I've used a Garmin eTrex for a lot of geocaching finds. It's more intuitive for me than other brands I've tried. It stores 500 waypoints. I paid under $80 for it on sale a few years back when most GPSs were selling for more than they do today. The link is to the Garmin site....not the cheapest place for sure, but it gives the product info and ID. Best to search elsewhere for the best price.

Heavy conifer cover may mess with reception with this and many other brands.I've dragged mine through the water a lot while kayaking and the waterproof claim is true. I do open up the battery case and let it dry out good when I get home, though.

You might also try asking at the geocaching.com forums. Many people there live with a GPS constantly. And tell them to keep the techie talk to a minimum. They can get crazy!

Here is a link that might be useful: Garmin eTrex

do you get lost in your yard that often????

rotflmbo ...

ken

PS: i presume you need this for your exploration of the mountains of IL .. when you are searching out brooms and prime mature specimens ...

PPS: all kidding aside ... for what purpose will you use this.. i appreciate the whole guy-toy thing.. but if budget is truly imperative.. do you really need it right now ... these type of gizmos only get cheaper ... its the old cost/benefit analysis ... we know the cost.. what is your benefit????

a$$hole ^^^ rotflmbo as well!

Thank you naturegirl. Very much.

Ken, I live 30 minutes from 2900 acres of conifer forests: it's called Big River State Park. It's clothed in Pinus densiflora/Pinus strobus & Pinus banksiana/Pinus resinosa.

My little-self just might get lost! Or I won't be able to find my ELECTRIC BLUE truck! lol

You are king, at least today.

Sipping coffee.

Dax

doesnt your cell phone have gps .... they seem to imply such on all the tv shows i watch ... they track down the bad guys by their phones...

perhaps an app for your phone would be cheaper ... but not if you have to buy a new phone .... i suppose

thank god you had a sense of humor this morn .... later dude ...

ken

I have this on my phone! Many smart phones have GPS with Google maps.

How about buying a second hand flare gun with some colored smoke cartridges? Red= 'Help,I'm lost' Green= 'Hooray! I've found a broom' and blue= 'I've bumped into Naturegirl and would you mind leaving us alone! '. Just an idea... T.

Ah...I'm not generally wandering around alone in Illinois forests.

Before doing much with your phone, I'd check to see what kind of coverage you have in remote areas. I'm no techie, but I don't think any GPS apps will work unless you have some signal as I think they are using signals from the cell towers and not from the orbiting satellites that GPSs use. I could be wrong about this, though. A few years ago, most of my favorite hiking areas had very poor or no cell phone signal. Some are better now, others are still dead zones. The GPS is much more reliable. And don't ever let yourself do stupid things in the wilds assuming you can call for help with your cell if injuries result. Sure take the phone, but don't depend on it.

Would a topographical map and a compass be an option? You can get decent online maps without too much trouble. I've also seen people turning to look back at every turn in the trail and taking a photo with a digital camera or phone...that part of the phone might work without signal. Then as they backtrack, they just look for the spot that matches their photo. Not sure I'd trust myself to this, but it might work for some areas.

Seriously, you may want to check if there is a geocaching get together in your area. You could chat with people about all kinds of GPS units and see how theirs work. Geocachers are a helpful bunch, even if we...er, they, are a bit crazy.

I use a "magic phone" - one of the new "smart phones" that can do everything short of making pancakes for you and diagnosing dietary issues from the sound of your farts. As ridiculous and over-the-top as these phones can be, they can be used for some fairly great purposes, as well. I specifically use a program called "cardiotrainer", a free application that is designed for monitoring jogging and walking "workouts" but essentially traces your track - it does not need a network connection, just a gps connection, to function. It has saved me many times when buried deep in shaded redwood forest, following an overgrown trail and fighting time for sunlight. The "google maps" application is very useful, as well. It has a "terrain" layer which is essentially a topographic map. The specific phone I use is sold by t-mobile as the "my touch" (really lame name) but it is excellent if only for the GPS alone.

diagnosing dietary issues from the sound of your farts.

===>>> thats pretty ... jeeeeeezzzzz

ken

I'm on it. I like the etrex H. There are some on ebay I'm watching.

Thank ya all, appreciate it!

Pancakes do sound delicious. :)

Dax

Hi, the GPS in a cellphone uses satelites and will work in areas without cell coverage. Consider en Android based phone and get an app which can work with cached OpenStreetMap. /Hans Olav

Already bought the extrex H.

I don't mess with all those application phones.

Thanks everybody !

Dax

I've been using an iPhone for 2 years now, and the GPS function does not work without a network connection. I know many other "smart phones" are the same way. I dont think I would want to use my phone for GPS purposes anyway. I'm in the market for one currently as well, and whatever one I get has to work in very remote back country. Ideally I want to be able to load topo maps onto it as well. I do a fair amount of hiking, and some of the places I like to go a GPS, along with topo maps, compass, and bushwhacking equipment are not only strongly encouraged, they are all but a necessity. It is even recommended that you carry an emergency beacon in some of these places. The combination of remoteness, very dense Red Spruce forest, and extreme thickets of Rhododendron understory ( you literally cant see more then 3-5 feet in any direction), exposed elevation, and VERY EXTREME / Dramatic weather conditions make these places dangerous at times esp in oct - june and esp if you are not prepared and do not know where you are going. Even in good weather getting lost can be a very big issue.

I snowboarded some back country on Mt. Hood in Oregon and if I hadn't been with some friends, I'd of ended up lost on the mountain. I know where you're coming from. This was 10 or more years ago and my friends used to wear something around their neck that was a safety-beacon that would notify "someone" to an emergency.

The cell phone/smart phone/ I don't even know what all of them are. And, I pay 17-18 dollars a month for my cell phone which I've only had for a year and a half. Not very long, considering...

Dax

Bushnell backtracks Point-5 Personal GPS Locator is type of cool to use. You need to re-calibrate it each time you switch it on then wonder if it's correct or not.

If it calibrated it can do work, and it's also real user friendly, only a pain to switch it on and calibrate each time, it does turn off every five minutes and no way for you to keep it on.

For the cost, I suppose it's good however better make use of a compass with it to make sure of your direction. I wouldn't recommend this device, spend the money and buy a Garmin.

Here is a link that might be useful: garmin GPS watch reviews

I still haven't used it but maybe the newest company in the US, LightSquared will have even more ill-effects. Hope not.

Dax