Read our reviews of the best international hiking navigators to buy one of the top-rated GPS for hiking mountains.
Are you looking for a GPS for your next mountain adventure? Then, you have come to the right place! We have created a small guide with the best GPS for hiking and biking mountains and some tips to make it as easy as possible to find the one that interests you the most. With them, you can rest assured that you will never lose again. I invite you to read it.
Hiking is one of the activities that are practiced more and more. If you are a person already experienced in this activity or are about to start in this world, the first thing you should know is the importance of having the best GPS for hiking mountains.
The main advantage of having this element is that it will allow you to make long journeys on your outdoor bike without having to worry about identifying the return route since with GPS you can keep yourself located at all times.
At the most basic level, GPS devices show your location relative to your destination. A trekking GPS can help you navigate a map and navigate if you are disoriented or if the weather conditions change. Bad weather, poor visibility, floods, and badly marked trails can make you leave the planned route and find it difficult to find the way.
What characterizes these products is the price that can depend and above all on the equipment and options available. For a more selective savings purchase, you can turn to online sales, where you can find cheaper deals and even lower prices.
The top 5 best-selling hiking and biking GPS devices available on Amazon at affordable prices
Whether walking through canyons or volcanoes or climbing high mountains, these modern devices can be of great help in many situations. You will be able to know your current location, the distance that remains until the final point, the altitude, the orography, and much more.
What is the best GPS navigator to do hiking? Within the market, we have found these 5 GPS models, which for their quality and recommendation of users are the most acquired, so we present them to you and detail them below.
Garmin eTrex 30x
We start with one of the best handheld GPS devices for hiking, the Garmin eTrex 30x. The 30x eTrex has an interesting improvement in the resolution of its screen, has a memory that has been expanded, to store new types of maps, to see on its 2.2-inch screen which can be read even in very sunny climates, besides being resistant to water.
It has different supports so you can place the eTrex anywhere you want, so you can use it to receive instructions on board a car or on a bicycle without great complication, your GPS receiver stays connected even when you advance through thick forests, in addition to having a high sensitivity to predict routes and accesses.
It can share your information completely wirelessly, managing to send it to devices that are compatible with just pressing the option to send information. A must-have GPS device to put in your travel backpacks.
+ PROS
- It has a screen with a better resolution.
- Resistant to water and dust, as well as being able to be read even in sunlight
- It does not lose its location even in difficult areas such as thick forests.
- Ease to transfer data of routes and maps wirelessly.
– CONS
- The only limitation that some find is that the screen is not touched, so sometimes certain buttons tend to have problems.
Discover more and the price here
Garmin GPSMAP 64s
This is probably the best GPS for international hiking. This model does not fit within the eTrex models, but it is recommended for its good features as its 2.6-inch screen, its clarity to read in the sunlight, and its quadrifilar helix antenna, which gives a high level of reception in the signal. The helical antenna can track the GPS and GLONASS satellites simultaneously, increasing the speed of satellite signal capture and positioning accuracy.
Other features include a 3-axis electronic compass, a barometric altimeter, and a Bluetooth chipset that allows you to connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices, for example, your smartphone. Garmin GPSMAP 64st also supports notifications such as missed calls, text messages, and other alerts on your phone that will be displayed directly on the GPS device.
It has a dual battery system and lasts up to 16 hours in a row. You can use 2 AA batteries or a rechargeable NiMH battery.
Its internal memory offers the storage of maps for up to 4 GB and also allows access to a small micro SD memory to download more maps.
+ PROS
- High-sensitivity antenna, which allows you to maintain the location
- Duration of up to 16 continuous hours, once the battery is fully charged.
- The internal memory of 4 GB
- Has a screen of 2.6 inches and a good resolution
– CONS
- Super efficient product, with the highest recommendation, there are no negative aspects.
Discover more and the price here
Garmin Montana 680t GPS For Hiking
The Garmin Montana 680t is another sophisticated GPS device from the iconic brand. It is a bit larger and heavier than the Garmin Oregon 750t, but on the other hand, it also has a larger screen (an extra inch) with better resolution. The touch screen supports double orientation and is more “glove-friendly” than standard touch screens. This does not eliminate the fact that touch screens are difficult to use with gloves on, since using a glove (thick) you will still have trouble touching the screen accurately.
The Garmin Montana 680t features a barometric altimeter, digital compass, 8 MP camera, information on the sun and moon, hunting/fishing calendar, tide tables, and step-by-step navigation. As the device tracks the GPS and GLONASS satellites and also uses the HotFix and WAAS functions, it recovers the signal very fast and displays the location accurately. The Garmin Montana 680t works with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery but also works with 3 standard AA batteries.
The useful life of the lithium-ion battery is approximately 16 hours and the service life of 3 standard AA batteries is slightly longer, approximately 22 hours. The Garmin Montana 680t is a powerful navigation tool, but it has two disadvantages: weight and size.
Discover more and the price here
Garmin Foretrex 401 Waterproof Hiking GPS
With a slight deviation from the GPS mapping units that we have been seeing, this GPS is simple, elegant, and efficient. It works with two conservative AAA batteries that promise a long battery life thanks to the black-and-white screen and simple operation. Instead of the map features available in the other units we have analyzed, this unit operates in a simple reference point and has a tracking system in the navigation. The GPS will passively track your route while you walk and you can activate the “TracBack” function to retrace your steps. This is an excellent emergency function or “backup” for those who navigate through difficult areas.
Create a waypoint, track, or destination before leaving home and upload the information in your GPS to use its simple functionality to track your route while you are browsing. Having the option to wear it on the wrist for comfort makes Garmin Foretrex 401 the best GPS for backpackers. This is an excellent, simple, and lightweight complement for navigating maps and compasses, especially for the confident traveler who is looking for security. It never hurts to have a plan B.
Discover more and the price here
Garmin eTrex 10 Worldwide Handheld GPS Navigator
The last model in our ranking of the Best Trekking GPS that we suggest is the Garmin eTrex 10 with a practical, functional, and beautiful design.
If what you are looking for is a functional product of the Garmin brand, but without its high prices, this model shares the best characteristics of the brand, but with a much more accessible price, that is, it maintains characteristics such as water resistance and fairly resistant design. to different environments such as dust, and dirt. In addition, it has a faster and friendlier interface.
Although its screen is monochromatic in color and its size is only 2.2 inches, you can read the maps quite clearly, it has a global base map, and it has compatibility to store GPX files in addition to other data from the GeoCouches.
Regarding its autonomy using 2 AA batteries, operation up to 25 continuous hours is obtained. However, it does not have connectivity to the smartphone. In the market, there are also many more sophisticated models.
Discover more and the price here
Advice to buy the best hiking GPS devices
When you go to buy a GPS, you will find a lot of different models, with many functions and features. But which one is the right one for you and that suits your activities?
You must have certain knowledge to make the correct decision. Here, I leave you some tips so that you know the necessary details to guide you, and thus be able to buy the best GPS for mountain hiking.
Screen
As for its manageability, they are divided into two groups. The tactile and the keypad. Due to a worldwide trend, many are inclined towards touches, since they resemble Smartphones, tablets, etc. Also, because its handling is faster.
But you must also know that it has its limitations. If you go to cold places and wear gloves, it will surely complicate you and you will have to take off your gloves.
On the other hand, those who have buttons, tend to be more rustic and you can use them in any climatic situation.
In turn, you should pay attention to the fact that the screen has a good resolution in pixels and that the inches are the ones indicated for your activity.
Manufacturing and materials
You must observe the materials with which the brand manufactures them. That will depend on how long the product you buy is long-lived.
You should always prioritize its rusticity and resistance. And, in addition, your materials protect you from dust, moisture, and shock.
Weight and size
Depending on the activity you do, the characteristics of your GP will vary. However, you will always have to consider its size and weight, since it will be the result of the space it occupies and how much weight you will add to your backpack.
Batteries and autonomy
Some models need two AAs or one lithium battery. However, they are rechargeable so that you do not suffer large expenses and you can use them freely. Remember that batteries are not cheap.
And, finally, its autonomy. This detail is not insignificant, since that will depend on the time in which you can count on this tool and thus, you can organize your activities in a better way.
I believe that you already have the necessary knowledge to choose your model and have this tool so sophisticated that it will change your adventures and trips.
Now, go for the GPS that best suits your pretensions!