Garmin eTrex 10 Outdoor Handheld GPS Unit, Black/Yellow & 010-10117-03 Soft Carrying Case, Black

It is very difficult to give a true Star Rating as this little cheap satnav is really very good for mountaineers/adventure travel worldwide but the instructions for its use are woefully inadequate!!! I bought it as I needed a satnav for a ski tour in Norway.Good points are: Nice hand size - rugged - water proof - takes 2 x AA batteries (lithium for cold weather) - has map grids for most countries and UTM (the km2 grid standard for outdoor maps in countires like Norway who don't have their own grid system) - the displays for 'Map' and 'Compass' can be customised to show up to 4 other pieces of information (such as distance to next waypoint or bearing to next waypoint) from a long list of options - information inputing is not too difficult using menues and toggle.The bad points: The manual supplied and the longer downloadable version from Garmin are totally inadequate. This little device is a very capable satnav for the outdoor adventurer but it took me hours and hours of research on Google and various forums to find out how to set the device up for travel in the Norwegian mountains using it in conjuntion with the 1:50,000 Turkart maps. I basically had to undertake a tutorial in UTM mapping and look up the area I was going to on a worldwide UTM chart to initialise the set-up. The language used in the Garmin manual is complex jargon that I had to learn the meaning of before I could follow the manual. Even then, the manual just gave a brief overview of a feature rather than a detailed guide to using it. Even working out how to set-up the device for use with UK Ordnance Survey maps is not explained in the manual - I had to go to a UK mountaineering forum to find out.Most outdoor adventurers want to be able to pre-load waypoints using grid references taken from the local 1:50000 or 1:25000 maps of the mountain area they are visiting - and then call up those saved points on the satnav during a journey so they can safely travel from one to the next in any conditions. This satnav will do that job very well - But expect to spend a good few hours of frustration (hopefully at home before your trip!) trying to work out how to set-up your Garmin eTrex 10 !!!!!

I have had a Garmin GPSMap 60 for some time. It gives me brain ache whenever I use it and I've done something to my PC so no matter what I can no longer transfer from PC to GPS... the cumbersome data entry and the infuriating direction rocker drive me potty - time for a change!I read all-sorts of reviews and decided to go for the etrex 10. If you have used a Garmin GPS before this is easy peasy to use. The basic manual is fine, tells you all you need to know, the downloadable pdf is fine too, for a bit more detail. The screen is nice and clear, the unit is smaller and lighter than I thought and very handy and easy to use. I don't know why the screen is at the bottom and the joystick at the top. My thumb gets slightly in the way of the screen, but it's no big deal. The buttons are simple, the on off switch just works without having to press it too hard or in just the right way. The joystick works just how you would expect it to. The 'map' is pointless as a map as I expected. The way to use the map is to give yourself some sort of idea where you are and where the destination is in relation to the way you're moving and where you've walked - you can see your track on screen and you can see your progress towards the target. It's also useful to be able to retrace your track. It's helpful, but a proper map it ain't. As long as you understand that, you can still use it as a tool. I usually take a map and compass anyway if I'm in unfamiliar territory, and you can often match the shape of your track on the GPS to the features on your OS map if you want. Old fashioned paper maps are so much more fun to browse anyway!I don't like the way you can't cycle through screens ie compass, trip computer, map, from one to the next - you have to go back to menu and choose the page you want (unless I just haven't worked that bit out yet)I can see the joystick getting pressed in your bag or pocket, but it hasn't happened to me yet. I guess when you're using it slip it into a roomy pocket if you need to put it away.The most impressive thing is that it picked up satellites whilst it was in my house! My old GPSMap 60 wouldn't maintain a fix inside my pocket or if tree cover was a bit thick.I'd quite like an electronic compass like you get with the more expensive models but hey ho. For the price you get a good quality GPS with excellent accuracy and sensitivity and pretty easy to use...BUT BUT BUT if you've never used a GPS before prepare for a steep learning curve and keep at it. The manual has been criticised but it does seem to have pretty much all there is to know. I think the point is to get using it and learn on the job and work out how it works for you and customise it. Just bear in mind it's WAY easier to use than the model I first started with.You don't get a colour screen like a mobile phone because they eat batteries and you might want to use this on a long hike or camping trip over a period of days with no access to a charger for your iphone. Really you didn't ought to be using this like your TomTom - it isn't that kind of tool. Think of it as a tool like a map and a compass are tools.