A good moderate priced small GPS unit with the necessities.

I have owned my Etrex Vista Cx for about a year now and have had many amazing adventures with it. Garmin makes so many different GPS models that it's easy to find one that has all of the features you require without having to pay for any extras that are unimportant to you. Beginners beware though, learning to use a GPS to take full advantage of it's features can be daunting, and this model doesn't make it particularly easy. The menu screens can be a bit confusing and hard to find the particular function you are looking for. Keep this in mind when you are thinking about purchasing a GPS. If you have trouble learning new technology this may not be the model for you.

In my opinion, this model has everything that hikers and backpackers need without being excessive. I think a color screen is a must for GPS units, because of the sheer amount of information contained in a good GPS map, and this unit's color screen is excellent for it's size. It's small size and light weight are great for those of us who like to spare every possible ounce on long treks. The built in compass is a must in my opinion, because without a compass GPS units are unable to tell which direction you are facing when you are standing still. This can be a big problem when you are trying to read a map! The compass can be set to automatically turn off while you are moving and turn on when you stop, this is an excellent feature for saving battery life. The built in barometric altimeter is a nice addition although I haven't found too much use for it yet; I usually know approximately what altitude I'm at, and if I go to the Satellite screen I can read my GPS-computed altitude anyway. It's nice that the Barometric altimeter regularly calibrates itself automatically based on GPS altitude readings.

I noticed that one of the reviews for this GPS mentions that you can't read the screen in the dark. Actually, this GPS has an excellent backlight that makes the screen very easy to read at night. Maybe that reviewer's backlight was defective, I don't know. The backlight can be turned off, or set to many different levels of brightness based on your needs, just keep in mind that brighter backlight settings use up the batteries faster. The one disadvantage regarding the screen is that because this unit is so small, the screen size can be a bit of a hindrance. I find myself frequently zooming in and out and moving the cursor around trying to see what's near me. This is especially a problem if you try to use this unit while driving. When you are zoomed in close enough to see good detail, everything flies by so quickly on the screen that you can't really see anything. It's impossible to use while driving if you are the driver, and still very difficult even if you are the passenger.

This GPS can be used to integrate with computer-based mapping software. I use this GPS with Microsoft Streets and Trips on my laptop computer. This provides me with a large screen and detailed street maps so that I can see my position on my laptop's screen while driving. The GPS plugs into the computer with a USB cable. Garmin has done something that may be considered rather foolish with this model, though. They have switched to a proprietary communication system that makes it far more difficult for the GPS to interface with non-Garmin software. I have found a piece of software called GPSGate that translates Garmin's proprietary language to the standard language used by other manufacturers, so that solves the problem.

This unit is great for Geocachers. Garmin has a free utility you can download that allows you to transfer Geocache information directly from the Geocaching web site to your GPS with 1 click (well actually you have to do a confirmation click also, but it's still very easy).

As other reviewers have mentioned, the base street map that comes with this GPS is very sparse. It's basically good for tracking your position and route (most people calls this feature "digital bread crumbs", Garmin calls it "tracks"), but that's about it. If you want to do anything more than that, you'll have to purchase an additional map or two. I have the 2008 edition of the Garmin Mapsource U.S. Topos, 1:100,000 scale, and I find it to be an excellent topographic map for the money. You install your additional map to your computer, and then you can select which areas of the map you want to transfer to your GPS, until you fill up your GPS memory. The eTrex Vista Cx comes with a memory card that can hold a lot of maps (I can fit topo maps for about 3/4 of the state of Colorado on my memory card), or you can replace the card with an even larger capacity one. Some maps are now being sold that are stored directly on their own memory card which you insert into your eTrex Vista, which saves you the step of having to transfer the maps from your computer to your GPS.

This unit is from a recent generation of GPS receivers that have substantially better reception and performance than older units. That being said, it is still susceptible to the normal things that cause GPS units to fail or report inaccurate information, such as clouds, rain, heavy tree cover, nearby mountains that can block satellites near the horizon, and nearby cliffs that can reflect GPS signals and confuse the unit as to your position. I have heard that Garmin is now making an even better version of this model, denoted the eTrex Vista HCx, with the "H" referring to high sensitivity. Based on my experience with losing signal at inopportune times, I would recommend the HCx if you may be hiking in dense forests or stormy conditions, and who doesn't!

I recommend getting some rechargeable NimH batteries and a charger to go along with this unit. Energizer makes a charger and battery package that is inexpensive and works well with this unit. Battery life with this setup is very good. I usually get 2 or 3 hiking trips out of a set of batteries, and I keep a spare set with me for when I get the "batteries low" message on the screen. This unit is not really convenient to attach to anything such as your clothing or backpack shoulder straps, so you also need to get a case for it that has attachment clips.

I have had no problems with my unit after 1 year of hiking, backpacking, geocaching, and even snowboarding, and would recommend it to anyone seeking a compact GPS for outdoor pursuits. I don't recommended it for driving though, as the screen is too small and it doesn't provide verbal directions like many automotive units.