I was introduced to a fascinating new hobby, Geocaching, by a review written by scalywitch in Ciao Café. Geocaching is basically a modern version of treasure hunting combined with orienteering that employs advanced technology to locate the cache. Scalywitch's review highlighted the need for a hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS).
I initially used my TomTom as a portable GPS to successfully find my first caches. Now completely hooked, I realised that to continue with the hobby I need a unit that was lighter in weight, more compact, waterproof (a number of caches are hidden by water and then of course there is the snow and rain!!), a long battery life (imagine being half way up Snowdon and your battery runs out!), and one that is easy to read (both day and night). I trawled the outdoor shops to find the best unit for my need (not many reviews on Ciao). After advice from assistants and internet research, I decided on the Garmin eTrex Summit.
Of course the eTrex Summit can be used for more than just geocaching. It is intended for long distance walkers of hilly or mountainous terrain. It incorporates an electronic compass to aid navigation and an in-built barometric altimeter. It can store up to 20 routes and up to 500 waypoints.
The eTrex Summit weighs just 5.3 ounces - definitely light in weight. It is shaped rather like a mobile phone and comes with a wrist strap making it very easy to carry.
It is waterproof. Garmin claim that the unit can be safely submersed to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Now, I haven't actually put that to the test but my eTrex Summit has withstood heavy rain and snow and has emerged unscathed (unlike me).
The eTrex Summit requires 2 AA batteries they are easily inserted in the back of the unit. Garmin claims that the unit has up to 16 hours battery use. I have found this to be variable with the different types of batteries and the use of the unit (using the back light for example runs the unit down faster) but I have found on average that batteries will last for a good 10 hours.
The screen dominates the front of the unit making it very easy to read. A small button on the top right of the unit allows you to move between pages whilst two small buttons on the top left of the unit moves up / down the information of each page. There is also a backlight feature enabling the screen to be read in low light.
There are five main pages which provide the necessary information, including satellite, map, compass, elevation, and menu screens. The first screen shows the satellite signals and their strength. The map page displays your current position, where you've been and if you're following a route, where you're heading. The compass page shows a traditional compass with a pointer indicating your direction. The elevation page, as well as displaying your current elevation, shows the different parts of a planned route giving you a good overall profile - it also tracks pressure changes. The menu enables you to mark your position (we always mark our starting position - so if we get lost we can always find our way back to the care!!), set a waypoint (your destination or a point on the route).
Before using the unit, you will need to calibrate it. This is incredibly easy; you just find a level surface and turn the compass around slowly twice.
I have been very pleased with my hand-held GPS. It is very, very easy to use and has all the features necessary for my use. However, her I must add that my husband and others, more technology adept than I am, have commented that the eTrex Summit would benefit from the capacity to interface with computers enabling the downloading of maps, points of interest etc.
As for accuracy, the eTrex is generally accurate to 20 feet (enough to give me success with geocaching). However, this can be affected by tree cover and strong winds (why I'm not sure).
ONE THING THOUGH!!!!!! ALTHOUGH ELECTRONIC GPS UNITS ARE VERY ACCURATE THEY CAN GIVE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. IF YOU ARE VENTURING OFF THE BEETEN TRACK ESPECIALLY IN BAD WEATHER PLEASE HAVE A MAP AND COMPASS TO FALL BACK ON. AND REMEMBER**** BE SAFE****, FOLLOW THE MOUNTIAN SAFETY CODE (see the link below www.ramblers.org.uk/info/practical/safety.html
All in all, a pretty good accessory for outdoor pursuits. I especially recommend Geocaching as a hobby but that's another review!!! So if anybody tells you to "Get Lost", "Hit the road", "On your bike", "Take a hike" - make sure you take your eTrex Summit!!!
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
