Garmin etrex 30 + basecamp?

[Secretsponge]

originally I had planned on just using my laptop for navigation, but that seems huge and hot to be on my passengers lap a few hours a day. so now I'm thinking about the etrex, I would still be keeping my laptop in the rig to make any on the fly changes with base camp.

is there any complaints with this setup? are there any other recomendations that can be made? I have a fairly limited budget and Im very new to navigation, so the least amount of mistakes would be a plus. long story short, I need help. thank you

 

[Christophe Noel]

The eTrex is great and joins me on most of my trips where portability is key. It is ideally suited to hiking, mountain biking, etc. The 30 has the capacity to pair to heart rate monitors, power meters, etc. It also has an electronic compass whcih isn't a big deal to most. If the 30 appeals to you, the 20 might save you some bucks.

Keep in mind, navigating with such a small screen sucks. It's fine if you're following a pre-loaded route, but for viewing maps or anything of the sort, its a royal PITA.

For vehicle travel a small tablet with one of the many free or cheap apps is often a better alternative. I wrote a basic piece on device navigation for Overland Journal recently which might be of some overall help. At any rate, I dont think an eTrex is your solution.

 

[Secretsponge]

alright thank you, I'll look into it some more.