Selecting a GPS device

Question

I am out to purchase a (dedicated) GPS device for the outlined below use cases. Trouble is, I have never owned a GPS-enabled device. Furthermore, general articles on "how to purchase sports GPS" seem to vague. What features am I supposed to value most? What "type" of device do I need?

Use cases:

• Ski trekking at about 2000m elevation, up to a week without electricity. I use a map, but if a (heavy) fog falls, I could be depending on the device for up to 2-3 days straight.

• Bicycle trekking on rough mountain paths, up to two weeks without electricity. Again, I would carry a map, but when in doubt would need the GPS so as not go off path and waste half a day wandering around.

Answer 1

What features am I supposed to value most?

Really you should decide this yourself.

I would value

• longest battery life
• simplicity of display
• least size/weight
• usability with gloves on

The second point is quite important to me. This isn't a device you will use when sitting at leisure at a desk or table sipping a Martini. You probably want to keep your eyes ahead and occasionally glance at the device to pick up key info. A display that crams lots of detail into it will usually be much harder to read at a glance.

For more leisurely perusal you might as well just buy a $50 smartphone and an offline mapping app (ViewRanger is pretty good IMO).

Answer 2

If your doing this sort of activity I would NOT look at cycling related, or "sports" GPS devices. Your shopping for something that could potentially save your life. You won't need many of the functions of a cycling computer on a ski trek. You may also check out "The Great Outdoors" stack and search through there.

In my humble opinion two key factors for your application would be battery life [the biggest factor], or the ability to change or charge the battery, and Durability, considering you will be using it for Ski treks in addition to bike treks, your going to want something the elements won't bother, cold, wet, sand, mud etc. I would look at one that is waterproof for sure.

Easy to use with gloves on would be a definite plus, as is the size and weight, but the latter shouldn't be a big issue. I would also read a lot of reviews online once you narrow it down to a brand or style you like.

You may also think about looking at one that is usb rechargeable and a good quality power bank or two depending on battery type and life.

Answer 3

I would like to recommend a "hiking" GPS. A good example is the Garmin Oregon/Montana/Dakota units. Pick one that fits your price range. They are water resistant and shock resistant. They are built very ruggedly and can be operated with gloves. You can use regular AA batteries which means as long as you pack enough batteries, you never have to worry about running out. If you're going with the Oregon/Montana model, you might want to get the "t" version (such as Oregon 600t) as it include topographical maps, which could come in very useful for your purposes.

I personally use the Garmin Oregon 450 (no longer sold) on my bike. It seems to acquire a signal rather quickly so you can turn it off if you don't need it all the time, but you can also leave it on as the batteries last quite a long time (16 hours on a set of AA+). You can pair it with an ANT+ heart rate and/or cadence sensor (no speed sensor supported) with your bike. It has a good sturdy bike mount so you can easily mount it on your handle bars. There's a clip on the back and they included a carabiner so you can easily latch it to yourself so it doesn't get lost. You can use rechargable NiMH batteries, so if you bring some kind of solar charger with you, then you could theoretically have unlimited battery life.

I think these units would probably suit your needs. They seem to match all the requirements given by yourself the other people who answered.