best GPS units for backcountry skiing

Decided that I needed a GPS unit and wanted to be sure I was getting the best unit for the dirty work we all love doing- powder hunting! I am looking for a lightweight, user friendly, waterproof, long lived, backcountry geared GPS unit. I know lots of you folks use them and have some suggestions for a fellow TAY'er, serve em' up.

Thanks in advance,

Chris

I finally bought a GPS last winter. I got a Garmin 60csx because it is reputed to have better than average reception in trees and canyons due to its antenna and receiver technology. The unit works very well and I have no complaints.

However, the 60csx is somewhat on the large/heavy side. It's about the size of a small walkie-talkie. My partner on several trips last winter had a Garmin Foretrex 101, which is quite a bit smaller and cheaper. It is a wrist mounted unit. Succumbing to gear lust, I got one of those last summer. The Foretrex 101 has all the navigating features I'd ever need, but it definitely does not have as good an antenna as the 60csx. I've seen it (occasionally) plot semi-random track points that are hundreds of feet off-course. The unit is handy, but not quite as "damn-fool proof" as the 60csx.

I have a Garmin Vista HCx and love it.  The color screen is very bright, easy to read and uses less power than the monochromatic version (it doesn't seen right but it's true).  Also, one can load the SD card mapset for the PNW and have trails, rest stops, mountain peaks and much more at your finger tips, plus the supplies games make solo tent bound stays somewhat bearable. The unit is waterproof (very well tested), WAAS enabled, small enough to fit in your pants cargo pocket unnoticed (sort of), and is fairly easy to use.


www.rei.com/product/752629?vcat=REI_SEARCH

hope this helps in the quest for powder

climberdave

Mr Skoog and Climberdave (and any others generous with beta),

I have the same question as Chris (BTW thanks for posting this).

What were your reasons for not using the Garmin forerunner? It is about half the weight and stores at least a hundred waypoints, but no downloaded map... Is it just the electronic map and video games? Is there something more? I guess the map IS a big deal, the map in a baggie every twenty minutes can be a hassel especially in the snow...

I've got a Garmin Etrex Legend Cx.  It's lightweight, and has a color screen (which allows the battery to last about 36 hours instead of 12).  I seem to get pretty good reception unless in dense trees, and it's smaller than the 60Csx.  It doesn't have the altimeter or compass on it (which the Vista HCx has), but I have those separately and didn't need them on my gps unit.  This unit is essentially the Vista HCx without the altimeter and compass and it about $50 cheaper.  The really nice thing is that I can download all my waypoints and routes from my computer software in a split second, and not have to punch anything in by hand.  It really saves time.

one of the main reasons for the Garmin was WAAS accuracy for sea kayaking and a really good screen to back track in a white out in the mountains.  Also, the map function is nice as a navigation tool backup or to get a large scale prospective in a hurry. I was half kidding about the games and have only used that function once while in a particularly bad storm on Hood last year (battery life).   On another note, I do like the idea of a watch based GPS that could store way points and could back track (maybe Sunnto in a few years). 

climberdave