Best GPS navigation device for remote wilderness?

Which GPS navigation device is best for the remote wilderness, such as Death Valley, Yellowstone, etc.?

One with replaceable batteries, and that accepts memory expansion cards and additional maps beyond any it may ship with. Support for Glonass and Galileo (Russian and EU GPS systems) is a bonus. Personally, I use Garmin's eTrex devices; they support MicroSD card expansion and Garmin has 1:24000 topo maps of the entire US available (by region). They run on AA cells, and current ones support Glonass as well as Navstar.

But if you're really off the beaten track, take a paper map (preferably either waterproofed or sealed in plastic) and an old-fashioned magnetic (not electronic) compass as well. Murphy will out, and if you only have a GPS, something electronic will go bad.

What about GPS smartphones?

No. They have smaller antennas, so they don't pick up the signals as quickly or as well as dedicated GPS receivers; they commonly rely on getting your fix calculated by the computers back at your phone provider (so need that connection); you'll still need to carry spare batteries for them; you will be less able to find good detailed maps for them. If you want to use your phone, then run, don't walk, to the nearest REI, EMS, Beans, or the like to get a good compass and topo maps, and training in how to use them. You'll need them.

Jon wrote in post #17748244
But if you're really off the beaten track, take a paper map (preferably either waterproofed or sealed in plastic) and an old-fashioned magnetic (not electronic) compass as well. Murphy will out, and if you only have a GPS, something electronic will go bad.

Or a herd of Boy Scouts! ; )

Phones will work, but typically need a data connection to download the maps - also battery life sucks if you are using them to actively navigate, and many don't have replaceable batteries.

Best bet is going into a outdoor store (REI etc) and speak to the staff there
I prefer Garmin gear, but Magellan is good too, there may be other brands too.
I have a Garmin Rino650, which has a built in radio too, and my wife has one too (i shoot a bit of motorsport, the radios allow voice comms and also send a location data packet, so i show up on her map, and she shows up on mine, this makes finding each other really easy, whether she is coming to pick up a memory card to send, or coming to pick me up in the car

If you just want a basic "electronic breadcrumb" trail to get you back to the car, something like a Foretrex might be fit the bill - 2AAA batteries, and its is small enough to strap to your wrist.
bigger units can display maps, i have OpenStreetMaps loaded in my Rino, and i have gone through the areas i regularly shoot and added the Stage and Access roads for most of the rallies - it takes about a fortnight before they make it to the latest build i can load on the GPS - there is a heck of a lot of data there to work with already though, you may find DeathValley and the US national park trails are already on there

I have a Delorme PN-60 with a SPOT. Works great I keep rechargeable batteries in my bag, and it works on AA batteries also if you are out and don't have charged battery packs.

I don't get to spend enough time in remote wilderness, but I personally prefer to use fairly basic models of GPS, ones mainly focused around giving a reasonably accurate Long/Lat fix and to work as a safety check to traditional navigational means.


I grew up with the scouting movement, and then spent time working with some real old school types who worked in woodlands since before humanity achieved orbit or radios were common, so my views on the subject are probably 'just a little biased'.


While I work in software development, and deal with computers day in and day out, I honestly still don't trust GPS to rely on it completely. Also I think my background in sciences and interest in space tech kind of reaffirms my mistrust of the entire system. If you're two weeks out in the middle of no where, and we get a massive solar flare event... Well then that fancy little GPS unit isn't going to do a whole lot for you.

I view GPS units as an aid, something to double check with, or to speed up confirming your location on a physical map. And while I strongly encourage the use of physical map and compass navigation, aided with modern GPS, I also am a firm believer in tool-free navigation being your primary method. That is to say you should be get from point to point without having a map and compass with you at the time, such that you don't have any kind of panic feeling should you lose your navigational aids.

But, to be a little more on topic: I use a very basic and now fairly old Garmin unit. Fairly narrow and fits in the hand or pocket nicely. Doesn't have great map viewing or rendering abilities with its old black and white LCD, but it is durable and doesn't feel like I'm going to break it if I drop it. I'm using it mainly to view Long/Lat to quickly confirm location and don't generally actively use it for direct navigation. I like it because I don't need to fiddle with adding maps or updating anything, because long/lat readouts are independent of maps themselves.


Another bonus of using physical maps: They are great things to mark up during a trip, date them, and then stick them in a box as things to come back to decades later.