Handheld GPS: Reviews

Sure, its expensive, but the Garmin Oregon 550t is easily the top choice among experts as the best handheld GPS receiver for dedicated adventurers. It's the successor to the well-received (and still available) Garmin… Oregon 400t (*Est. $360) and carries over many of that GPS receiver's best features, including an iPhone-like touch-screen that makes using the 550t both fun and easy. Additional functions include a 3.2-megapixel, geo-tagging camera with 4X zoom and a three-axis digital compass that keeps you pointed in the right direction. Other than price, the biggest complaint is that the display can be difficult to see in bright sunlight (just like the Oregon 400t).

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The Garmin Dakota 20 is a compact yet rugged GPS receiver. Its small size and light weight are ideal for hikers, but its screen is a tad on the small size, meaning less of a map is visible at one time. Like the Oregon… 550t above, the touch-screen display is fun and easy to use, but it's also a challenge to view in bright sunlight and suffers from fairly low resolution. Features include a three-axis compass that can be read regardless of the direction its being held, and start-up is fast. Long battery life is another plus, reviews say.

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Handheld GPS buyers on a budget would be hard pressed to find a better choice than the Gamin eTrex Venture HC. The Venture HC features a quality color screen and a very sensitive GPS signal processor. It lacks the bells… and whistles found in higher-priced receivers, of course, so don't expect a compass, altimeter, touch screen or similar features. What you will find with the eTrex Venture HC is a handheld GPS with all the basics needed to get the job done.

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