Garmin Foretrex 301 Waterproof Hiking GPS

Simple, durable, and relatively easy to use. I always hike with a map and compass, typically on marked trails but wanted to explore a little more. I enjoy using paper maps and having that wide area view that's hard to discern on a small screen, but I got this GPS to give me a little piece of mind off-trail. I don't know how often ill use preloaded routes, but I do like the track back. Together with a $2 pocket plotting tool and you can find your position in seconds. It locks on fast at startup and has proven to be quite accurate. The trip computer is easily adjustable to any field you could want, with a set series of layouts to view. I found connecting it to my iMac to be easy and straight forward. Within minutes I loaded a few test routes and waypoints using BaseCamp, both with free maps on BaseCamp readily available online, and through importing routes from hillmap.com. I haven't done any torture testing, but the reviews from the military guys tell me it'll hold up well. I personally find the wrist-strap comfortable and barely notice the 2.5oz device in there. I do have skinny wrists though and the strap is a bit short so I can see how other people might have issues.I initially had a hard time deciding on this versus $40 more for the 401, or even an Etrex20 (similar price point). I eventually figured I didn't need the electronic compass or the potential hassle of constantly recalibrating it, and was not interested in the barometric pressure and more accurate elevation. I've read of issues where the pressure doesn't calibrate correctly and it can throw off trip data, or where you turn the device off and move (to save battery) and need to recalibrate the compass. None of these types of things i felt like dealing with and thus chose the 301. As for the Etrex, I'll wait a little and probably invest in a more fully featured device later rather than skimping now. The 301 fulfills it's purpose excellently, and I'll stick with what works well.

This is a great device. Purchased and then immediately used on a 4 day backpacking trip. The PITA (abbreviation for Pain in __ __) part of it is turning the tracking on or off. It's buried within the menus. So to save battery (because we all want to carry a bunch of batteries backpacking...) I would turn this feature off when we break for lunch/etc. The end result of the tracking though is stunning. Upload to google earth and you can see 3d of where exactly you were. Pretty slick. The file this outputs is a .gpx, which you can upload to some sites on the web and get all kinds of statistics, like time climbing, total distance, etc. The screen on the device is customizable with a selection of available variables. I found these usefull all on the same screen for backpacking: sunset time, time to next waypoint, and elapsed distance. This way we could approximate how long we had until sundown (a very accurate feature) and how far we were from where we wanted to go. Also note you can turn this on at home, and enter coordinates using the buttons for waypoints ahead of time before you go on a trip, but you cannot "upload a file" to it with waypoints you want. You have to do it manually. Overall, a pretty capable little device for a great price. Also, it takes a beating, mine is a little beat from the trip I took, but the rubber and plastic body is plenty tough. Recommend it.

I purchased the Garmin Foretrex 301 for simple navigation while hunting, hiking, and canoeing. I hunt in flatter areas and don't need the features of the Foretrex 401.I've used various GPS units in the field since the '90s. The Foretrex 301 reminds me of the first non-mapping unit I had but in a smaller package. In all activities the 301 has performed as advertised and I'm very pleased. The satelite aquisition is very fast and accuracy / repeatability is great. Battery life is very good and will last from before sunrise till well after dark.The interface is very simple and easy to use. The configurable page is what I like best and that's where I display my 4 favorite data items. One of those items is current time so I no longer need to wear a watch in the field. I carry along a map & compass too and sometimes miss having a mapping GPS with me, but I don't miss the bulk of a hand-held GPS.Being wrist mounted, the Foretrex is easily consulted without having to release your grip on the paddle when canoeing or having to dig in a pocket when hunting. One con is the supplied wrist strap; it was way too small for my thick arm so I purchased a longer replacement from a watch store.UPDATE: June 2013After two years of use, the Garmin 301 is still performing as new. The odometer feature is one of my favorites. It's great to know how far I've cycled, hiked, or paddled for the day. I've used screen protection overlays and that's prevented scratches to the display. Still very pleased with the purchase.

It is functional, it is handy, it is accurate, it is not very user friendly. A great concept, but they really need to work on the user interface of this. It is not what I would call intuitive. I'm not a techie, and I think a lot of typical users of this would not be either. I had to go online and download, print and study a million-page owner's manual to get the hang of it. And then study it again right before I go out hiking. I'm no dummy, but I found this to be a bit clunky in the user interface department. Lots of room for improvement. I suppose if you used it every day, the quirky operating system would become familiar, but if you use it 2-3 times a month, good luck.

You can not load maps into this Garmin and it does not come with any maps. This is not noted in the product description. All it does is tell you where you are and where you have been. Will not help you find the trail. Do not buy if what you want to do is more than a walk in the woods.