Love the Great Outdoors? Are you a hiker, biker, hunter, geocacher, camper, woodsman, off-roader, or any other kind of nature lover? Do you need a handheld companion for your road trip? Or do you need a compact navigator for your boat? Whatever your application, there's a great handheld solution available for you at Tiger GPS!
So what features should you look for? The first factor to consider is whether or not you need a mapping unit. Most units contain a basemap, a rough guide to North America. A basemap will typically have highways and larger roads, as well as larger bodies of water. A basemap is meant for graphic display and basic orientation; it will not provide detailed maps suitable for in-depth navigation.
Higher-end units take additional mapping software, usually three different kinds: autorouting, topographical, and marine charts. To see the differences side-by-side, check out our Tiger GPS Garmin Software Guide (click here).
Autorouting software will add detailed street map information to your receiver, letting the handheld give driving directions and beep when it's time to turn. Topographical data provides elevation contours, campground and parks information, often trail data, and basic lake data. Topo software won't provide maps to calculate driving directions; for that, you'll need an autorouting system.
If you're a boater, you'll want to add a marine chart for your region. Detailed marine charts provide full depth contours, nav aids, buoys, ports plans, tide info and more. Some topo software will cover the shoreline, but for in-depth navigation on the water, you'll need localized, specialized software.
Lower-end units have internal memory to store small map segments; higher-end units take either SD or microSD data cards for loading mapping data. All handhelds have enough memory to store waypoints and a track log without adding anything, but if you want autorouting, topo or marine software, an expandable memory system is a smart investment. Many systems even allow you to buy the maps pre-loaded onto the card for plug-and-play convenience!
Other key features in a handheld GPS receiver are form factor (size), color screen, and GPS chipset. To toggle through units by feature, see our Handheld Product Selector (click here).
So what's at the top of the line? Check out the Garmin Colorado series, Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx, GPSMAP 76Cx, eTrex Vista HCx and eTrex Venture HC; the Magellan Triton 500 and Triton 2000; the Lowrance iFinder H2O C; and the DeLorme Earthmate PN-20.
 The Garmin Colorado series represents the ultimate in portable handheld GPS navigation from the name you know and trust - Garmin! The new Colorado series is essentially an upgrade from the GPSMAP 60CSx. The Colorados are roughly the same width and overall shape, but are shorter despite having a larger screen. This is made possible by the invention of the "Rock n Roller" wheel, which allows users to cycle through menu functions quickly and easily. There are now only three control buttons, plus a power switch, making the user interface a breeze to scroll through.
The Colorado is available in four flavors: the Colorado 300, the base unit with 384 MB free memory to store detailed maps (enough to hold about 10 states or so); the Colorado 400t, with pre-loaded Topographical maps for the United States, including highly-detailed 3D contour views; the Colorado 400c, pre-loaded with BlueChart maps for the United States East Coast, West Coast, Gulf Coast and Great Lakes; and the Coloroado 400i, pre-loaded with detail for thousands of inland lakes across the continental United States. Each Colorado also features an SD slot for expandable memory cards and other maps types.
 The Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx is still a full-featured, color-screen handheld GPS receiver with top-of-the-line SiRF GPS technology, expandable microSD memory, and barometric altimeter and electronic compass sensors. The GPSMAP 60CSx is completely ruggedized to survive accidental drops and the elements of any environment. You can add plug-and-play City Navigator software to generate automotive routes anywhere in North America; Topographic maps for elevation contours, trails, and other outdoors features; and BlueChart marine charts, to let you navigate in any ocean or in any lake or river. Software is available on pre-programmed microSD cards or on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, from which it can be loaded onto a blank microSD card. Also available is the GPSMAP 60Cx, which lacks the altimeter and compass sensors of the 60CSx.
 The Garmin GPSMAP 76Cx is an outstanding option for any mariner. Featuring the same color screen, SiRF GPS technology, and expandable microSD memory as the 60Cx and 60CSx, the 76Cx has additional marine detail on its basemap, comes with a larger memory card (128 MB vs. 64 MB), and if you drop it in the water, it floats! The GPSMAP 76Cx is also capable of autorouting with City Navigator, and accepts topo maps and BlueChart detail as well. Software is available on pre-programmed microSD cards or on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, from which it can be loaded onto a blank microSD card. Also available is the GPSMAP 76CSx, which adds a barometric altimeter and electronic compass.
 If you want all the main features of the GPSMAP 60CSx, including the barometric altimeter and electronic compass in an even more compact and pocket-friendly package, check out the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. Based on the popular original eTrex Vista, the Vista HCx indicates a High-frequency GPS receiver, Color screen, and eXpandable memory. You can add Software such as plug-and-play City Navigator to generate automotive routes anywhere in North America; Topographic maps for elevation contours, trails, and other outdoors features; and BlueChart marine charts, to let you navigate in any ocean or in any lake or river. You can also save money with the Garmin eTrex Legend HCx, which lacks the altimeter and compass.
 Do you want it all? Good news: you can have it all with the new Magellan Triton 2000. The Triton 2000 is the first consumer-grade outdoor GPS device with a touch-screen interface, fully integrated microphone and speaker, MP3 player, LED flashlight, digital camera, barometer and 3-axis compass all crammed into a compact and affordable package. Take geo-referenced photos, record voice notes, upload new National Geographic Topo maps with the SD slot, and control it all with your fingertips for the ultimate outdoors navigation experience! There's also the Triton 1500, which lacks the camera, altimeter and compass features but keeps the touch-screen interface, flashlight and microphone. Check out our Magellan Triton Guide (click here) for charts and more information on the Magellan's latest and greatest.
 At the top of the traditional Magellan line is the new Triton 500, the direct replacement for the eXplorist 600. The Triton 500 features a color display, high-sensitivity receiver, SD card slot for new National Geographic Topo maps, 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter, and compatability with new VantagePoint software for easy PC connectivity and map management. There's also the Triton 400, which lacks the altimeter and compass features; the Triton 300, which has only internal memory for loading small map segments; and the Triton 200, a simple handheld with a color screen, basemap, and high-frequency receiver, and little else. Check out our Magellan Triton Guide (click here) for charts and more information on the Magellan's latest and greatest.
Want simple? Want easy-to-find if dropped? Want a compact color handheld receiver that's compatible with advanced maps? You want the Garmin eTrex Venture HC. This distinctive yellow GPS receiver is fully rugged and waterproof, and will keep you and your wallet happy. It even saves you money after you purchase it - the Venture HC can run up to 14 hours on a pair of AA batteries. Software is available on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, from which it can be loaded onto 23MB of internal memory, enough to hold 2 to 3 states' worth of information. The Venture HC is a great option for beginners and geocachers; you can even add street maps with Garmin MetroGuide, although the unit itself will not calculate driving directions. There's also the eTrex Summit HC, which adds a barometric altimeter and electronic compass.
 Want to find an outstanding value for your boat? Check out the Lowrance iFinder H2O C, with a high-resolution color screen and an SD slot for mapping detail. The iFinder H2O C takes the same Navionics Gold charts and Navionics HotMaps Premium as high-end fixed-mount chartplotters, or you can get the Lowrance NauticPath chart or a Fishing HotSpots PRO chip to save some money. Both are easy and affordable options. There's also the iFinder Expedition C, which adds a barometric altimeter, electronic compass, MP3 player and microphone; and the iFinder Hunt C, with altimeter, compass, and special hunting software. For outdoors use, you'll want to invest in Lowrance MapCreate Topo v7, with up-to-date maps across America.
 Looking for a single-box solution for outdoors navigation? Then the DeLorme Earthmate PN-20 Bundle is for you. The Earthmate PN-20 features a large color screen and high-sensitivity GPS receiver, plus it comes with Topo 6.0 software for updated USGS topographic map and elevation data, integrated with the street, trail, campground, and highway network, as well as aerial photography downloads. The Earthmate also accepts data from DeLorme StreetAtlas 2008 for autorouting, or the even more in-depth StreetAtlas PLUS 2008, which includes a "white-pages-style" directory and technical framework for advanced applications.
Still uncertain which model is for you? Check out the Handheld Product Selector (click here) or call our toll-free customer service line at 1-866-798-4437 and speak to one of our dedicated customer service reps.
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