Buying a GPS

When looking to purchase a GPS unit, here are some considerations you should make.

1. Choose a unit that has multi-parallel channels. The more satellites you can track at one time the better.
2. Make sure the unit is rough, tough and waterproof.
3. Consider the battery life -- or at least consider carrying extra batteries on long journies.
4. Choose a unit that has a backlit display. What good is a GPS if you can't see where it is pointing you?
5. Consider size and mounting options.
6. Pick a unit that can store lots (at least 100+) of waypoints and multiple routes.
7. Make sure the unit you are considering has the 'basic' features: distance and direction to a waypoint, distance travelled, altitude, speed, etc.
8. If you want to create trail maps -- make sure the GPS has a 'Track' feature or something similar.
9. If you plan on using specific software with your GPS, make sure the software supports the unit.
10. For that matter -- make sure the unit can plug-in and upload and download information to and from a computer.

Generally speaking, the big players in the world of handheld GPS units are Garmin, Magellan, and Trimble. Most of the models offered by these are of good quality and should have most of the basic features outlined above.