Navigation Tools

Category

Maps
Compasses
GPS Receivers
Altimeters
Locator Beacons

Brand

Suunto
Silva
Brunton
ACR
National Geographic
DeLorme
Garmin
SPOT
Coghlan's
Sun Company

All brands: ACRAdirondack MapsAdirondack Mountain ClubAdventure MapsAppalachian Mountain ClubAppalachian Trail ConservancyBeartooth Mountain PressBenchmark MapsBlackwoods PressBrooks-RangeBruntonBushnellCabela'sCammengaCamp 4 PressCasioCelestronCobraCoghlan'sColemanColumbiaDeLormeEarthwalk PressEmmitt BarksFranko's MapsGaia GPSGarminGem TrekGreat Swamp PressGreen Mountain ClubGreen Trails MapsHighgearImus GeographicsKasper & RichterLittle River EnterprisesLowranceMagellanMap AdventuresMcMurdoMenasha Ridge PressMount Diablo Interpretive AssociationMyTopoNational GeographicNew BalanceNikeNY-NJ Trail ConferencePaddlesports PressPocket Profile MapsPolarPotomac Appalachian Trail ClubPurple Lizard MapsPyser OpticsRand McNallyRectaREIRite in the RainSatmapSilvaSky TerrainSPOTStanley MapsSun CompanySuuntoTech4oThe Mountaineers BooksTimexTom Harrison MapsUltimate Survival TechnologiesVictorinox Swiss ArmyWilderness Map Co.Wilderness PressWolverine Publishing

User

Unisex
Men's
Women's

Price

less than $25
$25 - $49.99
$50 - $99.99
$100 - $199.99
$200 - $299.99
$300 - $399.99
$400 - $499.99
$500 and above

Recent Navigation Tool Reviews

Garmin inReach Explorer+

Best option on the market for a cross between a locator beacon and a cell phone when cell coverage is not available. GPS features aren't great for typical Garmin products, but still serves its purpose. Overall it's a great product and I feel it will serve its purpose well for my upcoming solo backpacking trip in Alaska where cell coverage is non-existent. I don't really need the mapping ability, but it was a nice plus. The primary reason I bought it was for the SOS capability, secondary was to… Full review

Garmin Foretrex 301

Tough little device, handy for hiking and other active sports. I use this device for hunting, jogging, canoeing, and hiking for about three years. While it’s too small to have detailed maps and other niceties, its “breadcrumbs” mean I can always find my way back to the start, and I can focus on looking for game, instead of looking for markers to backtrack. The “AAA” batteries make it a little bulky, but it means you can change to fresh batteries while you are out for extended periods. … Full review

Brunton 8099 Eclipse

Easy to use compass. Very intuitive. Customer support is the best. I have had this compass since 2006 or 2007. I first learned map and compass in the military and I think that this compass is more intuitive than military compasses. The declination is very easy to set and needs no tools. It comes with a lifetime warranty. Normally, I would have given this a four-star rating, but because of the great customer support, I upgraded to five stars. After 3 or 4 years of use, the needle started sticking… Full review

SPOT Personal Tracker

Decent product, crooked company. Got the SPOT secondhand. Activated at about $150, which was decent. It was great to have for communicating with my wife regarding my trip status and whereabouts. One year later, SPOT charges my CC $230 for the exact same service with absolutely no warning. Apparently, if you use their device you agree to their terms and conditions. The terms and conditions include: auto-renewal, increase in fees, no refunds, and negative credit reporting if you fail to pay. Oh, and… Full review

Garmin eTrex 20

The Garmin eTrex 20 is a great handheld GPS unit. This is great for hiking, biking, or just having a spare lying around for when you need to get off grid. The Garmin eTrex 20 is a great handheld GPS unit. I use this unit every day for work as a forestry technician. This unit, in my experience, has usually 3-7 meters of accuracy in Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. It always seems to have reception, others I have had do not. This GPS gets dragged around in the forest with no mercy. It has a decent… Full review

Brunton TruArc 5

Air bubbles at low temp. Unsure about durability of decal. I purchased 12 of these for our Scout Troop. We have found that large air bubbles form in each of them when at low temperatures. Once they warm back up to room temperature the bubbles go away. Have reached out to Brunton support, and depending on their response we may return them to the store we purchased them at and go with the Silva Explorer Pro. Full review

Suunto X9i

Save you money—poor manufactuer support! This GPS device was made to support the Suunto brand directly by not providing their product through general retail outlets, and to make the product sealed, preventing customers changing their own battery. This device must be sent to the local national Sunnto-owned and operated office for battery change. This product is priced-fixed through Suunto authorized dealers only. A MAP price is forced on those Suunto-authorized dealers.  They are not allowed to… Full review

Magellan eXplorist-710

Does the job and works under heavy bush canopy, though there is a steep learning curve to master this device. Consumes batteries ravenously. My first 12-channel high sensitivity GPS, so I was very impressed to see it work in dense bush. However in hindsight this is to be expected these days. I found the system very difficult to learn despite having worked in IT for 10 years.  After four years of hard use the cover over the rubber button has worn off rendering the GPS usable but no longer waterproof. Full review

Garmin inReach Explorer+

If you're looking to combine your messaging and GPS needs into one device, this is it. I've acquired this GPS for a solid price of $300 through incentives of my workplace, and its the best $300 I've spent on gear. This GPS has accompanied me on any challenging hike, backpacking trip, backcountry skiing, or any trip into the mountains.  Communication (Requires subscription) As shown in some pictures I've uploaded, this GPS doesn't anything special in terms of features. But what it does do it does… Full review