Dual use GPS for road and trail

I want a GPS that does it all; this has got to be one of the most frequent requests I hear. 

Several companies have tried to create GPS receivers that will work well on the road or in your hand -- for backcountry use, geocaching or what have you. The latest example is the Garmin nuvi 500 series, pictured above at left.

Yet none of the manufacturers have nailed it, and I have my doubts that they ever will. The main reason is that compromises must be made, either on the handheld side or the auto side. Here are my thoughts on sorting through your choices…

Decide what's more important

Since there are compromises to be made, it’s critical to decide which is more important to you – in the car or on the trail.

If you’ll spend most of your time using it to navigate in your car, I’d recommend the nuvi 500. It does a great job on the road, has preloaded topo maps of the entire U.S., and is set up for paperless geocaching. The downside for trail use is weak implementation of the compass feature, at least that was the case when I tested it. Recent firmware updates may have improved  it.

If you will mainly use it in the backcountry, the Garmin Oregon series is my top choice. These touchscreen units are right at home on the trail, and when you add City Navigator maps they do an excellent job in the car. I’ve been using my Oregon 400t this way for the past few weeks, and I think it may be the best dual-use solution out there. Two caveats though – don’t buy a 200 series unit; it has no speaker so you won’t get a “beep” warning you of upcoming turns. Also, I don’t recommend it for fixed mount use in the backcountry, such as on mountain bikes. Here’s why; these high-resolution screens aren’t as bright as other models, but I don’t find it problematic if you are holding the unit in your hand, where you can quickly adjust for the best viewing angle. Regardless, the display is very bright when connected to a vehicle power cable.

The DeLorme PN-40 is another option, but its built-in highway navigation database often leaves a lot to be desired.

Consider buying two separate units

A single unit is nice. You can navigate to a trailhead or near a geocache in your car, and only have to load waypoints to one unit. But if you aren’t wedded to the idea of a single unit, two separate models may be the best solution of all.

By the time you invest in one of the devices above, you may well find that it’s cheaper to buy a basic auto unit and a basic handheld. After all, you can get a nuvi 200 series model for your car and a Venture HC for the trail for under $250.

So now it’s your turn readers. One GPS or two? And if one, what do you think is the best dual-purpose unit on the market?

Related posts:

• GPS for cyclists
• GPS for geocachers
• GPS for hikers

Comments

[0ccam]

I have a Garmin GPSmap 60Cx and I have City Navigator North America loaded. I use it for geocaching and for car navigation as well. It was my first GPS receiver.

I also have a Garmin eTrex Venture HC. It'll be donated to a charity auction soon, but I've used it some for geocaching.

If I was going to do it all over again, I WOULD get two. A car model and a handheld.
I recommend that to anyone that asks.

I suspect I could get decent models of both for less money than I paid for both handhelds that I have plus the map data (the 60Cx doesn't come with anything but a basemap).

[Rich Owings]

I agree. I hope this post will help some folks make the right choice.

[dave]

I have an old GPSMAP 76CS with city navigator (?) that the 76 holds most of California with the 115mb. I was/is my 1st gps. I have used it for geocaching, and now mostly for car navigation. I've often wondered why car navigators have horizontal screens and not vertical... I've been very happy with my old 76, and just can't justify spending the money on getting a new one, i don't geocashe as much, but do hike some, so would still probably would lean toward a portable gps. My maps are getting old, and the gps freaks out on some of the highway changes, but it still gets me around quite nicely.
thanks for your tidbits..
dave

[Tim]

I use a 60CSx and a 2720 or 2610 on my d/s bike or Gold Wing. The 60CSx is especially important for me because I have the tracking being stored to the micro SD card. For my car, I recently purchased a MIO MOOV 500 and am pleased for its use there.

[Maingray]

Great post, good to see. I'm kinda anal about only having one unit for both road and hiking when caching. My dual purpose unit for the last few months is the Oregon 300 plus City Navigator. It just... works.