Garmin etrex Legend Cx Review

I purchased the Garmin etrex Legend Cx about 4 months ago. Interesting experience from the cost comparison point of view. I went first to M.E.C. where the price was $365 but they did not have any in stock. Across the street at Coast Mountain the price was $395. Coast gave me the M.E.C. price and referred me to MapTown to pick up the Garmin Mapsource Topographical Maps. When I get to MapTown I see the same unit I bought the night before for $250. My jaw nearly hit the floor. For some reason I never bother price comparing anything I plan to buy at M.E.C.. Lesson learned. Coast Mountain was good and refunded me the difference. The result is that the unit cost me $250 but last time I was at MapTown it was selling for $280.

Overall, I am happy with this unit. The only real complaint is that you cannot save more than one active track on this unit. See my post on Active vs. Saved Tracks to understand why. I do find the small screen to be difficult to use at times, especially in combination with the topographical maps if you are moving with any speed or riding a bike. The topographical map displayed in this photo is roughly the same size as the actual screen on the unit (depending on the size of your monitor). It helps you understand the difficulty.

I have tripped over a few roots squinting to figure out how many more meters in elevation to climb before reaching the top of a mountain. For this reason the larger screen on the Magellan may be an advantage but the smaller screen on the Garmin keeps it size down so it easily fits in your pocket. One thing that helped was using one of those self adhesive screen protectors you can buy for a PDA. They make it easier to see the screen and reduce sun glare.

A hike in Peter Lougheed emphasized the value of the topographical maps and why I would recommend spending the extra $100 to buy a unit that can download maps. For the hike I had missed downloading one of the sections of the map. I marked the car but other than the track I had taken the screen was blank. Made me realize that the basic models of GPS are probably next useless in the back country. They may get you back to the car, but they are not going to help you find a remote lake or the mountain top. Without the topographical map, the straight line they draw back to the car may also take you over a cliff. Buying the topographical maps is worth it, especially when you consider that they cover all of Canada and include the city street and highway information. The maps in town are not as colorful as those on the city versions of Mapsource but they will guide you around town with no problems.

Final comment, I would recommend the unit and I would suggest you buy the rechargeable batteries that can be used with digital cameras. I get over 30 hours with one charge but you should still carry a second set and a map. Many factors affect GPS signal and you do not want to make headlines.