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Garmin – eTrex 32x – hiking GPS with preloaded TopoActive Europe mapping with routable roads and trails – Electronic compass and barometric altimeter – Green
£167.60
- 2.2-inch color screen readable in direct sunlight. Card segments: 3000
- Preloaded TopoActive map of Europe to guide you on the roads during your cycling trips or on the trails during your hikes
- Multi-GNSS (GPS and GLONASS) for even more precision in difficult environments
- Up to 25 hours in GPS mode with 2 AA batteries (not included)
- 3-axis electronic compass and barometric altimeter to help you keep your bearings
by C.G. Gardiner
Excellent little pocketable GPS for hiking and general outdoors use. Very familiar interface if you have used any Garmin outdoor GPS before.. otherwise there is a learning curve to customise the settings to your needs. ‘Back’ button is the old Page button, and works as expected..
Battery LIfe is very good, and satellite acquisition is incredibly fast, even on just GPS without GLONASS running.
Fitted with @TFolix screen for protection from clumsiness, this is a very rugged device for easy use.
The 32X has the Compass which is very useful for static bearings, as a GPS based compass tned to give a wider variation. Altimeter is as accurates as ever – which means not very for height readings..(!) This is usual and to be expected, none of them are too good on this.. but the compass accuracy and use makes up for that.. and the barometer is useful in doubtful weather.
The 22X is cheaper but without the sensors loses half its ‘brain’.. so worth paying a little more for long term use.
Topo-Active basic maps included are just about usable, but better to add a 2gb Micro SD card and get the Talky Toaster topographic terrain maps with truly high resolution for the best results. These maps work on most Garmin GPS units, and cost very very little. The British Isles map takes about 1.2GB on the card, so fits easily….
Highly recommended as a go-anywhere GPS that you can keep in your pocket knowing it will not lose the signal.
About the size of a large egg, with a curved back, it takes up very little pocket space and seems not to weigh anything at all!
Fantastic little unit..
Pricing was good, and from Amazon as a Garmin UK distributor.
by A. Parkes
I can’t say enough good things about the Garmin eTrex 32 GPS! This rugged and reliable device has been an absolute game-changer for my outdoor adventures. it deserves a solid 5-star rating
the Garmin eTrex 32x GPS is a reliable and versatile tool for outdoor enthusiasts. It has all the essential features you need for navigation, and its durability and battery life make it suitable for any adventure. Whether you’re a hiker, geocacher, or outdoor explorer, this GPS unit will become an indispensable part of your gear. I highly recommend it without reservation.
by James A Jones
Great bit of kit. Easy to use and follow
by darren brayshaw
Never really got to test the unit, couldn’t get past the set up stage. The map transfer speeds between the PC software and the unit are unworkable, every time you want to use the Topo Active maps loaded on the device to plan a route you need to plug the unit in to the PC, it then takes forever to load the maps, in 6 hrs I didn’t actually manage it once.
**update** – so after having another go I reinstalled the maps, waited 2hrs for the maps to then appear on my laptop, and bang, works like a dream, I’m not saying this is easy stuff but if you have a basic knowledge of PC, can use Google and have some patience this will be fine. The maps cache onto your PC so using basecamp software after initial set up is pretty easy. Watch the tutorial videos and route planning is pretty easy, the free Europe Topo maps included are sufficient to get out into hills.
by Kuba
Purchased to find and follow trails in UK and Europe. Does a good job. Takes time and effort to learn features and route marking but does the job once you’re out there. Good value for money.
by HonestOpinion
Where to start…. I only bought this as a Garmin GPS is required for an offroad motorcycle race, and for that reason alone, I may not send it back. However, as a standalone GPS it’s simply terrible. There are some positives:
1. It does look robust and claims to be waterproof
2. It’s refreshing to have buttons instead of a touchscreen (which for motorcycling is a real benefit)
But…
1. Updates – Trying to run the software and map update failed and the device lost the pre-installed maps. I have tried re-installing them three times but each time the device has failed in some way. Either not starting up at all or having lost the maps. In any case, you cannot restore it to as-bought state as you need a memory card installed to re-install the maps.
2. Mapping – Luckily, the installed maps are laughably bad so it’s no great loss. I would never use them anyway. I bought a great alternative from TalkyToaster. However, I have OS mapping on my phone and it’s like going back in time in comparison to that
3. Usability – I cannot believe how slow and clunky it is. It’s literally like using a Nokia 3210 from 1999. I showed my wife and she just laughed. It’s fairly usable when you know what to do but it’s not at all intuitive (I work in IT so am not a spud)
4. Screen – tiny and terrible resolution but this is clear in all the reviews etc so no surprises there
5. Scrolling/navigation/using the map – don’t bother, it’s painful and horrible to use.
So in short – compared to a modern smartphone with basic OS mapping or something like Alpine Quest (which is amazing), this GPS is a complete waste of money. The only positive I could say is that in a life or death situation where you really needed the reliability and the option to use AA batteries, this would be better than a smart phone. Otherwise, put your phone in a waterproof bag, pack a USB powerpack, and use the phone instead. I just cannot get my head around going from highly detailed, hi-res OS mapping and easy to use interfaces BACK to something that belongs in the 90s.