Best GPS for Hiking

The wind at the your back, sand and sun in your eyes and the mountain or road ahead.. for hikers and outdoor explorers, the thrill is not in reaching a destination but the journey there. While hiking, it is important to have the right equipment and hiking gear to help in this arduous activity. Just like the compass is the quintessential mariner's equipment, a GPS is the necessary device for the avid hiker.

For hiking, a GPS device allow easy updation of maps to and from a PC or another GPS. Look for any pre-loaded maps and built-in maps as well. Design plays a role too. The device should be hardy enough to withstand the toll of the elements of nature. Waterproof or at least water resistant and capable of handling bumps and scratches. The GPS screen is perhaps the most important part of the design, as you will view all information through it. Check the readability of the screen in bright sunlight. Look for a trans reflective color screen ability. The accuracy and reception strength of the GPS is another important feature. Keeping these factors in mind, here are a few contenders for the title of "best GPS for hiking", arranged according to brand.

Best GPS for Hiking 2011

I. Magellan eXplorist 310 Waterproof Hiking GPS

2.2 inch color QVGA screen
Waterproof with sturdy design
Device comes pre-loaded with World Edition Map
3-5 meter GPS accuracy factor using the SiRFstarIII™ GPS system
Upto 18 hours of battery life with 2 AA batteries
Built-in memory of 2GB with 500 MB RAM
Features like Suspend Mode, Track Summary and geocaching
Connect device to PC with USB port and see your location on computer screen (possible with VantagePoint software)
Price: $200

II. Magellan eXplorist 610 United States

Take pictures, record voice data and capture video of hiking position with 3.2 MP camera
Waterproof and durable design for the toughest of outdoor conditions
View and analyze maps in 3D or 2D
3 inch touch screen with programmable buttons for easy access to key functions
Upto 16 hours of battery life with 2 AA batteries
World Edition and Summit Series USA pre-loaded maps on device
Built-in hard disk is 4GB with RAM of 500 MB
Price: $450

III. Magellan Triton 1500 - North America

2.7 inch touch screen with color
Record voice notes and data with built-in microphone
48 in-built maps and adding of additional detailed maps allowed
Designed for the outdoors with rugged, waterproof design and LED flashlight
Listen to music with headphone jack, using included music player
Uses the SiRFstarIII™ GPS chipset with 3-5 meter accuracy factor
External antenna can be added to increase signal reception
Expand built-in memory with SD slot
Upto 10 hours of battery life using 2AA batteries
Price: $300

IV. Garmin Montana™ 650t

Spacious 4 inch touch screen with color
5 MP camera allows picture and video capture with geotagging
Waterproof and very tough, designed for the road
Connect device to PC with USB and view data as well as form location on existing map
Expandable memory with SD slot, add more maps to your device
Share info between other Montana 650ts using wireless transfer
Battery can be recharged or used with 2 AA batteries, upto 16 hours of battery life
Geocaching, preloaded BlueChart® g2 maps and support for BirdsEye Satellite Imagery (sold separately)
Hard disk of 3.5 GB and HotFix® satellite prediction feature
Price: $700

V. Garmin Foretrex® 401

1.4 inch black and white LCD display
Waterproof device, can be strapped to wrist or hand-held
TracBack® feature shows you complete path taken , so you can retrace your steps easily
Connect wirelessly to another Foretrex 401 or to other devices like heart rate monitor
Connect to PC with USB port or use wireless Internet access to access Garmin Connect™ site
Upto 17 hours of battery life with AAA batteries
Price: $200


VI. Garmin eTrex Vista® HCx

Small, compact and light with waterproof build
1.3 inch TFT 256 color display
Upto 25 hours of battery life with 2 AA batteries
Features include barometric altimeter, geocaching and electronic compass
Transfer data to PC with USB connector
Expandable memory with SD slot
Price: $300

VII. Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator & Topo North America 9.0

Capable of sending SMS to others using SPOT Satellite
Tough and hardy – waterproof, humidity tested, bump and shock resistant
TOPO North America 9.0 included with this device
Built in storage of 3.5 GB with dual core processor
Uses 32-channel STMicroelectronics Cartesio GPS chipset
Expandable memory with SD card slot
Built-in barometer and paperless geocaching support
Illuminated screen, power saving and stealth mode with button locking control
Price: $450


It's easy to see from the above best GPS for hiking models, that this sort of specialized equipment is not cheap. And it shouldn't be, since any compromise in quality could lead to a faulty GPS and lack of trust in its bearings and data. For hiking enthusiasts, the cost of this device should be proportional to its specs matching their needs. So choose wisely, based on the features and try testing the GPS device before any major trips or events and happy trailblazing!