Garmin Oregon 750t

Ease of use “Idiot-proof,” declares our tester. “If you can work an iPhone, you can work this GPS unit.” Like your smartphone, the GPS’s functions (like hike, mountain bike, climb, fish, etc.) are arranged like apps on the screen.

Features Preloaded 1:100,000 U.S. topo maps make pretrip planning a cinch. Testers also loved the new Active Weather feature, which provides up-to-date forecasts and animated weather radar (with a cell signal). “I never had to wing it,” says a tester who appreciated being able to postpone a summit bid from the comfort of his below-treeline campsite, thanks to weather information from the Garmin Oregon.

Camera The built-in, 8-megapixel camera (with flash) spits out Instagram-worthy photos. Best use: Add geotagged photos to your track.

Battery The Oregon 750t comes with a nifty rechargeable battery pack, but can also run on AAs and lithiums. Battery life is 16 hours with constant use—average for the category.

Reception Garmin claims this iteration has an improved antenna—they essentially added “more horses under the hood”—for better GPS and GLONASS reception. We didn’t have problems with the older Oregon, but we did notice that this one has a quicker fix after it’s been off for a bit.