Garmin Foretrex 101

Tall Paul
Reviewed: 22 February 2008

GPS WHERE YOU WANT IT

Straightforward user interface.
Versatile displays - you can choose what is displayed where with a wide choice of fields.
Good battery life and as it uses standard AAAs you can take some spares.
Serial interface allows GPX routes to be loaded into it easily.

It's still a bit of a lump on your wrist and it can take some adjusting when you're wearing it with a waterproof.
Ability to go back a page would be nice.

Nice bit of kit and only about UKP70 if you shop around a bit.

Jugglernick
Reviewed: 19 February 2008

GREAT 'HIKER'S LITTLE HELPER' NAVIGATION TOOL.

This is a basic GPS, it tells you where you are, where you were and how far/fast you've gone in between. This makes no pretensions to being an all-round navigation package.
Having said that, it is a great little unit: compact (0.08 litres), inexpensive (bought for £60), easy on the batteries (16+ hours continuous use on alkalines), lightweight (96g with batteries), very accurate on open ground and great for that added confidence of knowing exactly where you are.
This comes into it's own when you connect it to mapping software with a link cable, being able to programme and review trips is a great tool and one which almost everyone can find a use for.

It is not fantastically accurate unless it can see lots of open sky - it loses signal amongst trees and fairly low buildings.
It is also a bit of a pain to wear on the wrist - it does fit and it is reasonably confortable but it gets in the way and is hard to take clothes off while you wear it.

I really like this thing, it is a good fallback in low visibility or when your map and compass skills fail you. I have had the odd moment when I REALLY needed this - walking up to Nant Rhys bothy with a huge storm closing in and the light almost gone - and wouldn't head out without one now.
This is ideal if you want a backup in your pack - 96g for peace of mind is a small burden to carry and it takes up a minute amount of space.

No matter how good it is, never leave home without a map and compass - the GPS is only to check you were right in the first place.

Gary Moore
Reviewed: 13 October 2005

NAVIGATION FOR A NUMPTY

I am over the moon with mine (once I worked out how to set it to display British OS coordinates rather than longitude and latitude). I mostly use it for just taking note of where the car is and checking where we are on a map at any given time, and for these purposes it's perfect.

For someone who knew absolutely nothing about navigation and/or GPS, it took some getting my head around, but that's more my problem than the unit itself.

For those (like me) who do not have the first clue about using a map and compass, and therefore want a reasonably reliable way of bot getting lost, then this is money really well spent.

Steve Collier
Reviewed: 29 June 2005

EXCELLENT FOR WALKING IF INBUILT MAPS ARE NOT NEEDED

Accuracy and quality of satellite lock.
Good for geocaching, for example.
Portability/wearability, cf. with a normal hand-held GPS

Battery life is not outstanding (12+ hrs)
Does not have categories of waypoints.
Does not do waypoint averaging (for getting the exact coords of a cache)

Excellent

Guy .......
Reviewed: 24 March 2005

SUPERB AND WRIST MOUNTED SO EASY TO USE WITH TREKING POLES

easy clear design. Uses normal batteries so no recharging problems on the hoof. Wrist strap means no problem using it in connection with treking poles, map and compass when out, a draw back with hand held devices where you can just run out of hands

none found as yet.

As good as the etrex but with the benifit of being wrist mounted so easy to use with treking poles and doesn't get in the way