Garmin eTrex Summit Review

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin eTrex Summit is basically the same GPS as the basic yellow Garmin eTrex, with two added features — a barometric altimeter and electronic compass. Just like the basic eTrex though, the Summit comes with no PC interface cable. If you want that, you’ll have to pay extra for it.

14 readers at Amazon gave the Summit an average 4 out of 5 star review. The editors there had this to say:

"Palm-size, lightweight, and waterproof, Garmin’s eTrex Summit is a 12-channel handheld global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver. The Summit’s easy-to-use menu lets you create and view waypoints, save and view track logs, calibrate the compass and altimeter, access setup features, and more. Its trip and elevation computers calculate a range of data, including direction of movement; total and average ascent and descent; current, average and maximum speeds; trip odometer; and much more."

Here’s what other reviewers are saying about the eTrex Summit:

• CNet’s Garmin Summit review gives the unit an 8 (out of a possible 10) score, and there are four reader reviews there too.
• There is an individual owner’s Gamin eTrex Summit review posted at BackpackGearTest.org.
• A UK site offers an in-depth eTrex Summitt review with lots of screen shots.

Here are some other resources that may be useful:

• The official Garmin eTrex Summit web page.
• A PDF version of the eTrex Summit owners manual.
• Want to see how the Summit stacks up against other handheld units? Check out this Garmin GPS comparison tool.
• There is a Yahoo eTrex discussion group that focuses exclusively on the eTrex product line.

Find the best prices on the web for GPS devices at Shopping.com or get the Garmin eTrex Summit for an amazing price at eBay.

From Garmin’s description:

The eTrex Summit was designed for both marine and recreation use. This
  all-in-one navigation device for the outdoor enthusiast
  is the first combination GPS, altimeter, and electronic
  compass. The electronic compass provides bearing information
  when you’re standing still and the altimeter determines
  precise altitude, so you can tell how high you’ve climbed
  and your rate of ascent.
 

Like its predecessor, the eTrex Summit boasts a powerful
12 parallel channel GPS receiver and comes packaged in a
small, sleek case with operating buttons located on either
side of the unit. The case is completely waterproof to withstand
immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.

The eTrex Summit: It’s what the hard-core outdoorsman has
been waiting for.

Related posts:

• Handheld GPS buyers guide
• GPS for hikers
• GPS for geocachers
• GPS for cyclists