Handheld GPS Reviews

Garmin eTrex Venture Waterproof Hiking GPS Product Reviews

Good compromise between price and functionality, October 17, 2001

I like it, it’s very simple to use (more like a calculator than a computer) and pretty rugged, waterproof to 10 feet (I found this out the hard way) and generally ready for the rough life.

I only have a couple of real beefs with it –

1: the unit eats batteries like candy if it’s constantly on, _especially_ if you use the backlight. Invest in rechargeable batteries.

2: the display plate is thin ABS plastic and I’m worried about a sharp object or a good crack shattering the glass;

3: The LCD display is also hard to read in poor light (specifically by car dome light at night), but there is a backlight;

4: It is complete BS that you can’t enter your own data via a PC interface without buying that Garmin map software.

None of these beefs are particularly troublesome. I chose the Venture because it seemed the best compromise between price and functionality. I would recommend it for anyone as a first GPS, I think the mapping functionality is great for travelers.

Used for both kayaking and geocaching, August 7, 2004

I purchased the Garmin Venture a year ago. I have used it on several 20 mile kayaking trips down a river and this past April used it for a 135 mile river trip. It was extremely accurate and we not only knew where we were, but how far it was to the next landing or landmark.

It did take some time to learn how to operate the unit. The instructions were not as clear as I would have liked but trial and error is a great teacher. I had a friend who got me interested in geocaching and that really helped me learn how to use all of the Venture’s features. It is easy to upgrade from the Garmin website and to also download maps from the Mapsource CD-ROM’s. It is kind of like learning to use a computer. Don’t be afraid to try something. You won’t hurt it.

I usually average 18+ hours on a pair of batteries. I also purchased a power cord so that I could use it in my vehicle. I just plug it in and wedge the GPS between the windshield and dashboard and follow the arrow to the next geocache.

I have been impressed with the toughness of this unit. I have dunked it in the river, dropped it, and generally given it a rough time. I would recommend this to someone who is interested in a GPS but does not want to invest a lot of money.

Great GPS receiver for basic hiking and backpacking., December 28, 2004

I returned a Cobra GPS 100 and upgraded to the eTrex Venture for the extra money. What a difference only a few dollars more can make! this is my first GPS unit ever, and I had no problems picking everything up within a day.

For starters, it only took about two minutes to locate a satellite for the first time (supposed to take up to five) and averages about 30 seconds to locate one in general. The screen resolution is easy to read and the options for customizing the map make it even easier if you have trouble reading small text. The waypoint markers are easy to define and edit. The compass seems to be very quick in picking up your movements. Almost everything is customizable giving you endless options for your specific use for the GPS unit. The unit is comfortable in the hand, although some of the buttons are a little stiff at first.

My satellite reception is excellent. I took it hiking in 40°F rain and hail (obviously very overcast) and only lost reception once while walking under heavy tree cover. On the way home I placed it on the dashboard and it tracked me 33 miles home without losing reception once. This was in 500 ft visibility fog on a one lane curvy mountain road. This unit definitely gets the job done.

My only gripes are there’s no beep or sound when it loses reception and you have to press enter to acknowledge you have lost reception, thus it begins tracking you again. So if you hike by turning the unit on and placing it in your backpack, or even on your belt, you could have lost reception and not known it, and because you haven’t acknowledged the unit, it’s not tracking you anymore (as far as I can tell).

Other than that, this unit works perfect for getting you in and out of areas where there’s no trails and finding that perfect spot to spend the night or fish and hunt.

just what a rock climber / hiker needs, April 15, 2001

Don’t know exactly what type of GPS device you need? Well, if you’re a hiker/climber, then this is the one. The model below it is too simple, and the ones above it are too much. The eTrex Venture gives you everything you need to navigate and keep track of your exact position. SA (Selective Availability) is gone. And, the differential correction associated with this device is good enough! I was able to keep track of my position/speed/elevation/bearing from the moment I left my house driving through the city and into the parks where I climb/hike. The details are great for road travel and the trails. If you don’t care too much about exact road points with street names, the Venture works great. Waypoint tracking: simple. Track logs: simple. With its 1M of memory, it’s enough to log and trackback your routes and do whatever you want with them! Plus, you can’t beat the sleek design!

Light, compact and full of features, June 9, 2003

A great device for bikers, runners, trekkers and everyone not demanding a too powerful GPS, like naval-oriented ones. Display is monochromatic but with a good resolution and readable under any light condition, and it can be backlit. Powered by a couple of standard AA batteries which gives plenty time of operation. It also has a serial PC interface for downloading data to it and/or uploading your saved tracklogs, waypoints, etc. to your PC (software not included).

Wonderful, Compact Unit, May 8, 2001

Needing a GPS to navigate through a couple thousand acres of parkland for my job, I needed a compact yet powerful GPS receiver. After comparing and price shopping I setteled on the Garmin eTrex Venture. Perfect decision. This unit is small enough to wear on the belt without the screen being so small its unreadable. The Venture is easy to use with the click stick that allows fast moving through the diffrent menus and options. Waypoints are easy to use and set and navigation is a breeze. The navigation menu allows for lots of different custom windows to be displayed. Once at a location its simple to mark the location into the waypoint list. THe waypoint list even has a whole long list of different symbols to choose from to mark the spot. Everything from a shopping cart to airplane symbols are included to help specificaly label a location. Overall this is a powerful compact GPS unit that has lots of useful features at a reasonable price.

Impressed!, October 9, 2001

I have been using a Garmin 195 GPS for flying for the past 4 years and have been really impressed. But when I acquired the Etrex Venture about a month ago (picked up used at Amazon at a great savings!)it is amazing the progress in electronics. When comparing the two units inside the house the Garmin 195 would never even get usable signal to navigate while the Venture would be ready to navigate in less than 30 seconds. The accuracy is incredible including the elevation readout which so far had been very consistent and I have been getting about 20 hours of battery life when in the "Battery Saver" mode which I am in 90 percent of the time. This is one of the easiest GPS to use, very "user friendly" and for people whose eyes are getting older the screen can be set up to show large numbers which is much appreciated even the backlight is bright! The unit works in every car I own with no problems, I wedge the unit in front of the speedometer on the Camry and Dodge pickup. It works on the front seat of a 90′Plymouth Acclaim. Make certain that you go to the Garmin website for the lastest software updates currently (2.29) the version I started out with was 2.20 vast improvements have been made to the unit. The new MapResource "points of interest" CD is a great addition to the versatility of the Venture adding cities, landmark and marine details that are not including in the original database. I thought that 1meg of memory would not be enough (do you ever have enough?)but found that it is sufficient for most needs. Living in the East bay of SF I have loaded the unit with all cities (most of northern and central california), businesses(which includes the address and phone number), landmarks and marine to cover from Richmond, ca to San Jose. I recommend Wolfe PC cable and 12 volt adapters with can be purchased on the net in lieu of the Garmin adapter cables. I highly recommend the Venture, however I would like the Etrex Vista but don’t want to spend 3 times the price just for the moving map and 24meg of memory.

The best I’ve seen so far, April 30, 2003

This is the 2nd GPS I’ve purchased, the first being one for someone else back in early 2001. Since taking up geocaching in March of 2003 and purchasing the Venture soon after that, I’ve had the opportunity to take a look at the old model (which was also a Garmin and looks like it belongs in a museum already), as well as a couple of Magellans and one of the Garmin Gekkos. So far, I like this unit more than any of the others I’ve seen.

The three things that really stand out in this product are the screen resolution (much clearer than any of the other units), the icon choices (I couldn’t believe my friend’s Magellan doesn’t have a geocache as an option! Let alone a found geocache), and the durability (the other units all had hard plastic bodies that wouldn’t bounce or take a fall as well as the rubber-coated Venture).

I only give this a four because I’m sure there is better out there, though perhaps not at this price range. My friend’s Magellan, which is priced much higher than the Venture, does have some actual road maps in the device, as opposed to the Venture’s city points, but for my purposes, this unit is doing all that I require of it and more. Given the limited research I did, I am thus far not at all disappointed that I paid up from the Gekko models or that I didn’t pay up to the even higher priced models.

Used only a few of its features, but it performed great, December 6, 2005

I bought the Venture back in the summer of 2003 and I was never let down by it. At that time the speedometer on my car went out and as a cheaper alternative to buying the new, expensive gauge cluster for my car, I bought this GPS with a dashboard mount. So this product was used literally every day, sometimes several times a day, and for several hours a day for over 2 years.

First of all, I really only use it in navigation mode with the time, cardinal direction, and the speed being displayed, so I cannot comment an much of the other features of the unit. I have done some minor geocaching with it though, and it performed great for that, although it is tedious to enter in lat. and long. coordinates directly into the unit. I will say that using it as often as I do in my car, it is amazing. To be honest, I did not expect it to last this long. I have never had much trouble with tree cover causing a lost signal, but it does happen on occasion.

From the beginning I used rechargeable batteries and the unit has surprisngly long battery life, even with the backlight on. I replace the batteries about once every week or two, but remember, its on for up to a few hours a day.

All in all, this is a great GPS. Again, I can’t vouch for many of its features, but I can vouch for its long life and consistant operation. I have gotten hundreds, if not thousands of hours of use out of this and it has yet to let me down.

Good Midrange GPS, November 2, 2003

I bought this model as an upgrade to Garmin Venture I had gotten in November 2002. I like it for the fact it has more detail than the Venture but the pnly thing that I am disatsfied about is that it needs CDs to upgrade the maps to street level detail. Nonetheless, I think its the best I ever had. Way-togo, Garmin! I use this mainly for geocaching. For more info on geocaching go to: www.geocaching.com.