Gear Review: Delorme PN-30
This sturdy GPS device is only $300 and comes loaded with topos.
Bargain
The PN-30 hits a sweet spot in the balance between price, navigation-ready maps, and ruggedness. It comes preloaded with 1:100K topos, and testers reported strong satellite signals even in dense underbrush. An extra $30 per year provides unlimited access to USGS quads, nautical charts, and aerial images (the latter helped one Colorado tester avoid a sketchy cliffband).
The plastic body survived a four-foot drop, but at 1.5 inches thick–the bulkiest here–it felt clunky in small hands. Runs on two AA batteries. $300; 5.4 oz.; delorme.com