Garmin Oregon 400t GPS Review

Garmin Oregon 400t GPS – Touchscreen GPS.

With Apple recently annoucing it’s new iPad, I think it’s safe to say the touchscreen wave has officially arrived The Garmin Oregon 400t GPS is one of the newest hand held GPS units that embraces this technology. The Garmin Oregon 400t GPS may be a bit pricey for some, but if you are into GPS heavy activities like geocaching and adventure racing, you’ll appreciate the technology.

The Garmin Oregon 400t GPS features a set of preloaded maps that include both national, state, and local parks. The unit also creates these really cool 3D style topographic maps that are so accurate looking they are often refereed to as “walk the trail” style maps. These maps and the new touchscreen technology make the Garmin Oregon 400t GPS very intuitive and easy to use, even if its your first GPS unit.

Dont worry about bad weather and the fancy touchscreen on the Garmin Oregon 400t GPS. The unit is built tough and waterproof. It even features a waterproof slot for additional memory cards. One thing long time GPS users will appreciate is that the screen is backlit to make it easy to read even in direct sunlight. Best part? The entire unit runs off just two double A batteries.

The quick & dirty:

Where you can get one:
Amazon.com: $499

Why they rock:

Preloaded topographic maps serve up vibrant 3D ”walk the trail” mapping and Worldwide Digital Elevation Model (DEM) basemap with shaded relief
Map details include national, state and local parks and forests, terrain contours, elevation information, trails, rivers, lakes and points of interest
Large, sunlight-readable screen offers crystal-clear colors and high-resolution images
Easy, intuitive touchscreen operation is fun and simple to use
Waterproof MicroSD card slot for storing additional data; accepts Garmin MapSource and BlueChart data cards and software
Built-in electronic compass and barometric altimeter provide additional navigational aid
Supports Geocaching.com GPX files for downloading detailed geocache descriptions, terrain, difficulty and hints directly into GPS unit
Groundspeak’s Wherigo Player application comes pre-installed and includes an instructional tutorial
Built-in basemap stores up to 1,000 waypoints, 50 routes and 20 tracks with up to 10,000 points; Digital Elevation Model shading enhances map view
Enjoy effortless sharing of waypoints, tracks, routes and geocache locations between Oregon and Colorado series units with ANT wireless communication function
High sensitivity receiver and HotFix satellite prediction provide rapid first fix and help maintain signal, even in urban canyons and under dense foliage
WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) enabled receiver delivers accuracy to within 10 ft. in North America

Seat-of-the-pants rating: 8 out of 10

If I had the money to buy the Garmin Oregon 400t GPS I would be all about it. But, then again I am a technology junkie and love stuff like this. Like I said before, if you are into GPS heavy activities and have the money to spend, check out the new Garmin Oregon 400t GPS.

Looking to Buy? Check out these sites:
Amazon.com: $499