Affordable Waterproof Handheld Gps

There are a lot of waterproof handheld GPS units on the market. If you are into doing any type of outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, skiing, camping, etc. then a handheld GPS is almost a must. However the prices can vary greatly and if you are not careful you could end up paying way more than you need to.

There are affordable options and it is important to know what features you need and which ones you don’t so that you don’t end up paying for bells and whistles that will never get used.

Handheld GPS Key Features

For the average Joe who wants a good handheld GPS that can go with them anywhere but that isn’t overly fancy there are six main features that you will need to watch for:

trip computer details
preloaded maps and memory storage
WAAS enabled
size and weight
setup, display and battery length
waterproof level

The Garmin GPSMAP 76

After extensive research for a handheld GPS that would suit my own needs and have the six above features I decided on the Garmin GPSMAP 76 waterproof handheld GPS. It is not fancy and the screen is black and white but it has everything needed for just about any outdoor use and is very affordable.

GPS units are changing dramatically every year and there is a good chance that within a couple of years the technology will be totally different. So why spend a fortune when you may want to upgrade down the road? The Garmin GPSMAP 76 gets the job done well without totally emptying out your wallet.

This GPS unit is preloaded with maps of:

rivers
lakes
worldwide cities
navaids
tide data

It also has 8 MB of memory which means that you can also download data from the option Garmin MapSource CD-Roms if you wanted more specific maps which is a really nice feature. Some people have mentioned that 8 MB is not a lot of memory however I think for most outdoor enthusiasts it would work well. With 8 MB you can save up to 1000 of your favourite places.

The Garmin GPSMAP 76 is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand but has a large LCD backlit screen that makes it easy to read the information and maps.

The trip computer on this unit has the current and average speed, a timer, the trip distance, alarms, tables and 500 waypoints, tide information as well as sunrise and sunset times. There is also a cool TracBack feature which allows you to retrace your steps back to where you started from… great for those who tend to get lost.

If you are looking for a high quality, functional yet affordable waterproof handheld GPS, the GPSMAP 76 is a great option. Read the reviews to learn the pros and cons and make sure you don’t pay for all the fancy extras that never get used.

By: Samuel Walker

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