Garmin eTrex 32x, Rugged Outdoor GPS Handheld, GPS Device for Hiking and Geocaching, 2.2'' Sunlight Readable Display, 3-axis Compass, Baromtetric altimeter, Brown

I didn’t want the cost and complexity of a smartwatch but this works a treat as a reliable gps unit when conditions make a smartphone unreliable (cold, rain, wind). It’s button/joystick controlled (easy to operate in gloves or mitts), no touch screen to go wrong, no Garmin account needed, which are all a strength, and lasts a good 30 hours in gps using lithium AA batteries. Gps (2 satellites) is really good for a unit this price (Garmin do bigger, better, more expensive ones) and locks on most of the time, the only time it has failed was when I started messing with the settings mid-walk, the unit chucked me out of gps and as I was in woods it couldn't find a signal again when I restarted the unit. Luckily I knew where I was heading and gps kicked back in when I was out of the trees. But if you just want to follow a preloaded gpx track (via cable from your computer, no wireless) zoom in and out and record the route this works perfectly, and importantly isn’t affected by bad weather or freezing hands. I tend to plan a route on other software not directly in the unit itself, and load it in. If it is on and has a gps signal this thing is always recording, so remember to clear both track and trip just before recording a new walk and remember to save the track when you finish (it automatically gives it a date and time stamp). Altimeter works well but like similar devices it needs recalibrating each day usually at the start of the walk. Compass works well and needs far less calibration. Unit comes preloaded with Garmin active maps but these can be sparse and if you walk a lot in the UK hills you’ll definitely want to get OS Topo Pro maps which comes on a micro-SD which you can put in the SD slot in the back of the unit (another advantage over a watch where I don’t think you can load OS maps). The OS maps are expensive (more expensive than the unit itself!) but can come bundled with the unit for slightly reduced price, or search out cheaper prices to the RRP. I have 1:25k OS maps but to be honest I tend to stick at 1:50k because the screen is quite small (but still bigger than a large smartwatch) and also the maps are rasterised (not vector) which means zooming too far into 1:25k makes it pixelated but sometimes that level of detail is useful. An alternative to OS maps are the Talkytoaster ones which look very detailed, specifically for UK walking, and are a fraction of the price of OS maps. The gps unit has a joystick which is easy to use but I don’t think you can lock it, so if you are not careful you inadvertently set waypoints by knocking it, so I have a cheap 3d printed clip for the back of the unit so I can clip the whole thing onto my rucksack chest harness to keep it out the way. I use a cheap lanyard too (that I had already) as this thing is shaped and weighted like an old Nokia phone and despite having some grip looks a good candidate for dropping and disappearing down between rocks! Garmin do a backpack tether for the unit but it’s expensive and the set-up above works well. All in all I’m very pleased with this unit, and it complements OS maps on my iPhone (which is better to navigate with in good conditions but a liability higher up) and physical OS maps/compass which I always carry in my pack as backup. By the way, this unit and its harness clip squeeze perfectly into an Alpkit padded cell 1 to protect and store.

Excellent little pocketable GPS for hiking and general outdoors use. Very familiar interface if you have used any Garmin outdoor GPS before.. otherwise there is a learning curve to customise the settings to your needs. 'Back' button is the old Page button, and works as expected.. Battery LIfe is very good, and satellite acquisition is incredibly fast, even on just GPS without GLONASS running. Fitted with @TFolix screen for protection from clumsiness, this is a very rugged device for easy use. The 32X has the Compass which is very useful for static bearings, as a GPS based compass tned to give a wider variation. Altimeter is as accurates as ever - which means not very for height readings..(!) This is usual and to be expected, none of them are too good on this.. but the compass accuracy and use makes up for that.. and the barometer is useful in doubtful weather. The 22X is cheaper but without the sensors loses half its 'brain'.. so worth paying a little more for long term use. Topo-Active basic maps included are just about usable, but better to add a 2gb Micro SD card and get the Talky Toaster topographic terrain maps with truly high resolution for the best results. These maps work on most Garmin GPS units, and cost very very little. The British Isles map takes about 1.2GB on the card, so fits easily.... Highly recommended as a go-anywhere GPS that you can keep in your pocket knowing it will not lose the signal. About the size of a large egg, with a curved back, it takes up very little pocket space and seems not to weigh anything at all! Fantastic little unit.. Pricing was good, and from Amazon as a Garmin UK distributor.

I can't say enough good things about the Garmin eTrex 32 GPS! This rugged and reliable device has been an absolute game-changer for my outdoor adventures. it deserves a solid 5-star rating the Garmin eTrex 32x GPS is a reliable and versatile tool for outdoor enthusiasts. It has all the essential features you need for navigation, and its durability and battery life make it suitable for any adventure. Whether you're a hiker, geocacher, or outdoor explorer, this GPS unit will become an indispensable part of your gear. I highly recommend it without reservation.

Where to start.... I only bought this as a Garmin GPS is required for an offroad motorcycle race, and for that reason alone, I may not send it back. However, as a standalone GPS it's simply terrible. There are some positives: 1. It does look robust and claims to be waterproof 2. It's refreshing to have buttons instead of a touchscreen (which for motorcycling is a real benefit) But... 1. Updates - Trying to run the software and map update failed and the device lost the pre-installed maps. I have tried re-installing them three times but each time the device has failed in some way. Either not starting up at all or having lost the maps. In any case, you cannot restore it to as-bought state as you need a memory card installed to re-install the maps. 2. Mapping - Luckily, the installed maps are laughably bad so it's no great loss. I would never use them anyway. I bought a great alternative from TalkyToaster. However, I have OS mapping on my phone and it's like going back in time in comparison to that 3. Usability - I cannot believe how slow and clunky it is. It's literally like using a Nokia 3210 from 1999. I showed my wife and she just laughed. It's fairly usable when you know what to do but it's not at all intuitive (I work in IT so am not a spud) 4. Screen - tiny and terrible resolution but this is clear in all the reviews etc so no surprises there 5. Scrolling/navigation/using the map - don't bother, it's painful and horrible to use. So in short - compared to a modern smartphone with basic OS mapping or something like Alpine Quest (which is amazing), this GPS is a complete waste of money. The only positive I could say is that in a life or death situation where you really needed the reliability and the option to use AA batteries, this would be better than a smart phone. Otherwise, put your phone in a waterproof bag, pack a USB powerpack, and use the phone instead. I just cannot get my head around going from highly detailed, hi-res OS mapping and easy to use interfaces BACK to something that belongs in the 90s.

I am based in the UK and so far I have been doing day hikes, so that's the perspective I'm going to rate this product on. I also have the OS explorer map for the area and installed the mobile app version on my phone. Pros: - rugged case, water resistance. Your really shouldn't be worried about accidentally dropping this device, or it submerging in a puddle, if you wipe it off quickly, it shouldn't be a problem - battery life. You can just buy AA batteries in any supermarket, have a few spares on you, and this thing can run all the time on for over a day without any problems. This means that your track is continuously recorded, you get accurate odometer readings or can view an accurate elevation plot of your hike at the end. - joystick/button controls, no touch screen. Yes, to me this is a pro. This device can be easily operated in one hand while the other hand is hanging onto branches, still working perfectly with thick gloves on. Cons: - The tiny display doesn't allow for any sort of planning or overview. Either you see a 500 yard radius around you with foothpaths and details, and then you have no idea how to get from A to B on a bigger scale or you zoom out, then you lose all details, and you don't see footpaths any more, so you don't know if a route is walkable or not. You don't want to walk on a dual carriage way, but that's all you see once zoomed out. The cons can be overcome by some home planning, so you know exactly your turns to the end, or once a day when needed taking out the phone from the backpack, do some planning on the much clearer OS map on a large screen, and once you have the route in mind you can tuck away your bulky phone and carry on with this. Conclusion: it;s great for a device that is on all the time, and you pull out on every turn making sure you taking the right path, but, for planning the trip it doesn't work. Do it before hand - or what works for me- use it in conjunction with a phone that now I need only once or twice during a hike.

Planning to use this lightweight device for hillwalking, wild camping and geocaching. Battery on iPhone is poor so having GPS and other facilities in a device that can last way beyond my iPhone battery is useful. That said there is no getting away from the fact a modern smartphone is way more user-friendly than these older style GPS devices that possess old mobile phone like user interfaces and modal style interaction. You can only really copy GPX files for routes from computer to device - don't expect to be bouncing data, photos and other stuff between this and your phone or computer. I got mine £199 from amazon (some re-used at £150) and to be honest at that price point it's reasonable as I wanted something that works when have gloves on. If I had the money I'd have gone for something with inReach as location I went to previously had zero mobile signal - would get maybe Garmin intouch mini 2 or a Garmin GPSMAP 67i - but they are too expensive at £300-500 for me to justify. the built in map is pretty flat - no contouring for proper hills so.... you'd probably need something like Ordinance survey map (extra £) to install in the SD card slot to make it more useful in the mountains and elevated areas. I intend to get that OS add on at some point. This device surprised me in that it also had moonlight and sunrise/sunset an tonnes of useful points of interest too and some other little features like calendar and calculator amongst other oddities. there is a VERY basic connect facility to wirelessly transfer gpu between your Garmin and other like Garmin devices which I'm unlikely to use. I also enabled marine mode but didn't see much depth info for close to shore so not sure if this would be best for marine use. if your budget is £250 or less this does a lot for that money - but if you had a decent battery in your smart phone or booster case then re-using what you have would be useful too. e.g. I used ordinance survey maps app on iPhone which is graphically and contour superior and if you have data signal you're laughing up until you don't. if you're going 'solo' have at least a Garmin inreach for SOS or an iPhone 14/15 that does similar.

Used this many times while out on the mountains this year. Compact design so easy to have somewhere on your person. The beeps when you are 'on track' are fantastic. Very easy to upload GPX routes from websites.

The Garmin eTrex 32x is one of those devices that doesn’t try to impress you with fancy screens or gimmicks — it just gets you where you need to go. It’s compact, rugged and happily shrugs off rain, cold and rough handling. The buttons feel a bit retro, but they work every time, even with gloves on. The mapping is solid, the satellite lock is quick, and the built-in compass and barometric altimeter make a real difference when you’re picking your way through hills or thick woodland. Battery life is stellar — two AAs give you a full day out without worrying about power banks. Yes, the display is small and the interface looks like it’s from another decade, but that’s part of its charm. It’s a dependable trail companion for people who value reliability over flash. For hiking and geocaching, it’s still a cracking little unit.