The definition of “best” may differ to a great extent, depending upon your considerations, and intended purpose of use. So, let us take a look at some of the best hiking GPS units based on performance, special functionalities, pricing, and ease of usage.
Most Affordable Hiking GPS: Garmin eTrex H
If you want a no-frills hiking GPS navigator , then Garmin eTrex H is definitely the way to go. Although it is a basic hiking GPS unit that comes at an extremely reasonable price of under $130 mark, the Garmin eTrex H navigator has excellent battery life of about 17 hours.
It is equipped with a sophisticated high-sensitivity receiver that can lock-on to the satellite signal on-the-fly.
Featuring improved connectivity and signal range, this hiking GPS unit has easy-to-use navigation menus, and a highly intuitive user-interface, which is ideal for beginner level users.
The only bad thing is that the Garmin eTrex H lacks basemaps and there’s no way you can load a map onto the device (even with external cards).
Hiking GPS Unit that Offers True Value for Money: DeLorme Earthmate PN-40
If you consider the best hiking GPS unit that offers true value for every penny, DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 is definitely a worthy contender for the top spot.
It gives unrestricted access to the U.S. topography, nautical charts, detailed USGS quads, and unlimited downloads as well as aerial imagery at a subscription of just $29.95 per annum.
This hiking GPS unit comes with 500 MB onboard flash memory, and you get a 1GB SD MMC unit too. It features several advanced controls including tri-axial compass, barometric altimeter, and much more.
Best Non-Garmin Hiking GPS Unit as per Core Functionalities
When it comes down to selection of a hiking GPS navigator, which is loaded with all the top notch functionalities, the Magellan eXplorist 400 as well as Magellan Triton 2000 are the top contenders (counting out the Garmins).
The Magellan Triton 2000 wasn’t too popular during initial releases because of presence of several bugs, but the latest release comes with flawless functionality.
The Magellan Triton 2000
The Magellan Triton 2000 provides a convenient 2.7 inch touch screen, 2-megapixel camera, sound recorder, MP3 player, LED flashlight, and much more, apart from its core functionalities.
Its navigation menus are fairly complex, but once you get used to it, it won’t be a challenging affair anymore.
The Magellan Triton 2000 supports all popular mapping programs, electronic compass, barometric altimeter, and everything that is available on a top notch GPS unit.
So, there are countless options, and the choice is totally yours - choose wisely!