GPS recommendations

[HeatherNC]

Hi all - looking for a reliable inexpensive GPS. Planning to thru-hike the Colorado Trail this summer. The databook is pretty specific (ie, "make a sharp right at mile 5.2"), so I really just need something that would track my miles. Ones I'm looking at only have 13 hours battery life - ? Does one turn them on and off throughout the day?

[Maineiac64]

Gaigps on smartphone.

[dcdennis]

i believe that there is a version of guthooks that you can use for this trail. chris berry has been streaming it (his CT thru hike) on youtube and shows screenshots of it.

[saltysack]

No need use smartphone assume already carrying w guthooks built in gps....from what I saw last year on loop it's easy to follow and guthooks is priceless!


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[bigcranky]

Pretty sure the Guthook app has the Colorado Trail. That'll be the most detailed and easiest way to keep track of where you are on the trail. It costs a couple of bucks for the trail download, but it works in Airplane Mode (after the initial download) so you don't suck down the battery. I can use my iPhone for more than a week that way and not use more than 20 or 30% of the battery.

[Miner]

For a dedicated GPS device, Garmin Extrex 20x and 30x are popular. Weigh about 5 oz and has a 26 hour battery life on 2x AA batteries which is easy to replace.

Using a smartphone's GPS can work for occasional use. For heavy use, you'll have to add a battery pack to recharge which usually weighs more than the dedicated device.

[10-K]

For the life of me I don't know why Garmin or DeLorme never made a GPS with larger screens and without the 10k trackpoint limit. If I had a dollar for every hour I've spent chopping/converting/hacking/screwing with GPX files just to get them to load I'd have a few bucks.

I use a combination of Wikiloc and MotionX on my iPhone now. Works superbly.

Guthook is awesome if there's a version for your trail.

[nsherry61]

. . . looking for a reliable inexpensive GPS. . . The databook is pretty specific (ie, "make a sharp right at mile 5.2"), so I really just need something that would track my miles. . .
Get a map! Then, learn to read it. Then, mark your route on the map using the guidebook as a reference. Then, learn how fast you walk so you can estimate your distance traveled with nothing more than a watch.

Then, you're not stuck with only guidebook instructions if you get lost, you have options beyond only what the guidebook includes for trails etc. and your GPS becomes a handy novelty instead of an electronic navigation device that can fail and screw you up an any point along the way.

Then, since you'll be in an area that is not prone to endless rain, use your smart phone with a good GPS app, as suggested above, to provide yet another useful navigation tool in your tool kit instead of your primary tool.