Garmin eTrex Handheld GPS
by Garmin

List Price: $139.99
Category: CE
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Digital Photo Product Details

• Global positioning system (GPS) receiver continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites
• Calculates current and average speed, time of sunrise and sunset, trip distance, and more
• Automatic track log--10 saved tracks let you retrace your path in both directions
• Tough waterproof case; runs for 18 hours on 2 AA batteries
• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software for downloading trip and waypoint data (not map compatible)

• Coleman 50200 Exponent Flex 5
• Memorex High Performance AA Alkaline Battery 8 Pack
• Memorex High Performance AA Alkaline Batteries, 50 Pack
• Memorex High Performance AA Alkaline Batteries, 12 Pack
• Energizer E91BP-4 AA Batteries (4-Pack)

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin eTrex Handheld GPS

Customer Review: Garmin GPS
Summary: 4 Stars

Description of Garmin eTrex Handheld GPS

The eTrex allows you to pack more detail into your adventure with added color, expandable memory, and automatic routing capabilities.

The eTrex is sort of a dumbed-down, rugged version of the company's more advanced eMap. Designed specifically for hiking, biking, and camping, the eTrex is one of the easiest-to-use GPS units available. It offers the ability to track up to 12 satellites so you never lose contact with one. The eTrex won't work inside--however, we don't anticipate that you'll get lost inside a building very often.

Among the eTrex's notable features is its ability to calculate your current and average speed. We used the eTrex to determine the distance from work to home, and to calculate how fast we were walking. This helped us gauge the average time it should take to get to work. This feature should really come in handy on extended hiking, camping, or cycling trips where planning your average speed and tracking the distance traveled is critical.

Sticking with its theme of simplicity, the eTrex has only five buttons, making it easy to use with just one hand (It's specifically designed for the left hand.) Weighing only 5.3 ounces with the batteries installed, the eTrex is also ultralight, making it an easy addition to a daypack. The eTrex is also waterproof, so a little water shouldn't damage the unit.

Turn-by-turn directions make long trips a snap.

Check your speed, ETA, and distance.

Great for calculating distance and directions for camping trips.

Get predictions for when it's best to hunt and fish.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Light
• Waterproof

• Batteries only last about 20 hours

The eTrex is sort of a dumbed-down, rugged version of the company's more advanced eMap. Designed specifically for hiking, biking, and camping, the eTrex is one of the easiest-to-use GPS units available. It offers the ability to track up to 12 satellites so you never lose contact with one. The eTrex won't work inside--however, we don't anticipate that you'll get lost inside a building very often.

Among the eTrex's notable features is its ability to calculate your current and average speed. We used the eTrex to determine the distance from work to home, and to calculate how fast we were walking. This helped us gauge the average time it should take to get to work. This feature should really come in handy on extended hiking, camping, or cycling trips where planning your average speed and tracking the distance traveled is critical.

Main menu Map page Pointer page Mark pointer page

Sticking with its theme of simplicity, the eTrex has only five buttons, making it easy to use with just one hand (It's specifically designed for the left hand.) Weighing only 5.3 ounces with the batteries installed, the eTrex is also ultralight, making it an easy addition to a daypack. The eTrex is also waterproof, so a little water shouldn't damage the unit.

The eTrex can hold up to 500 user-created waypoints. And using Garmin's TracBack feature, it's easy to plot a course with up to 10 waypoints and follow it in both directions. --Julian Strate

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Light
• Waterproof

• Batteries only last about 20 hours

Map page. View larger.

Mark waypoint. View larger.

The Garmin eTrex is a simple, compact GPS device. View larger.

Besides its small size, boaters and outdoorsmen will be happy with the eTrex's unique button layout design. All the buttons are located on either side of the unit. The benefits of this design are two-fold. First, the eTrex is a breeze to operate with just one hand and, second, with the buttons on both sides of the unit the bulk of the front of the device is dedicated to the large, LCD display with backlight. The eTrex is so simple it only sports five buttons -- Page, Power, Up, Down, and Enter. Thanks to the its bright yellow case, the eTrex is easy to spot and hard to misplace in a boat, backpack, or trunk. Garmin also designed this tiny GPS to be completely waterproof so it can handle an accidental splash or dunk and continue to perform.

Locked away behind the waterproof protection, you will find the proven performance of a 12 parallel channel GPS receiver that will run for up to 22 hours on just two AA batteries. The antenna is also internal and the external power and data connector are protected as well. In addition to determining your location, the eTrex creates, names, and saves a location as an electronic waypoint in its memory -- up to 500 individual waypoints. This allows you to navigate back to this point any time you want, from any location or, with Garmin's TracBack feature, you can reverse your track log and navigate your way back home. And once you start moving, the GPS provides other data, like speed, direction of movement, time and distance to destination, and more.

In addition to these basic features, the eTrex provides one more critical benefit; peace of mind, because with GPS you know where you are, where you've been, and where you are going. And since you always know your way back home, you can concentrate on enjoy yourself outdoors, on the water, or wherever your travels may take you.

What's in the Box
eTrex GPS receiver, wrist strap, user's guide, and quick reference guide.