🗺️ Exploring the World with Garmin eTrex 30 Handheld GPS Navigator Review

I bought the eTrex 30 as a long awaited upgrade to my eTrex Vista (which still works) and am very happy with it. It's quite small so you can easily take it with you for a walk or hike, attach it to your bike, hang it on your backpack, etc., but still big enough to use in your car (via dash mount). I loaded topo maps onto a microSD card which really makes this a great device. I love exploring Forest Service roads and trails and with this eTrex by my side I never feel like I don't know where I…

I bought this GPS as a gift for my dad last Christmas to make his snowmobile rides safer. After a season of use, he decided it was too tough and offered it to me for mountain biking. Although I wanted him to keep using it, I happily agreed! I now keep it in the RAM mount on the handlebars of my Trek Remedy and it has proven to be a faithful companion on my mountain bike rides. First I installed the SD card and downloaded the Garmin Topo 24k Northeast maps to get them. I always use Energizer…

I bought the original eTrex when it came out (it didn't have a basemap), its overall accuracy was 25-30 feet. Then came the eTrex Vista, which was a massive improvement with a minimal basemap and an accuracy of around 15-25 feet. patch cover. I bought an eTrex 30 along with a 100k topo map and was blown away! I've used these devices primarily for hiking and biking, the eTrex 30's accuracy is typically less than 10 feet and the amount of information on the map is pretty damn accurate. And…

I use the eTrex 30 for two purposes: 1. To take with me when photographing vacations, hikes and events. I will then use Lightroom to add the location to my photos. It's great to see your vacations and hikes with photos arranged on a Google Earth or Lightroom.2 map. on vacation and in unfamiliar areas, use street maps to track where my hotel or camp is, find points of interest, record where I've been, and ultimately find my way back to my hotel or camp. Sunlight not a problem - display…

This GPS comes in three price levels: I choose the most expensive because it's a lifetime investment. I am retiring soon (God forbid!) and plan to do a lot of traveling to remote areas on public lands and the like. I tried it on a 10-day expedition in Big Bend National Park in Southwest Texas. It definitely tracks where and (when) you are, where you've been, both horizontally and vertically, and has many, many features (like telling you how much time is left until sunset, etc.). I see him full…

This would be a five star product except for two things: 1) I have one with a dead pixel in a bad spot. 2) Even with the latest software update and after a few years, the app keeps crashing. I've only had a complete GPS failure and reboot. Other than that, this GPS is really amazing. The ability to add custom maps via KMZ is excellent. Stop wasting time on a hike trying to figure out where you are on a paper map using UTM or – God help you – degrees and minutes. I like this GPS very much. I had

This GPS has many reviews. It seems many of the low reviews are more in line with Gramin as a company and/or its marketing/pricing policies. There's a lot more information in the sparse printed documentation, and a little more in the base camp app, which you can download (for free) from the Garmin website. USA with the intention of using it for off-road hiking on the many excellent trails in West Virginia and Virginia. Anyone looking for GPS for car/road navigation should probably look for…

I've been using GPS on my phone for hiking and hiking for a few years now. The EveryTrail app is fantastic. However, the phone's battery only lasts about 4 hours of constant use as a GPS, and after hiking with other people with Garmins I finally bought this Etrex 30. It's light (4.5 ounces with battery), lasts MUCH longer than my phone and works much better than GPS. Now I can keep my phone off and save battery life. (Plus, it's much easier to read in bright light than it is on my phone, and…