I will be spending time in Wyoming this September hunting in Medicine Bow National Forest. I have looked at the current selection of GPS units, and wondered if any of you had recommendations on units you currently use. I would also appreciate any advice on units to stay away from. Thanks in advance for any information provided.

John

I have a Garmin 64S and an Oregon, either would be all you need. They make versions with built in cameras and radios that can run up the price. I suggest the basic models of either. They are both comparable and at about the same price.

Normal price is about $400, but I see them at $300 quite often and around Christmas both were $200 at Cabelas. I'd had the 64S for several years and picked up the Oregon for at the sale price for my wife to use. If you are patient and wait on a deal there is no reason to buy the cheaper units.

The 64S has an external antenna and in theory should pick up signals better in heavy canopy or steep canyons. In practice I've had no issues with either.

The Oregon is touch screen that some find easier to use. The 64S has buttons that supposedly are more dependable. I can't use the Oregon with normal gloves, I can the 64S.

My wife and I volunteer on a team that searches for missing persons. At the end of the day we download the tracks onto computers to verify the areas searched. That is why I bought a 2nd device. You want at least 2, and 3 is better for each search team to get a better idea of the area you cover.

When we go on big searches there may be 50 people there with GPS units. The only ones I see are the 64S or the Garmin Rhino which is quite expensive. At this point none of the software is compatable with anything but Garmin.

Thanks for the practical advice. I will look at both of these models.

I suggest Garmin. Take your pick of which one you want. Touch screen or one with buttons, it's up to you. I personally use the Oregon 550, but still question the touch screen. I've had instances where the touch screen was kind of a detriment. Last elk season I got blood on the screen and it was cold, so the blood started to freeze on the screen and then I was trying to store a waypoint of where I shot my bull and the quickest route to a logging road. Smeared blood all over the screen and it was sticky. Luckily I had some wipes in my pack to clean the screen off so I could see what I was doing. I've used the touch screen with my waterproof hunting gloves on, but with fatter fingers than normal and that can make it a biotch too. The camera in the 550 is not too bad either and saves room in the pack because you don't have to bring another piece of equipment. Another thing to check is battery life of each unit you are considering buying. Read reviews because some GPS units really eat batteries. My 550 is not too bad, but I still carry a couple sets of batteries just to be on the safe side. You'll find you'll be better off using a good quality rechargeable battery too.

BSA,
Really appreciate your comments. Awful lot of units out there to choose from and these practical experiences really help.
John

No problem buddy. I would have also suggested the land owner chip, but since you will be out of state and maybe not going back too soon, it may not be worth it. Since I mainly hunt in Oregon, I bought a chip to put in my Garmin to tell me where the boundaries are between state, federal, and private property. It is a very useful and cool must have for myself when I'm hunting... By the way, here are a few pics taken with the 550 last year on my hunts:







Not exceptional, but not too bad either for a GPS camera... Good luck with your decision. Like I said earlier, go with Garmin and you'll be pretty happy with it...

Garmin 64s with multiple state chips works for me!

Cheers

garmin with a chip. I have an Oregon 450 that works great. Really like the onxmaps chip.

Garmin gets my vote, mine is voice activated.

Oregon 450 here too... If and when I buy again ,I'll go up in screen size.
I use mine to navigate the roadless areas in Alaska.

Here in Colorado I use a 62sc for the camera or a 64s with a hunting chip. I leave the touch screens at home for geocaching because they are impossible to use with gloves on. Not a problem with buttons. I started with Garmin and have never looked back although other manufactures are probably just as good.

I have an Oregon 450, and the small screen is a burden. I think an issue with any GPS is the bulk and weight, especially with a bigger screen. I cant see why they dont have a model the same dimensions as an iphone. That said the Oregon is pretty easy to use.