I now own a Garmin eTrex Vista Cx, which is a great little unit. I use it heaps, and have a mount on my kayak for when I kayak at night, or when land may be less visible. It's also nice to track paddle speed, set tracks to land on beaches etc.
I have also been an advocate for using my GPS on most of my hikes....until now. You see, I'm getting a little tired of leaving it on primarily for the purpose of logging a track/hike (that I create) on the Basecamp software (for Mac). I also appreciate marking and collecting waypoints including Trail Head, Track Junctions, Camp Sites, Beach Heads, Huts etc. for reference sake later on.
I still think that waypoints are important (for emergency and reference sake), but I'm a bit over logging tracks for the fun of it...at least on hikes anyway. I'll still be using it for kayaking (plus, it helps with my kayaking development...you know, speed etc.). The eTrex, whilst a compact and relatively light unit, is still rather heavy, and half the time (especially in Tassie or Vic forest), the tracking doesn't work too well under dense canopy.
Which leads me to think about an alternative, lighter weight option, primarily for logging waypoints. So I've been thinking about the Garmin fenix.
- Has anybody had any experience with this to date?
If so, how does it perform for you? Do you use it for tracks, or for waypoints only, or a bit of both?
The battery life (in GPS mode) seems to be quite vague (up to 50hrs) which could really mean anything, so how has this been for you?
I've looked into its many features and accessories, which I do like, such as the carabiner strap (as I hate wearing a watch while hiking), and the unit looks promising. I'm not convinced about its battery charging process (instead of using disposable batteries).
Just curious...thanks.
Jase