The "on the trail" models from Garmin are so essential and actually way more useful than a stupid smart phone.

I've had them for about about 10 years, feel lost without them.

They leave a trail where you've been so you can always backtrack.

Lock on a dozen satellites and you get incredible accuracy anywhere in the world.  You don't need a cell phone signal.

You can estimate distance between point A and point B. Just mark a waypoint and walk away from it. Just another way to find out the range if the laser range finder is not available.  You do have to walk to the point B so it's not always practical, but possible.

You can look at altitude, velocity, minutes stopped, moving, ETA at the next turn, ETA and the destination and a dozen other variables. You can save different routes.

You can drive somewhere, see an item you like, and create a waypoint. Like firewood for sale or something that you want to return to. It's just incredible stupid smart phones don't have that feature. It's just so useful.

Parked a car in a huge parking lot and may not remember how to get to it? Create a waypoint and it will navigate you straight to it. Not only in 2, but in 3 dimensions, ie. a parking garage with multiple levels.

It works on the airplane. You can see if something is up, I think I was the only passenger who knew we were denied landing permission and were circling the airport for a while. You really cannot tell otherwise. On major transatlantic flights, you can see how many hours / thousands of kilometers you are away from the destination, your velocity, altitude and the ETA.
Airlines sometimes have that stupid TV screen with the moving airplane but it's missing a lot of info.  On some flights, I check the thing several times per hour. It's a receiver and not a sender so you may get some grief from the flight crew who don't understand that a Garmin GPS poses as much threat to their plane as a nintendo game.

I never knew an airplane landed at 300 km/hour.


If your vehicle speedometer breaks, you can you use the one in the GPS.

It pulls its time off the bird so it has the most accurate time of all the devices you have. I suppose a cell phone does too but it doesn't have the 24 hour runtime off 3xAA batteries.

It's been many years since I had a no bullshit simple handheld.

What's the best thing going for utility hand held now days?

In for additional information. I have an older Garmin GPS-45, which is slow to lock onto satellites.  
Looking at the newer models which lock onto US and Russian satellites.

Bill

I have two on my boat, and couldn't fish without them. My handheld went bad.

I love my Garmin Rino 530HCX! Great GPS with WAAS, plus 2 way radio w/scramble, weather radio, peer to peer positioning, and a ton of other stuff that makes it like an outdoor PDA!

The one thing to remember though, is that in a SHTF situations, there may not be satellites working for very long. A compass, map, and how to use them, are needed for backup!

I want something for driving around Land Between the Lakes here in Western KY.  Be neat to see what roads I've been down, marking spots of interest, and of course, seeing where I am.  Another cool feature would be to have the ability to walk a perimeter and tell what size (acreage) it is.  

I just went to Garmins website.  GOOD GRIEF which one do I pick???  There are so many models it's almost made me lose interest.    Number one requirement is it has to be simple to operate.  I paide $700 for my first GPS many years ago and used it about 3 times before I became so pissed off at how hard it was to navigate the screen and features.  I think touchscreen is a good thing?

Most of those tasks you describe are actually better on a smartphone.  I mark waypoints all the time using google maps, which means it's stored on the cloud and I can access them on my laptop, tablet, other phone, etc... and share them.

Smart phones are also capable of passive GPS.  I've used mine on a plane several times although it doesn't always work.

I wouldnt discount a smart phone. So much so a buddy of mine just got back from about a month in Denali (Scaling many mountains) and they took....wait for it...A smart phone (Along with maps of course!). One interesting point is it sounds like his smart phone failed him when temps hit ultra cold but the point is smart phones have apps and use GPS and can do everything the Garmins can do. So much so I've stopped taking my Garmin and only carry my smart phone. 

Now the big issue if finding the right app.....And thats a matter that can take a fair bit of experimentation. The good news is though you can install multiple apps on your phone and test them all at the same time. I'm currently using BackCountry Navigator and US Topo Maps as well as trialing OsmAnd for driving. Hiking I'm messing around with AllTrails and WTA (Washington Trails Association). Of course I also have downloaded the area in Google Maps so its available offline. 

The big drawbaks are you cant just swap a AA battery and be back in the game if you have battery problems, and as I said above finding the right app for you may take some time. 

I've been perusing the GPS aps for my iphone.  For whatever reason, I really want a dedicated unit.

I think it really comes down to user preference. In my case I got both and took both out. In the end my Garmin sits on my desk while my phone still tags along. 

I'd suggest doing just that. Take your phone with you and try it out. Theres no reason not to use a phone.....And no reason not to use a Garmin. Fundamentally they both do the same thing its just in how you interact with the device that is different. Give them both a try and keep the one you like most. 

If I choose to go the phone GPS route, I think I will get an Ipad and use that.

I haven't kept up on GPS units for over a decade. What are you folks using out in the bush/backcountry?

I use both quite frequently in a multitude of aspects.  There is no comparison of a dedicated unit for your task if you actually use it as such.

I will always take my dedicated Garmin GPS unit with pre loaded topo over my "smart" phone.  Phone makes a great back up, or quick use device, but for long extended treks, hunts, or rides I will take a real GPS with topo maps every time.  Phone works fine for an afternoon out or quick use during a various list of tasks, but if I need to use something all day for several days, for navigation, the real GPS takes the win.

I would invite anyone to bring your "smart" phone along for an extended backcountry outing vs a real GPS and let me know how it works out.

ARFCOM answer: GET BOTH!

Foretrex is strapped to the brace of my go to AR Pistol. Has preprogrammed routes to get me to the farm, my Brother's place with 3 routes, and then to an old parcel is Shenandoah National Park where the orchard trees still produce decent fruit.

Have a couple other 62s stashed around as well, but for simplicity and weight I like the foretrex.

I have had probably a dozen different Garmin units over the years going back to the 12 and II+.  My current unit is a GPSMAP 62S (old GPSMAP 76 as backup).  For road navigation I now pretty much just use my phone and Waze or Google Maps but for backwoods work I love my Garmin.  I also like that fact that I can take all the data from my GPS and dump it into Google Earth (Pro is now free).  and create some very nice maps.  I have a map of our hunting land with the property border laid out.  The few miles of driveway and trails mapped out.  All the food plots are also marked and areas calculated.  All this is laid over the 3D terrain and aerial imagery from Google Earth.  I had printed it out poster size and laminated at the local Staples and we keep it on the wall of the hunting cabin.  Use a grease pencil to mark and keep track of deer stands, feeders, salt licks, and camera locations.

I wish I could spend about an hour with you teaching me how to do all this.

I want to be able to keep track of what roads I've been down in the local US Forest Service Land (LBL).  Track the path we take each time we go up there and load it on Google Earth and save it when we get back.

Can't beat a dedicated gps although phones keep getting better.
One thing people often overlooked is google world , no the online version but downloading it . Takes up a lot of space but having those maps is priceless.

It's not terrible hard.  If you have Google Earth (Pro) installed and the BaseCamp software (also free) from Garmin installed on your computer you have everything you need installed.  Just sync your GPS to BaseCamp.  From within BaseCamp you select the way-points, routes, tracklogs etc you want to send to Google Earth.  With the desired data selected you go to the menu at the top and in the [View] menu there will be an option to send selected data to Google Earth.  Once in Google Earth you can format the various data to create your map.  Change the colors, thickness of lines/tracks, change icons for way point etc.  For my food plots I used the polygon tool in Google Earth and created polygons based on tracklogs I created by walking the perimeter of the food plots.  By tuning the track-log into a polygon I get the easy ability to calculate acreage.

Very cool.  I'm going to buy something, but deciding which one with all the models is a huge task.  I really want touch screen, but everyone screams buttons for better durability.  This thing won't see any rough abuse whatsoever.  I'm not opposed to spending a lot of money on one IF I need the features.  I don't need a camera, I don't need the ability to talk to someone else with one, or the ability to share my location with anyone else.  I would like an electronic compass.

ETA:  I tried to call or email Garmin directly this morning for some guidance but you can't

Use a Garmin 62s for hunting and hiking. I have years worth of data from previous hunts all combined in base camp and transfered to Google earth. My hunting group gets together and uses the info to plan out our fall elk hunt annually.

I strongly prefer buttons for use with mittens in winter when hunting/hiking from snowshoes/skis.

You pretty much stated the obvious. Eye-Pads (iPads) are bulky and batteries don't last as long as a dedicated GPS unit. You can also carry a bunch of AA spare batteries and be on the trail for many days without having to recharge anything.
I still use a small GPS unit I bought almost 20 years ago. It does not have a detailed map but it tracks my route and shows basic information. Two AA batteries last for about 15 hours of continuous use. I always keep a paper map as well.

I use my Garmin so rarely that every time I use it I can't remember how to work it.

@JPL

So the idea of adding in tracks and treks and waypoints into Google Maps/Earth does sound really interesting. I've not done that before so I've been researching how to do just that! The first step is figuring out how to get the file exported (The file which contains your path/journey/points of interest/whateer). Since I'm using a phone I'll be figuring this out on that but the process should be similar. So using Alltrails (Which requires Pro....paid for....Boo).

Export GPX

From there I should be able to import this into Google Earth. I dont know if I can do something similar with Maps, I need to play with that. 

Import KML file

I'm also not sure if the import function works for GPX files. I suspect it will but I'll need to play around a bit. You should be able to follow a similar process.....Get the process for exporting your file from your current device and then use the import function in Google Earth. 


EDIT:

Some further reading on importing to Google Maps/Earth. It looks like Maps may also support KLM/GPX files, which is super cool. I dont know if its static.....ie....I dont know if your imported file will always be available or if it gets lost when you close the Google Maps session. I'll need to play around with this. First step is actually getting a KLM/GPX file! The link below also covers conversions (KLM to GPX) which is nice. 

I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend. 

Import GPX into Maps

See, all that $hit is really complicating to me!  

I ordered a 62s last night and am hoping I can figure it all out without getting too frustrated.  I went ahead and downloaded base camp and bought the US roads map.  It aggravated me last night that I order the roads map and it takes 24-48 hrs to "process" my order before I can download it.  Whats that crap about?

I fully expect to have all kinds of trouble just importing my bought map into Base Camp.  We'll see

You can also download open source maps for free. I have 24k topos for most of the western states. I believe they were from gpsfiledepot.com. CAUTION: As with anything posted on an open file sharing sites you can always download a virus. Use at you own risk.

Which is why my Garmin sits on my desk. The process of updating and uploading maps is not terribly user friendly in my experience. The my biggest complaint with Garmin to be honest. It feels like I'm still using tools and processes from the 90s. Come the fuck on Garmin, this shit should be WAY easier by now. I digress..... 

Point is yes, I expect you'll have all sorts of fun getting the maps updated. 

I'm sure this is why Garmin makes it difficult to impossible to call and talk to them.

I managed to get this to work. Holy shit. I mean, on one hand this is amazingly awesome. On the other hand I'm struggling to come up with practical uses for it. 

I do like the idea of mapping out deer hunting spots and such. Ill have to play with this a bit more to really get it all figured out and such, but on the surface yeah this is pretty cool. The import mechanics spelled out here are spot on.

Importing

I did this in Google Maps. I'll need to see about saving these as permanent maps and such. The big thing is to get your method to export maps as KMZ files sorted out. The app I use on my phone basically has a "Save as" function which saves the recorded track as a KMZ (Or GPX) file, then from there I just connect my phone to the PC and download the import. 

I assume a Garmin unit will be similar in recording your track, using Base whatever it is to export that as a KMZ file and from there import into Google Maps. I have a Garmin somewhere, I'll drag it out and see if I can unfuck the Garmin method to do this.

FOr what its worth, if you want to do this "right now" I'm using BackCountry Navigator Pro as the Android app. I havent found an app that does track exports for free. Lots of free navigation programs, and lots that can be upgraded in a paid for manner, but all the free variants dont seem to have an export function. Many do once you get the paid version. 

Outside of BackCountry (Which I picked up from the recommendation of another member) I've given thought to getting US Topo Maps Pro. Given the price I may yet get it. I mean fuck it, whats 10 bucks right? 

Do note, without getting into "Garmin or app", these mapping programs are full function top notch stuff. They use the same GPS sources Garmin does (Maybe....Not sure if they use the Russian birds). They log all sorts of info. Its essentially the Garmin product in a different GUI really. The major 2 drawbacks to phone over GPS in my opinion is the phones dont have near the battery life and the phones probably arent nearly as rugged. But as far as performance? I'd put a number of the nav apps right head to head with the Garmin GPS.

But thats neither here nor there. Ultimately either will give you a KMZ/GPX map to import into Google sources (Or other programs)

I couldn't find Back country Navigator for Iphone.

I downloaded Topo Maps for $8 and it seems to be a very small notch above useless.

I downloaded Topo Maps+ on the wifes iPhone, looks functional enough though. Not sure what you find missing? You should be able to center on your location, then from there looks like a Record button which will record your track. I havent made one so I dont know how to download it from there. Ugh, I hope I dont need ITunes to download it. I'll ru it by my daughter, shes the iPhone person. 

I guess lets start with whats wrong with the app? Being honest here, I dont use iPhones and havent used that program so no idea what its capabilities are.

First and foremost, a warning...I'm a technological dumbass that will frustrate the hell out of you!

In that app, which ones the record tracks button?

I'm trying to find a users guide for your app, but lets at least agree what we are looking at. 

Does your screen look something like this?

Not at all

Is this what you have?

Topo Maps

I think so but want to be sure. From the Q&A, it looks like that app might actually NOT do recording?! Which seems fucking broken.....

===
Feature Requests
Please can you add......We'll be adding more features in future versions. Do please tell us what you think we should work on next. The most common requests are for track display and recording, and for printing.
===

yes that appears to be the same app I bought.  in your pic, the tool button are completely different.

The app seems to do nothing more than what the map app my phone came with does.  (Google maps I think is what came with it)

The pic I provided is from some free version I downloaded. 

Topo Maps+

You'll need a program that does both recording AND exporting. The one you have, based on the Features section, does neither.  The free one I linked does recording and exporting. That said, I'm not sure the specifics on how it works. I'd bet the export function requires you to upgrade to a paid version. From the Topo Maps+ page:

Topo Maps+ app store

EXPERIENCE 
* View your current location on the map, even if you are offline. 
* Use the compass to orientate the map so you know which direction to go. 
* Record your trip to see your distance, elevation profile, and average speed. 
* With downloaded maps you can go deeper and farther into the backcountry without being worried about having an internet connection. 

SHARE, IMPORT, & EXPORT
* Share routes, trips, and waypoints with your friends.
* Share custom map images
* Export routes, trips, and waypoints to KML & GPX files to use in other apps.
* Import routes and waypoints from KML or GPX files.


Now I'm not necessarily suggesting this one. I've not used it beyond a quick install thinking this is what you had. From the pricing page on that app:

Top In-App Purchases

1. "12 Month Map Pass"$19.99
2. "3 Month Map Pass"$11.99
3. "2 Month Map Pass"$9.99
4. "6 Month Map Pass"$14.99
5. "12 Months Topo Maps+ PRO"$47.99
6. "3 Months Topo Maps+ PRO"$29.99
7. "Upgrade to Topo Maps+ PRO for 12 months"$35.99
8. "Upgrade to Topo Maps+ PRO for 12 moths"$29.99
9. "USGS & Thunderforest Topo Maps for 6 months"$4.99
10. "6 Months Topo Maps+ PRO"$38.99

My speculation is the export feature will be tied to a paid version. If not....That'd be fucking sweet. At least it would get you started for free. I think the first order of business is can you return the one you bought? Thats a bit shit a paid for app doesnt do record and export. 

So all of that said, given the free version of Topo Maps+ at least does recording I'd suggest starting there. Hit record, walk around the block (Or the back yard!) and then stop the recording and see if theres a way to export the map.

Which is what I'm going to go do right now.......

But as I said, I dont know what to recommend on the iTunes side of things. Regardless anything you download, be it free or paid, you'll want to do a quick scan to make sure it does record and export. I usually just load the app page in my browser then hit Ctrl-F (Find) and do a quick search for "Export" and/or "Record". 

One thing I dont like right off about the version I'm playing with is it looks subscription based....I prefer "One and done" on payments.

Holy shit, so it looks like the free version of the program I'm using DOES allow both recording and exporting. Thats pretty cool. So, since we are trying to get the process sortde, just grab the free version of that program I'm using above. Download that, the main toolbar on the bottom should have the record button. Test it out, hit record and go for a quick walk. Once you are done click the Pause button, it will give you an optin to Stop. Click Stop then in the new menu that opens up scroll down to "Export". 

From there email it to yourself. Or otherwise save the KMZ file and get it on your PC. I had my wife email me because I dont want to install iTunes. 

Here is what my screen looks like.  I paid $8 for it.  I'm not going to pay for anything right now as my Garmin 64S will be here tomorrow.  
Attached File



Just downloaded the free version.

Yep, that screen capture looks to be from the version that doesnt do recording. Very unhelpful. As far as just playing around and testing the free version I listed above appears to do both recording and exporting. Well, I know it does recording, I just recorded my quick walk to the mailbox. I saved it and have emailed it to myself but havent received it yet. 

So if you just want to play around with this that free version should allow you to get a KMZ file which we can import into Google Maps. If it ever emails me the damn file..... 

Yep, this free version is everything I was thinking I would be getting when I paid for the $8 version

Now I have to get my phone so I can email from it.  For some reason, I've always only been able to receive emails on it, not send.

So I'll be able to trace my tracks from this and put it on google earth and save it?  I'm starting to regret my Garmin purchase!

You guys need to download and use Garmin's Basecamp software (its free!).  Makes it easy to backup your data, work with the data on a big screen and then transfer it to Google Earth (also free).  It also has a built in programs for checking and installing the latest version of the firmware for your particular GPS unit.  Just plug your unit in and click on the right menu item and it will detect what GPS you have plugged in and then go get the correct latest version of the firmware.

Also check out www.gpsfiledepot.com.  A huge database of data for Garmin mapping units.  In most cases the data is free.  You download the maps you want from the database and in most cases simply install it like any other program.  Then when you run Basecamp you will have a new map in Basecamp can you can use and upload to your GPS unit assuming it supports maps.

Well, I've only played with the free version for about 20 minutes so I cant say for sure what it will and will not do. But at first glance, yeah it'll do everything you need. The paid version you have.....Not so much. 

Now given you already use an iPhone you may have whatever is needed to download files from the phone to your computer. My understanding is nothing comes off an iPhone unless you have iTunes. But the punchline is after you record and save your track you need to export the KMZ file either emailing it to yourself or saving it locally and downloading it from your phone to the computer. 

From there you can use what I linked above a ways to import that into Google Maps. I havent done Google Earth yet so no experience on that. So the unknowns to me are:

- Does the Google Maps become  permanent, or is it removed after a time
- Can I share the customer Google Maps map
- Can other edit the custom Google Maps
- Can I add more than 1 KM file into a custom Gogole Maps map

But the heart of it all is going to be the KMZ file. As long as you keep the recorded track you should be able to re-import that into Google Earth/Maps as needed. For e

Very cool  Thanks for your help!

I have an eTRex 20 and have used Basecamp. Frankly I was not at all impressed with the program. What should have been an easy method to update maps felt very clunky and unrefined. I think more than anything thats what turned me off to the whole Garmin ecosphere is Basecamp. Getting new maps into Basecamp was so fucking retarded it made my head spin.

No problem man! Not sure I've done anything more than just get you to spend $8 though....... 

Not sure I agree.  Yeah the interface is a little clunky (but much better than the old MapSource program for the older RS-232 Serial Units) but installing maps from GIS File Depot was always super simple.  Download map installer for the map you want.  Run installer.  Run Basecamp.  New maps automatically appears in Basecamp the next time you run it.  Go to the [Map] menu and Install to GPS.

my kids  gave me a new Garmin GPSMAP 64st for Christmas.  I have yet to figure it out.  I am in the woods often, here in Florida,  as well as in Georgia and Alabama.  I really don't need a GPS and am too lazy to learn how to use it.   I am keeping my smart phone though.   :)

I have used Backcountry Navigator Pro for a couple of years now with various cell phones. A lot of what happened in the app depended on how well the phone worked (ie what GPS chip and other factors). I've had it stop working in the middle of a hike, phone die, and various other problems. I recently bought a Garmin 64s and I'm loving it so far. I can put any map I want on it and Basecamp is awesome for planning.

I've gotten a lot of great free maps from here GPSFileDepot

Thanks for the great info in this thread.  Cabela's has the various garmin 64 models on sale for 33% off.  Using the free shipping code 7dadsday, I ordered the 64st for $250 shipped including tax.

@superthinh

Thanks for the info, I got Best Buy to price match and give me a refund.

There is a Garmin with a twist, that a lot of folks do not know about.  The Alpha 100 is a full featured handheld GPS that includes MURS band spread spectrum digital linking to similar models. The handhelds can display each others locations and send short Text messages to each other (they call it emergency messaging).  MURS and channel hopping digital means it is anywhere from a mile to 3 miles range and VERY resistant to interference and other traffic in the band.  We use these for upland bird hunting, to track our dogs in heavy cover, but we have discussed the possible SHITF potential several times.

WE encourage everyone to use the same model, and me sure they link them before hunts, as a means of finding a down hunter if something unexpected happened.