Summary:
Analysis of the top rated portable handheld GPS for Geocaching. List of the top features needed to be considered one of the best GPS for Geocaching.
Best GPS for Geocaching:
There is No One Perfect GPS for Geocaching
Thats right, there is no one perfect GPS for geocaching. There may be one that you consider perfect for yourself, but probably not everyone has the same needs you do. However, overall there are highly recommended GPS for geocaching out there, and they are all listed below. These are considered the best GPS for geocaching. The geocaching community has rated these as the most popular GPS for geocaching in the last year. However, choosing a good GPS for geocaching depends on what and how you, personally, plan on using your GPS in the quest for the cache. I can't tell you the one single GPS that has been proven the best for geocaching, though I have put together a list of the most qualified and top rated GPS for geocaching. So I encourage you to look into each of these GPS and find what exactly it is that you are looking for and choose which GPS is best suited for your geocaching needs. GPS technology is constantly changing so check back often for updates.
Features of the Best GPS for Geocaching:
-Long battery life (between 15-25 hours)
-Plenty of memory to hold waypoints (14-25 MB should be good)
-Easily portable/light weight (hand held)
-I geocache at night so a easily readable screen
-WAAS capability (allows for accuracy of up to 3 meters)
-Water proof/resistant
Top Rated GPS for Geocaching
-Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx
-Garmin Etrex Legend
-Magellan Explorist 200
-Garmin GPS 60
Long Battery Life for a Handheld GPS
One of the best features a handheld GPS can have is a long battery life. Geocaching is suppose to be a relaxing hobby where geocachers can enjoy taking their time in the great outdoors. A long battery life for a GPS can save a lot of frustration while geocaching. It allows for more wilderness geocaching where the prize might be miles away or there could be several geocaching waypoints in the area, which happens a lot in cities. So be sure you add this feature to your list when deciding the best GPS for geocaching.
GPS Needs Plenty of Memory While Geocaching
It is a common practice to revisit waypoints several times because the geocaching treasure is constantly changing. If you are one to revisit geocaching waypoints then your GPS will start to run out of memory and it is hard to decide which waypoints you need to delete in order to enter new ones. So when shopping for a GPS be sure you save yourself the hassle of having to decide which waypoints are more important and get plenty of memory for your geocaching GPS.
Geocaching GPS Should be Light Weight and Portable
No one enjoys walking around the woods geocaching while carrying a big heavy burden of a GPS. There are some handheld GPS that weigh up to 3.5 pounds. That would be a terror to go geocaching with. Anything over 2 pounds is a little to heavy to be considered in the best GPS for geocaching category. So try and stay under 2 pounds when shopping for your geocaching GPS.
GPS Should Have WAAS Capability to be Good for Geocaching
WAAS has been around for awhile and yet many GPS owners still have no idea what it is. WAAS capability basically allows for a GPS unit's accuracy to be within 3 meters. When it comes to geocaching this is key. No one hides their prizes out in the open so it really is important to get as close to the waypoints provided as possible, and a GPS with WAAS capability can do just that for you. So, again, when deciding which GPS is the best for your geocaching needs be sure to include WAAS capability as a must have feature.
When Geocaching GPS Need to be Water Resistant/Water Proof
As most already know, geocaching, is an outdoor sport, which means weather applys. When it comes to a $100+ piece of equipment thats primary use is outdoors you don't want a little water to ruin it. So be sure your geocaching GPS is some what water resistant. Particularly if you are one to go geocaching in the woods where there are plenty of places to accidentally drop the GPS into standing water.