I am looking for a GPS for my truck. I do NOT want one of the Tom-Tom styles that are simply moving road maps. I want something that I can check terrain features and use for charting trails off-road and set waypoints. Something like the Lowrance that the Baja guys use, but I was hoping to find something with the features of Lowrance but in a Tom-Tom size so I can mount it right in my dash, to the left of my radio where there is a big open spot. Does anyone know of a Lowrance-quality GPS in a Tom-Tom size?

 

I would get something like my Garmin Etrex Legend HCX. I take it hiking, in my truck backroading, and mounted on my snowmobile. You can get a micro sd chip with detailed topo maps of your area. I take it 4 wheeling and then clip it to my belt from there for hiking. You can't beat it for the backwoods. Holds tracks, routes, all kinds of features. I have another one I use for finding addresses, etc that mounts in one of my cup holders. I need one for the backwoods and one for the road. The one for the road is useless off road and vice versa.

 

I'm with ExV10...I don't know of one that does both. I do know when my in-laws asked me to help them with their new GPS (because they couldn't figure out how to access the maps) I found out they had the same Garmin Etrex. Duuhh! They weren't using it in the woods and thought they could use it on the highway.

 

Possibly look at the Garmin Nuvi 500. It comes with the U.S. topo maps and city navigator installed. It is waterproof so I also use it on my snowmobile and other outdoor activities, will take an extra micro SD card for more memory, and allows for uploading and downloading of maps, waypoints, etc from your PC. For example, when I use it on the sled I turn off the city navigator mapset to eliminate a cluttered screen and use the topo mapset with the Wisconsin snowmobile trail system that I uploaded overlayed on the topo maps. When it's time to get on the road again I just turn the city navigator maps back on and turn off the topo maps. Unit has color touchscreen display, rechargeable battery included, and other features. Just a thought.

 

great suggestions so far and www.gpsreview.net is an excellent gps specific site for further research ....

where I got my info for the Garmin 765T that is great !

 

My micro SD card is just for 2 states. They have taken the US TOPO map and broken it down into better detailed sections. I don't know if the Nuvi will support them. I do know my big one for the truck with City Navigator is almost useless in the backwoods. It will tell you if you are near a decent road though.

 

I'm using the Garmin 76CSx and love it, stores a ton of info. The base map isn't great but you can buy maps to load onto it. I use it for work and hunting, half of the United States is loaded onto it. Then you can take that info and save it to the computer. Easy to read and use. I personally don't like it mounted seeing that thieves look for easy money.

http://www8.garmin.com/products/gpsmap76csx/spec.html

 

You need a code # for the street ones but a lot of theives probably don't know it. I push the round mounting disc into the cupholder on the console and it is more out of sight. If it is a semi conspicous place I throw a cheap jacket over it or just pop it out of the mount if left a long time.

 

Not sure how well the portable ones would work in a vehicle, but I am extremely happy with the products from Delorme. If you off-road you may be familiar with their paper 'Gazetteer' maps (awesome).
I have found Street Altas USA to be the MOST useful software I have ever used. When I got a laptop I bought the version with a bluetooth GPS. It was $100 delivered, even has the phone listings for the entire USA. But very hard to read (OK impossible) the laptop in the daylight. And of course you need an inverter to power the laptop too. I think their topo series works with the GPS also.

www.delorme.com

 

You can't beat the portable units for off-roading. Some (like mine) has much better reception the the street ones.

 

My garmin nuvi 770 will do both the regular type car useage, and can be used as a hand held for walking, waypoints, etc.

 

Will it take the micro SD topo cards for certain location. Mine covers California and Nevada (very well). You need them if you are backroading. The 770 is a street unit and won't work nearly as well as an Etrex HCX. You need a powerful antenae to cut through the trees and other off road features are missing also, not to mention the portability when you go from backroading to hiking.

 

Dont know what it will do as far as offroad goes.
Here in new england there is very little that counts as "offroad".
And as far as hiking goes,... the last time I walked anywhere was before I got my license.
And lastly, I am sure better men than me have been lost in the woods, but personaly if I am stupid enough to allow myself to get lost, I deserve to be lost.

 

It's easy to get lost in the woods because it all looks the same and there are no reference points usually. Probably why the phrase " lost in the woods " is so common.

 

while your lookin, check out the Garmin "Oregon 400" and the "Colorado 400" series. Both are hand held units. large displays, and rugged. Also look at the latest portable
unit in the Navi series. It has two mounts with it. One for car nav,and one for boat or
offroad. great topo mapping as well.
Good hunting, Howard