Garmin eTrex 30x Handheld GPS Navigator with Built-in 3-Axis Electronic Compass for Enhanced Navigation Accuracy

Smokeeater: This has accompanied me on a number of trails and climbs in Europe. Can't go wrong with Garmin.

Canada on Sep 23, 2023

Amazon Customer: I use this for hunting. It works great, picks up satellites quickly and has lots of handy features. I especially like downloading onto my computer using Garmin basemaps (free).

I only give 4 stars because the base map that comes pre loaded is NOT very accurate and not very useful. You can BUY more maps that I'm sure are better but I'm cheap.

This gps will let you keep track of where you've been and get you back to where you want to be.

Canada on Nov 18, 2021

Walter Lopes De Araujo: ótima aquisição

Brazil on Aug 31, 2021

Jake B: Pros: Good size, water resistant, excellent connection and positioning info. Easy to use with gloves on. Good battery life. Mini-USB plug is not as common but isn't rare or hard to find. MicroSD expansion means I can hold all the GPS data I could need for North America.

Cons: Face button is large and can trigger actions while the device is in a pocket or pouch. Pricey considering the hardware is 10 years old. Requires some homework and tech knowledge to get decent map data, otherwise garmin wants over a 100$ for maps. A little slow to update screen when moving through way-points

Summary:
I like the size and feel, especially since I am coming from an original eTrex 10 however the hardware seems weak and the button on the front has a lot to be desired.

Plus is that Basecamp is easy to use and there are communities putting out good OSM data to use as maps. A little homework gave me all the GPS road and land data I need for Eastern Canada and US.Which includes the lakes and back country I spend my time in and islands I kayak around. No need to buy the Garmin stuff, especially after putting down 250$.

Canada on Apr 21, 2018

Slogger: Love this thing. Small size, great satellite reception. The battery life is amazing, at 25hrs on a pair of AA's. Acquires satellites quickly and maintains stable links through rougher terrain. If you're on the fence between this and the newer etrex touch series, buy the 30x. The new touch models have half the battery life and the touch screens are not very responsive according to reviews. 30x has 4GB of memory expandable with microsd, the touch 35t has 8GB + expandable. 30x also has ANT+ support and can transmit data wirelessly to other units. Don't be fooled by the 35t's "larger" screen, it's lower resolution. You can install free OSM maps on the 30x too. The only plus to the touch 35t, is the bluetooth/mobile alerts, but who the hell has cell tower reception if you are actually using this seriously anyways. You don't need a backcountry device to get your starbucks coffee. Read the full comparison. At the time of purchase it was on sale for a rock bottom price CDN 219.99.

Canada on Mar 08, 2016

LGL: I use several different types of Outdoor GPSs. Mostly Garmin. This unit was purchased as a loaner for hiking-hunting friends. I mainly use the free TOPO Maps for Virginia (http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/432/, however, I also use a 2008 Garmin TOPO DVD $).
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With Garmin Basecamp (the free SW program to manage maps, waypoints, etc., I had little trouble transferring my maps, waypoints (dozens), and routes (11 of them). Everything worked well. (I think Basecamp is OK, but not as good as the older Garmin MapSource v6—discontinued.)
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This GPS loads quickly (considering my map sizes) and locks on satellites in a reasonable amount of time. The menus are customizable (click through selected pages) which allows you to set up the GPS to quickly flip through the pages you usually use (this is common to Garmin GPSs, I think). Pages have easy to update settings for selecting fields, changing maps, and contextual options. You can also change the datum sets and the coordinate systems to your liking (to match the map-set features of your mapping software or Google's mapping system for example. You can easily edit/move/change waypoints/routes and names, and change symbols,...

United States on Dec 07, 2015

Ryan H: I rate this unit five stars because to me it has a very limited niche and fulfills that niche well. To me this is a hiking, biking, and geocaching compact lightweight unit. Some compromises have been made to keep it compact and lightweight.

It's very compact, it feels extremely solid and the screen is quite nice. The reception and accuracy are significantly better than the Garmin GPSMap 60Csx with Sirfstar III. This unit likes to be held with the screen up and not vertically, however it is less sensitive to orientation then the 60Csx, which liked to be held vertically with the antenna pointed toward the sky. With GLONASS and WAAS on it very quickly finds my position. I assume these features consume more battery life, and they do make the unit refresh at a slightly slower rate. Make sure you turn WAAS and GLONASS on if you want the fastest and most accurate position information, neither feature is on by default. I think that is a mistake on Garmins part, people pick the unit up and don't realize how accurate it can be.

I personally didn't find the unit very cumbersome to navigate through. I love that they kept the customizable data points on most of the screens....

United States on Jul 26, 2015