Delorme PN-60
Stay smart, stay safe, and get this Delorme PN-60. We owe our lives to this and many days of NOT getting lost. In a year with record breaking snow in the Sierras, the trail which we were trekking was six-feet under, and nowhere to be found. When surrounded by tall mountains, it was difficult to navigate via map and compass, and with bootpack going in twenty different directions, we were happy to have our GPS.
With a slot for adding a memory card (regular size) we were able to save ALL waypoints and GPS tracks for a 2,700-mile long trail. You can only actively use up to 1,000 waypoints, but you are able to keep the loaded on the memory card and easily switch files while on the go. While the device doesn't set any speedrecords for its startup time, its accuracy makes up for it. With an average of only 16 feet off, we were confident of our location at all times.
Like any GPS, in highly covered areas it was difficult to get a signal, and if you turn it on while walking it will take an extra couple minutes to get a location. The best thing to do is turn it on when you've stopped in a open area. It never took long to lock on us in a good area, and even the bad ones never took more than five minutes.
One of the coolest features is tracking your own trip. This means the GPS can follow your path and store it on the device so it can be uploaded to a computer later. I will say to be careful with the batteries though. The rechargable battery doesn't last nearly as long as a pair of Lithium Ion Energizers (ridiculously expensive, but honestly, the only thing that works) and even those will go quickly if you leave it on too long. Don't expect more than a full day out of a pair of batteries. We never would leave it on for more than five to ten minutes at a time if we could help it. This would ensure that we had about a weeks worth of life in it, and even then we always carried spares.
We made sure to get the SPOT connected PN-60, but forego the SPOT and get their new inReach device. I previewed it before it came out, and am very excited to get it myself! Two way messaging, and the great emergency beacon we love about SPOT.
The features list goes on and on with the PN-60, so sit down and explore it before you hit the trails. I loved using the fishing feature which took your location, sunrise/sunset, and gave you the best time to fish. I also loved not getting lost -- thats cool too.