Best Handheld GPS for Camping 2018: My Top Recommendations

When looking for the best GPS for camping, make sure you follow these simple yet weird tips or else you might be in for a big shock. GPS Trackers can vary greatly in terms of design and function, ease of use, battery life, you should pick one based on your intended usage.

These are the TOP 4 GPS Trackers for Camping:

1. The Garmin GPSMAP 64st, TOPO U.S. 100K with High-Sensitivity GPS and GLONASS Receiver has many of the features high end GPS trackers have except the price. We love the large 2.6″ touchscreen, the expandable memory. You won’t be disappointed. (Overall score: 9.5 / 10)

2. The Garmin Inreach Explorer+ is uniquely designed and economically priced considering its features. The battery lasts up to 100 hours which is better than many other gps intensive devices. (Overall score: 9.5 / 10)

3. The Garmin Montana 680t is an excellent choice as a GPS Tracker for hunters, campers. The features, technology are extensive which offer users an excellent tool for their peace of mind. (Overall score: 9.0 / 10)

4. The ResQLink+ is uniquely designed with its cool mesh skin. It is small, light and it stands a little taller than a D ring. This is a must have GPS locator beacon for open water rescues.

Unlike other reviews online, this review is part personal review as well as part meta-review (we research the web and are reporting what other people are stating about the best GPS Tracker). Save time with this article instead of researching it all for yourself. Read below for great GPS Tracker information and new releases for this year.

This article does not review phone apps or vehicle mounted GPS. Click here to see those reviews.

The best GPS For Camping for you depends upon what your intended use for the GPS Tracker may be. If you are planning on using it for displaying your location while on the trials, you will need a different GPS Tracker than if you were planning on using it for emergency response via the SOS alert via the GPS communicator.

This guide will walk you through what you should look for in an all-around great personal tracking device for camping that will last you for years.

Brand DOES Matter!

In most cases, personal tracking devices for camping brand really matters. Name brand GPS Trackers are, on one hand, more expensive than cheap GPS Trackers but, on the other hand, will give you fewer headaches as well as last longer.

The big brand GPS Trackers have better customer service and are higher quality GPS trackers. When dealing with your safety and guaranteeing that you will not get lost, why risk it just to save a few dollars?

Don’t Ignore the Battery!

Battery life on GPS trackers is increasing as battery technology improves. Only a few years ago batteries lasted, max – a few days. Now some of the better batteries last over 2.5 weeks! By the end of the year, 3 week batteries are likely. A general rule of thumb is to always keep the battery fully charged whenever possible. Have backup batteries and a backup to your backup. Make sure to bring your power bank because your GPS will eat your batteries and faster than you think. There are some really great portable power banks that pack a punch and can power your GPS for days.

MAP UPGRADES

GPS for camping don’t have service contract unless you get a premium GPS communicator or GPS satellite phone tracker. In some cases, for a monthly fee, you may subscribe to a service that provides software tracking as well as the back-end services, maps and notifications or alerts. So, in most cases, you don’t have to buy separate maps as you sometimes do for vehicle navigation trackers. As smartphones become universally prevalent, more and more services provide high-quality maps via their apps.[/vc_column_text]

MY TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

Their ratings were based on features, quality, battery life, and price.

#4 ACR PLB-375 ResQLink+ 406 Buoyant – Best Personal Locator Beacon

The best personal locator beacon comes with several features including:

All Personal Locator Beacons sold by US are pre-programmed with the US country code.
This PLB should only be used in situations of grave and imminent danger to life. False alerts endanger lives and cause expensive disruption to Search & Rescue services.
Deliberate misuse of the device could result in a penalty.
Unlike most satellite enabled notification devices, the ACR ResQLink+ PLB requires no monthly or annual subscription, making it one of the most cost effective GPS enabled emergency beacons available for long term use.
Radiated Power:5W (406 MHz), 50 mW +/-3dB (121.5 MHz)

The ResQLink+ is uniquely designed with its cool mesh skin. It is small, light and it stands a little taller than a D ring. Many people use the D ring to add it to their keys or clip it on their belt. The battery lasts up to 24 hours which is pretty good considering your phone lasts about 12 hours when using a lot of apps.

The ResQLink+ received 4.6 stars on online reviews and was stated to be “Wonderful Insurance,” “This truly saved my life. Please, please buy this!!!,” and “Great sense of security for emergency situations.” Given its low price, the ResQLink+ is a great tool for anyone who is in the outdoors or on the water with the possibility of getting injured or lost.>Read More Here

# 3 Garmin Montana 680t

The gps comes with several features including:

Large 4” dual-orientation touch screen (glove friendly)
8 megapixil camera with autofocus, geotag photos automatically
Multiple GPS technologies
Touchscreen, high resolution
Large screen
Dual source battery power
120v charger, USB cord and lithium battery included
Compass (3-axis) with barometric altimer
Screen dimming mode to save batterie

The battery lasts up to 25 hours according to Garmin specs if constantly used. Actual use of the tracker has yielded slightly lower results (about 15 hours). You should bring backup AA batteries since the display is graphic intensive as is true with most GPS trackers. If the batteries die your track will be saved until you replace the batteries and you should have your backup power bank for emergencies so you are always prepared.

The Garmin Montana 680t received 4.0 stars on online reviews and was stated to be “Cadillac of of all “off Road” GPS’s” and “Overall a very nice GPS for hiking.” And “The built in camera and the included software make this Garmin a great deal.” Although it is more expensive than the average GPS, Garmin Montana 680t is a great tool.

See the Amazon price here.| Amazon

Just as you will pay more for a larger iPhone screen, you will pay a premium for larger GPS screens, after all, this is the Cadillac of GPS trackers. This is a huge plus and adds significant value that most other trackers don’t provide. The Garmin Montana 680t can be a great survival GPS Tracker as and is well worth the money considering the great features and extra options that you get. It is a bargain at this price.

Our Assessment: Excellent Buy – 9.0/10

Overall, the Garmin Montana 680t is an excellent choice as a GPS Tracker for hunters, campers. The features, technology are extensive which offer users an excellent tool for their peace of mind.

#2 Garmin Inreach Explorer+

The advanced GPS communicator comes with several features including:

Global iridium satellite coverage
2-way text Messaging from anywhere (satellite subscription required)
SOS (interactive) access to 24/7 emergency responders via the search and rescue monitoring center
Share your tracks & location with loved ones
Pair with mobile devices
Access NOAA charts & vivid Aerial imagery
Topo maps – Inreach Explorer+ Device
Onscreen GPS routing
Built-in compass
Barometric altimeter and Accelerometer

The Garmin Inreach Explorer+ is uniquely designed and economically priced considering its features. The battery lasts up to 100 hours which is better than many other gps intensive devices. Just remember to charge it daily and bring a power bank to charge all your devices. We say this with all the GPS trackers and communicators because they are wonderful communication devices – that eat your batteries. This is primarily because of their accuracy which requires the GPS trackers to constantly communicate with the satellites, which uses a lot of power.

The Garmin Inreach Explorer+ received 4.0 stars on online reviews and was stated to be “A reasonably affordable option for emergency communications,” “Great product. Must have in many cases.,” and “A must have item for anyone in the backcountry!” Given its low price, the Garmin Inreach Explorer+ is a great tool for anyone who needs a superb GPS unit and GPS communicator with SOS – in one unit. >>Read More Here | Amazon

Our Assessment: Excellent GPS communicator – 9.5/10

Remember, when you are using it you should connect it high up on your backpack. It is a great price with exceptional value. Where else can you get a high quality gps tracker, communicator with SOS, built in compass, an accelerometer (in case you want to see how fast you hump off a waterfall)? It has a larger screen and more features than the DeLorme AG-008727-201 InReach Explorer which is why it is a little pricer, well worth every penny.

Best Camping GPS For The Money# 1 Garmin GPSMAP 64st, TOPO U.S. 100K with High-Sensitivity GPS and GLONASS Receiver

The gps for camping comes with several features including:

Large 2.6” touchscreen

Anti sun glare – sunlight readable
Very accurate GPS
Expandable 8GB internal memory
Shareable location, tracking, waypoints
Smart dual battery power. Accepts 2AA or NiMH battery pack
Smart notifications
Rugged, full-featured

The battery lasts up to most of the day if constantly used. You should bring backup AA batteries since the display is graphic intensive. See the Amazon price here.| Amazon

The Garmin GPS Map 64st received 4 stars on online reviews and was stated to be “The GPS reception is amazing” “What a fantastic product,” and “Super GPS” Given its low price, the Garmin GPS Map 64st is a great tool for hunters and campers who want the safety of the GPS Tracker for and advanced topographical displays to get you where you need to go easily. This is a huge plus and adds significant value that most other trackers don’t provide. The Garmin GPS Map 64st has raving reviews, and, understandably given its great price.

Our Assessment: Excellent Buy – 9.5/10

Overall, the Garmin GPS Map 64st is an excellent choice as a GPS Tracker for camping, hiking or mountain biking. The crisp, clear display, technology are extensive which offers you an excellent tool to navigate through the wilderness with peace of mind, knowing you will be safe and sound and easily find your way. The tracker can be easily stored in your vest or coat or pack.

Conclusion

Within this article, we reviewed what you should look for when choosing personal tracking devices for camping and some that apply to mountain biking. There are several hundred GPS for camping on the market today but we evaluated the best and provided you objective reviews to address real-world situations. Take our guidelines into consideration when you are buying a GPS Tracker. Remember, there may be cheaper GPS trackers for camping but they are not durable and won’t get the job done. If you have any recommendations for GPS for camping, leave them in the comment box below.

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