to upload you own scanned maps, or anybody else's for that matter, you're far better off starting with a no-nonsense, highly accurate GPS receiver that is also extremely rugged and pocketable -- the eTrex to a tee. Then put the rest of your money into some good, third party, mapping software. And if you want mobile mapping buy a PDA or a secondhand notebook PC. Now you will have the best of both worlds.

Like most modern hand-held units, the eTrex generates its own map of your movements as a visual tracklog or 'breadcrumb trail'. But while you can manually or automatically zoom this screen, you can't scroll the display -- limiting the usefulness of the larger scale views. This has come about essentially because, unlike the larger units, the eTrex lacks a rocker key and doesn't have enough buttons to readily control scrolling. But this is a minor niggle that becomes insignificant when you use it in conjunction with a PC. For retracing your steps ('Trackback' mode), or for following any of the 10 pre-recorded tracks you can store in the unit, you will see all the detail you will ever need, and that is in fact the main function of the map screen.

A second minor annoyance is that the eTrex is not designed to operate efficiently with NiCd or NiMH cells. GPS receivers in general have quite a healthy appetite for batteries, and the eTrex shuts down well before cells of this type (1.2v nominal cell voltage) are exhausted. You can use them, but you'd better be carrying a good supply! The larger Garmin units (which use four AA cells instead of two) can be switched to use and correctly monitor these cells. Not so with the eTrex.

My only significant gripe (and the reason for just a four-star rating) is the staggeringly high cost of accessory cables -- about one third the price of the eTrex itself in the case of a combined data/external power cable! These can bring the effective cost of the unit much closer than you think to some of Garmin's more up-market units which tend to be supplied bundled with a data cable.

Look on the Web for third party plugs and cables -- having a PC link increases the utility of the eTrex (or any GPS for that matter) enormously. Other than that, it's a gem!

Purchased it after doing some research. I wanted it for a MTB vacation in an area that I was not familiar with. After a few feeble attempts (with my wife making much fun), I strapped it to the bike and was determined to get it dialed in. Much to my surprise, it died when I needed it most. It wasn't the batteries. I returned it and got my money back! If you buy it - handle with care, take extra batteries, a compass and a good map !

I bought this as a gift for my husband. He uses it mainly to scout hunting territory in the extreme wilderness of the upstate NY Adirondack Mts. There's not much more that I could add regarding the technical aspects of this unit that haven't already been covered brilliantly by Ben Johnson of Australia in a previous review-- mine is a layman's view. The eTrex GPS is a simple to use, accurate, & rugged piece of equipment that no hunter, hiker, or camper should be without. It's simplicity is what sets it apart from many other GPS units. I know for a fact that if something is too complicated to use it'll just sit in the box forever. After reading the very short & concise user's manual, my husband was outside "backtracking" a walk in the woods behind our house in 15 minutes. He managed to return to a marked point within 10 feet of it's shown location on the eTrex (this after moving miles away from the area & returning the next day). You will not be disappointed with the eTrex. Even if you decide that you must have more "bells & whistles"- start here first to learn the basics. One last thing-- no GPS ever replaces a map & compass- always carry both (a map reading course isn't a bad idea either).

I bought my Etrex as a gadget, but its now an indispensable part of my travels. It's well designed, functional and inexpensive. Having owned my Etrex for 6 months, I now find uses for it that I never envisaged, for example; finding my way back to a hotel in a strange town at 3 in the morning after a party. Having previously marked the position as we left the hotel, it steered us, effortlessly through a maze of suburban streets, right back to the door. I would point out though, that since it has no 'base map', you really need a programme such as Autoroute to input your desination, if you are going somewhere for the first time. Just jot down the Lat and Longtitude and key them in. A terrific peice of technology.

I have used the Garmin E-Trex throughout the Americas and Asia. It is intuitive, fast responding and very accurate. The operating system is easily updatable using the optional pc interface and software downloaded from garmin.com. The GPS now tracks satelites and signal strength with many new features being added over time.

This is my opinion of the Etrex GPS. I recently went backpacking in the Big South Fork national recreation area. I set a way point at my car and headed out. I received the weak signal prompt 90% of my hike. I'm glad the trails there are marked well and I didn't have to rely on this unit to get me back to my car. If your travels include hiking through wooded areas (even after the leaves have fallen off), don't use this device as your only source of navigation or you may find yourself lost!

After purchasing an e-Trex, and long after the return period I found the unit has an arbitrary limit of 250 miles or less before it will show the "closest 9" waypoints. The manual made no reference to 'closest 9' being under 250 miles. For some users this may make sense. However, If you use the unit as we do - to select fly in fishing spots - this 250 mile limit is a severe limitation. All requests to Garmin to make the 250 mile limitation an option in the programming were denied. When requested through several email request if this could be changed - I finally suggested that the manual does not say 'closest 9 waypoints UNDER 250 miles' and that perhaps they had an obligation under US law to honour that statement - their tech support claimed this constituted a legal challenge and they would no longer respond to any emails. I can only suggest that this type of action by Garmin is questionable at best. So if you don't care if a waypoint is over 250 miles away when you want to select the closest 9 buy the unit, if you do care think carefully about your purchase of a Garmin unit - several of their units have an even smaller mileage limitation built into them.

This little GPS is about as simple as it gets. I have had mine for about 10 days now and have found it to be very useful. Keep in mind this is a 'basic' unit as it cannot have maps uploaded to it. However it does what it claims to with effeciency and accuracy. I was amazed that something this small could locate me in my car or while walking. I do lots of outdoor photography so this unit is perfect for marking spots that I want to come to again. I am already pretty good at navigating myself around most places (one of those gifts god bestowed upon me)so the etrex's simple design and use is perfect for me.

If you are light hiker or are just getting into the world of owning a GPS the etrex is perfect for you. If you desire an onscreen map then a higher end model will be more to your liking.

My only fret with etrex is its inability to pan around your track that you create. You are only able to zoom in and out!! Hopefully a future driver update will fix that.

Happy Trails ... Tamon

I've wanted to get a GPS for a long time now and recently received this one as gift. I've used it for about two weeks and am very impressed. It is very small and light and easily fits in a pocket. I bought the bike mount accessory and have mounted this on my bike. It's small enough that it doesn't add a lot of weight or get in the way. Although it lacks mapping capabilities and some more advance features, it does everything that you really need a GPS to do.

I live in the desert so I have not been able to test this under tree cover but - surprisingly -- it works great sitting on the passenger seat of my truck. Other units I've seen wouldn't function inside of a vehicle without an external antenna.

It seems to be very accurate and I have been able to get a reported accuracy of 16 feet. I was amazed at how accurately it was able to record my speed and distance traveled.

The manual could be written more clearly but the unit is very intuitive. I've never used a GPS before but was quickly able to figure out how to use all of the features. The buttons placemat was supposed to be designed for one hand operation. However, because the unit is so small, and I have large hands, it was a little awkward for me. I ended up using two hands to work the unit.

The display is readable in bright sunlight and the backlight feature makes it possible to use the unit in dimly lit situations.

I do have a gripe about battery life. It is supposed to run for 22 hours in "battery save mode." In regular mode, I went though my first set of batteries after about 10-12 hours of use. If you're taking this into the field - bring lots of spare batteries.

I have been a mariner for 7 years and I bought this unit to replace an old garmin that died from brain damage . the only problem you could run into is making sure the cover on the back is secure because i lost the first unit to water damage... replaced free....

I purchased the Garmin Etrex simply for the purpose of deer hunting. The advertisement stated that the unit was great in heavy tree cover. Well I disagree. While in light tree cover, I continued to get a display that indicated 'weak signal'. If you wear glasses and rely on your bio's to read by, then be sure you have your glasses with you (you'll definitely need them). I couldn't make out anything without them. The background is dark, and hard to read in sunlight. If you're in clear view of the sky, the unit works great. I would have returned the unit because it was hard to see mostly, and didn't live up to my expectations, (getting to and from my tree stand) but I had already ordered the video of how to operate the unit, which isn't that great either, and the case. Maybe after I have it for a while it'll get better, or when the leaves drop from the trees.

I live in western Pennsylvania and am into mountain biking, hiking, and skiing. This GPS is great for all of these sports because it's small, lightweight, waterproof, and quick to use. Once it gets its bearings, it will re-gain its signal fairly quickly, making it easy to stuff in your pack and then take out again when you need to get your location or mark a waypoint. I've marked the beginning of trails, and it was accurate to 5 feet when I returned. There's no PC interface, so you won't find it helpful in a car, but if you need something that'll keep you from getting lost in the woods, this baby's for you - and at a great price, too. No complaints whatsoever.

I've purchased one and intend to use it this winter during snowmobiling trips. I've used it already, and found it to useful in almost any moving vehicle from a car to a plane. It does not have a ready map. But it will make one for you. Especially useful in an area where there is no map or markers to follow. It will keep track and like an unlimited supply of breadcrumbs will allow you to find your way back. And once you've created your own trails. It will allow you to find them over and over again.

I own several GPS receivers and have followed their evolution for the last few years. Garmin produces some of the easiest to use and best product in the GPS arena. The etrek is one of the smallest, very rugged, fast acquistion time, and even has an upload waypoint capability at that low price. The bright color makes it easy to spot in your backpack whether on an urban or mountain hike. I also use it as a backup for my marine gps.

I use this guy for geocaching - it can usually get me within 20 feet of a hidden cache. Doesn't work too well in a plane but for outdoor expeditions it works great. (Geocaching is a new GPS treasure hunt game. More info can be found at geocaching.com.)

I had been thinking about purchasing a GPS device for some time but hesitated due to price, size and durability. I wasn't looking for something sophisticated to use in a car; just something to track hikes. Durability was a big issue since I have a 10 year old. Furthermore, I couldn't justify spending several hundred dollars on a delicate device.

E-Trex was the perfect fit. After reading other reviews about other GPSs going bad after being exposed to light rain or mist, I was concerned about purchasing a device that would go bad after minimal exposure to the elements. Given the tough case and waterproof design I chose this unit.

The unit was about the size of a cell phone and relatively light even with the batteries.

I took the unit on vacation and used it while hiking through Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef national parks as well as other state parks in Utah. While the reception did degrade in canyons 60 feet wide and 400 feet deep, I expected that to happen. Along the way the unit was exposed to high winds, red dust ( bunches of it ), and light showers. It performed without a hitch. During a hike through one of Utah's state parks, my son used it to find our way out using the trackback feature. While I figured we could find our way out of park, it gave my wife peace of mind. I also used the tracking feature to match the supplied map to our actual path in another park. It turned out to be a cheap insurance policy.

I've used the output coordinates with astronomy software to generate star maps.

The only reason for giving it a 4 out of 5 is that the manual needs to be reorganized. Eventually through trial and error I've managed to figure out how to use it.

First part of previous post is inaccurate. The-trex DOES have a speedometer, a compas (based on GPS, you mst be moving for it to work) a waypoint input method (record them as you go or download into the device from a PC and one of many map/topo programs).

I do agree with the rest of these posts.

The combination of this product and the TOPO map program is a real winner. I can download my trips into the PC and get plots and elevation profiles. I can also upload waypoints and routes. I have replaced my bike computer with this thing. It provides current speed, average speed, max speed, elevation, heading, bearing, time of trip, and distance travled.

This is a great little hand-held unit, especially for people who have found larger GPS things difficult to use. As a wilderness kayaker, I spend a lot of time on remote, isolated beaches and islands, and have found the Garmin E-Trex to be perfect for me. One hand use, small size, and using 2 easily replaceable AA batteries, I don't have to worry about getting it wet or plugging it in. Highly recommended for water travelers.

When this unit is used in conjunction with a good map, there is no excuse for you becoming lost. My primary use for this GPS is off road motorcyling, hiking and other outdoor uses. It is very easy to use and comes with an easy to read manual that makes learning it's functions a breeze.

We travel all over the western U.S. and have been very pleased with it's operation and have not lost our way yet. This is definately good for the outdoor enthusiast, but be forewarned, it does not work well in thick overhead vegetation.

I've been thinking about a GPS for kayaking for at least two years, but none of the units on the market met my requirements for ruggedness, water resistence, utility and low cost- until the eTrex.

This is a *superb* little box. It's not only rugged and waterproof, it's very well enginnered and very handy. It provides all the necessary information needed for navigation- location, speed (real and average), distance traveled, direction, bearing to a waypoint, and so forth. You can store mutilple routes, too. Until Garmin comes out with a similarly sized package that does detailed mapping this will be my main navigating tool on land and water.

I've been using it for kayaking and bicycling for a few hundred miles now and I have no complaints- well, I suppose it would be nice if it floated, too, but barring that I just keep its lanyard attached to my kayak when I go out paddling.

Overall, a superb value for bikers, hikers and small boaters.

Based on some of the reviews here I was reluctant to purchase this item but it has exceeded my expectations. It not only works in the woods but in the car. It is simple to use and has all the features the average GPS user should need. Though not as sophisticated as the more expensive units it should serve the occasional user well. Well made and user friendly.... for the price you can't go wrong. With the militarys removal of some of the accuracy restrictions this past spring I am getting accuracy to within 15 feet!

I recently bought an E-Trex primarily because of the low cost of the unit. I am very satisfied with my purchase. I am surprised how rugged it feels and it appears to have a little more knock-ability than some other handheld GPS units I have used. I would have preferred a GPS with cross t