Best Handheld GPS for Hunting 2022
Top Handheld GPS for Hunting - Quick Picks
When you are planning your next hunting, fishing, or camping trip, a GPS device can help you find your way through unfamiliar terrain. Your preparation will help you prepare for anything that can happen, such as getting lost or knowing your altitude and what kind of animals you can expect to see. You should do your homework before you buy your next GPS device as they can be an investment for forest, city, and mountain use.
What are the Best Hunting GPS?
Take a GPS device with you when you hunt so you can come prepared for terrain changes and help you know which game trail to follow. They can also help you out of trouble should something happen. Before you make your GPS purchase, do your homework so you know if it will match your needs in the short and long-term.
The Garmin GPSMAP 64st, TOPO U.S. 100K with High-Sensitivity GPS comes in five different versions to include Bluetooth, a camera, Canada, or the United States Topographical Maps. You will need to consider which type you want to purchase, with the base model being a good way to start reading your environment.
The Garmin GPS comes with a sunlight reader, which displays your topographical maps on a 2.6-inch display. The batteries are strong and will give you up to sixteen hours of life outdoors. The Garmin GPS uses dual-battery charging packs with the AA battery option or by using rechargeable NiMH batteries that you charge from inside of the device.
The GPS weighs only 8.1 ounces with the batteries included, which makes the GPS easy to hold in your hand while you hike and travel. The GPS is capable of receiving Smart Notifications if you pair it with your devices. You can receive heart rate monitoring notifications or control the VIRB camera.
You can also wirelessly upload your hiking and traveling data to the Garmin Connect application on your phone so that you can share and track your activities. Your Live Track application will display your compass, barometric pressure, and route to those you connect with.
Pros
Cons
The Garmin Montana 680t comes with pre-loaded Geocaches. Geocaches are maps and routes so you can explore to your heart's content. The maps have extreme detail so you can view your route in different modes such as the Birdseye Satellite imagery map, which gives you the ability to view the topography of your surroundings from the sky.
The GPS is very sensitive. You can enable different satellite and Glonass support to help you locate yourself on a map wherever you end up. You can do it quickly with heavy cloud cover or in deep canyons. The maps you will use are preloaded 100K resolution maps that let you see your location with a built-in compass that aligns with a barometric meter for higher elevations.
The GPS will help you organize and track or plan your routes ahead of time or while you are on-the-go. A built-in high-quality camera helps you capture your trip and tag your photos to the location on the map.
Pros
Cons
The Garmin eTrex 30x, Handheld GPS Navigator, is a handheld GPS good for camping, hiking, and hunting. The GPS comes with a 2.2-inch screen that produces 65K color and sunlight readability. The design of the GPS includes easy-to-grip sides made with a rubber that is resistant to moisture.
The built-in software is Smart with a compass that shows you speed and time to your next location. It also provides you with 3.7 GB of internal memory to let you download maps and save them. If you run out of space, you can also use a microSD card to expand your options to include detailed topographical maps, including a Huntview app for your next hunting trip or the City Navigator NT to help you navigate city streets.
The GPS has built-in sensors, including a three-axis tilt to give you a compass and barometric pressure indicator. Those sensors help you to know your altitude and plot your pressure shifts over time. The GPS comes with wireless connectivity to help track your routes and download maps to help make your next trip more detailed.
Pros
Cons
The Garmin Foretrex 401 Waterproof Hiking GPS is a small basic GPS device that you can wear on your wrist. The GPS is very sensitive to your location and provides you with the HotFix for the performance and reception of your location wherever you are.
The GPS helps you to track your route, the waypoints you aim for as well as heart rate. The screen is an LCD that tracks a log of your activities up to ten thousand hours. The GPS uses two AA batteries that can last up to seventeen hours, while you are on-the-go. You can create and store your routes before you head out and connect your routes wirelessly to your GPS or computer.
The screen of the GPS unit divides up so you can see your speed, elevation, and GPS locations all in one place. The device has dual position readouts, so you can change modes to know more information about your location. You can even set the GPS to read out your information and load a compass so you can digitally direct your steps.
The Garmin wrist GPS helps you track the sunrise/sunset, barometric pressure, provides you with information about the area's hunting or fishing, and provides you with an electronic compass as you navigate around in the great outdoors. The GPS even helps you retrace your steps if you get lost while you are out adventuring.
Pros
Cons
The Garmin eTrex 22x, Rugged Handheld GPS Navigator, is a detailed GPS device. The Garmin device connects to the GPS and Glonass satellite systems to help you track your progress as you move around in the great outdoors. You can download topographical maps before you go out to help you plan your routes and what roads to take for your hiking or cycling trips.
The GPS comes with 8 GB of internal memory to let you carry maps for your next trip. You can also install a microSD card so you can carry extra maps wherever you choose to go. The maps display on a 2.2-inch display that is sunlight resistant for improved readability. The GPS device has a high pixel display for very detailed maps.
The eTrex GPS series connects to multiple topographical maps to help you track your location by satellite. You can use the GPS and Glonass systems to help you find your location in space. You can also use the Geocaching to find maps and load them onto your device to include location and terrain.
The GPS is a handheld device that you can use for your next hunting, hiking, or bicycling trip for turn-by-turn instructions or remote Navigator NT maps. The GPS comes with a long battery life of up to twenty-five hours in GPS mode. You can change the batteries in the GPS easily as it takes AA batteries.
Pros
Cons
What should you look for in Handheld GPS?
When you go looking for a hunting GPS, there are multiple things to consider before you buy one. You need to know how often you will use it and the extent of how you will use it. GPS navigation is more than about where you are when you are hunting. You should consider the following things before you make your purchase.
Topographical Maps
The best GPS devices either come with some topographical maps for you to use, or it will require you to download more. You should consider that before you buy the GPS unit. Everyone buys GPS units for the maps when you are hunting, so you are not caught surprised when the terrain drops or rises suddenly. It can mean the difference in the animals you are hunting or whether you might end up in uncomfortable weather.
Easy to Use
GPS software and the GPS device comes in a variety of forms, but the device you select should be easy to use and program for your needs. You do not want to be in the bush only to discover you don't have the right map and can't get the right map. You also don't want to be messing with the GPS when you could be following your next trail to its end or spotting your next target.
Data Sources
Many types of GPS devices come with maps, but often you can get more maps from sources like GPS or GLONASS. A lot of the maps are high-quality and worth the extra expense, but subscriptions are not cheap, so you will need to consider whether it is worth the extra expense for the investment. If you are planning on using your GPS device daily or weekly, you should consider the added investment as they are worth the price you will pay.
Power Source
How your device stays charged is important to consider. It is a good idea to look at a device that has multiple ways to stay charged. If you are planning on camping or hiking for weeks at a time, you will not always have time to charge your device or will be too far away from a power source such as a vehicle charger.
Changing batteries is not the most environmentally sound way to use a GPS device, but it can also help you if you plan to backpack for multiple days, and you cannot expect to find electricity to recharge your GPS. Backup power sources can help you stay charged and traveling.
Accessories
When you buy a GPS unit, you have the option of purchasing multiple types of subscriptions, such as the BirdsEye Satellite application program, Hunting or fishing applications, and different types of topographical maps. You will need to decide if you want or need these extras.
You can also buy the advanced units that include high-resolution cameras so you can add pictures to your maps. The pictures can give you a better idea of where you were when you went through an area and what you saw. The GPS device can also have LED flashlights, which are very handy in a pinch.
Wireless Options
Sometimes you can plan your entire trip, but things can happen. You should try to find a device that has a strong wireless component. Wireless capabilities will let you connect by satellite to your databases to help you update your maps if you need to. The wireless option will be an added charge to your device, but it can help you a lot when you get stuck.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to being prepared, a GPS device can help you see your way into and out of the wilderness. GPS is very good for hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking around the country and world. If you are looking for a high-quality GPS device, you should start with the Garmin, the eTrex 22x, Rugged Handheld GPS Navigator.
The Garmin, eTrex 22x, Rugged Handheld GPS Navigator comes ready for you to use and modify for your needs. The Navigator comes ready to connect to the GPS and Glonass satellite systems so you can have your maps at your fingertips. You will also preload the internal maps and any you choose to download. The GPS is an active resource for you to use wherever you choose to go, and it has a long battery life of up to twenty-five hours, which can give you plenty of time to explore.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.