Thinking about buying Garmin Foretrex 101
Anyone have any experience with this unit??
Thanks for any input!
Don't know much about that one, but they seem pretty inexpensive at $139 MSRP. No desire for mapping capability? Did you just want the wrist option?
I have the eTrex Vista HCx and I would HIGHLY recommend it for hiking, camping, hunting, etc. But then you didn't say much about how you plan to use the Foretrex.
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Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?
Sorry Belch...I'll elaborate a bit more. I've pretty much settled on this one though....I think the advantages for me far outweigh the disadvantages.
I have/had a Garmin eTrex Vista (non-color model) that I cannot find at the moment. I need to either find that one or buy a new one before a backpack trip in April. I never use a mapping option, I plot my course on a topo and add waypoints and "goto" when I need it. I like the wrist option because it's always out, I don't have to dig for it and I can keep it on and be less likely to lose signal (a problem with my older Vista). I also like the fact that it's lighter and runs on AAA (rather than AA) since my flashlight uses AAA and then I don't have to carry AA spares.....
I have never used the foretrex but I have been using my rhino now for over a year and I love it. Although it weighs more I don't have to carry a FRS radio when I have it with me. Plus I figure if I ever get lost it will make it easier for search and rescue to find me. Some of the newer garmins have high sensitivity chips and it is definitely worth spending the extra money to get this option. With my Garmin I can get reception in the steepest river canyon or under heavy tree cover. I have used tons of garmins, magellens, etc in the fields over the years and it is defiantly worth the extra money and weight.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice
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I've been told I need a life...I tell them hunting is my life...they tell me thats what they mean
Thanks fnh....I've always liked those units, but I generally don't carry an frs radio when I go backpacking. We all stick together and nobody in the group carries them....plus they won't work very far in the canyons we frequent.
I'll second the comment regarding the H model Garmins. I've got an old Camo eTrex and now the Vista H model and the reception is like the difference in a straight 4 and a V8. Unbelievable what that thing can read throug (around, under and over) now.
But if you want the wrist mount and AAA convenience, I think it's your only option.
../|. ,[____],
l---L -=O|||||O
()_) ()_)-~--)_)
Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?
Ya, if the Foretrex had the H, I would have no question. I know I used to lose signal on my Vista all the time in canyons and under canopy. It was never that big of a deal for me though as I could always pickup signal again within minutes....it only affected me when I was trying to get exact distances.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with this model, but if I do get an eTrex, I think just the cheap yellow one (eTrex H, I think it is) will do me fine. It's a few buck cheaper, too. But for my backpacking needs when I'm counting ounces, I'll save almost two ounces on the unit alone and then I won't have to carry a spare set of AA's. Not a huge deal, but enough to sway me. Like I said, I've never really used the mapping feature (still carry a map and compass just in case), barometer, altimeter or electronic compass on my Vista so I think I'd be paying for features I don't really use going with one of the higher end units.....
Thanks for the input fellas...
I can't speak for the Foretrex, but I can vouch that the new chipset in the Vista HCX is lightyears ahead in performance. The only time I lose satellite signal with my Vista HCX is in a metal building, or inside of a mine.Originally Posted by el_vaquero
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"The Mountains are the means, the man is the end; the idea is to improve the man, not to reach the top of the mountain."
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