This Solar Gps Tracker Lasts Forever - And Brings Me Peace Of Mind Off-grid

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Garmin eTrex Solar is disposable now for $228, while nan eTrex SE without star sells for $149.
It has nan imaginable for unlimited artillery life, extended GNSS support, features a rugged build, and is very accurate.
However, it has a mini monochrome display, and nary turn-by-turn directions of TopoActive maps.

Growing up successful nan Pacific Northwest, I gained a heavy affection for nan outdoors. The wood is my happy place. I person a bully consciousness of direction, excessively -- moreover successful quality -- but nan farther retired I explore, nan much I request GPS navigation to thief maine get to and from distant locations.

Also: I recovered nan Android smartwatch pinch nan champion artillery life (and it's not a Samsung aliases OnePlus)

Throughout this past year, I've been utilizing nan Garmin eTrex Solar for hiking, way riding, and geocaching. This GPS handheld provides up to 200 hours of GPS navigation pinch nary star charging; successful an area pinch 75,000 lux sun -- agleam sunlight -- nan artillery is advertised arsenic providing unlimited GPS navigation support.

All smartphones person GPS receivers, but artillery life is important to sphere for communications (and picture-taking!) My watches besides person GPS, but nan displays are excessively mini for recreational navigation arsenic they are optimized for circumstantial fittingness activities.

Handheld GPS units are designed and built for outdoor activities -- hiking, fishing, geocaching, camping, and much -- pinch ample displays, agelong artillery life, and durable building that tin past harsh environments and support going if you accidentally driblet them while exploring.

Also: Finally, a fund smartwatch that's conscionable arsenic durable arsenic my Garmin (and it's connected sale)

I haven't been successful an area pinch that overmuch sun, truthful I haven't been capable to trial for unlimited life, but I ne'er had to complaint up nan portion during my testing either, truthful you tin count connected this instrumentality to past longer than astir of your adventures do. I besides regularly saw nan star strength look successful nan 70-80% scope truthful nan instrumentality is awesome astatine collecting minimal sun too.

The eTrex Solar is intuitive to use, pinch 5 ample buttons covered successful soft-touch worldly and a 2.2-inch monochrome display. A lanyard opening is positioned connected nan bottommost truthful that you tin transportation nan handheld astir your neck. An integrated loop loop clip connected nan backmost is useful for clipping to your backpack.

USB-C is utilized to complaint nan device, pinch nan larboard positioned connected nan backmost supra nan loop clip and covered pinch a rubber gasket to forestall h2o ingress. The handheld athletics an IPX7 water-resistant rating.

The location surface provides speedy entree to tracking, navigation, star status, outer status, and settings. The search widget displays elevation, a travel odometer, speed, moving time, and different metrics. Similar to nan customization recovered successful Garmin GPS sports watches, you tin besides prime which metrics you want to look connected nan display. You tin besides navigate to waypoints, courses, geocaches, and more.

The Garmin eTrex Solar is simply a reasonably inexpensive instrumentality that excels astatine obtaining a GPS awesome and navigation. However, it is besides reasonably barebones erstwhile it comes to navigation, pinch nary support for turn-by-turn directions, customs maps, aliases TopoActive maps. It shows your routes and position to guideline you to your destination, and you tin easy import GPX files to nan handset; mention to my Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro article for specifications connected really to find and prevention GPX files.

Also: Your Garmin watch conscionable sewage a awesome upgrade that makes walking truthful overmuch easier

The handheld tin load up to 1,000 waypoints and locations and support 50 courses and 200 activities. The eTrex Solar supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, IRNSS, and Beidou world navigation outer systems. A three-axis compass is besides wrong nan device, truthful you should ne'er get mislaid pinch this handheld unit.

To afloat bask nan benefits of nan Garmin eTrex Solar, link it to your telephone utilizing nan Garmin Explore app. With this connection, you tin unlock and research nan afloat specifications of geocaching, and you tin position your existent upwind correct connected nan eTrex Solar.

The Garmin Explore app is besides utilized for package updates, unreality retention syncing, travel planning, smart notifications, and further mapping capability.

Also: The champion Garmin watches of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

Currently astatine conscionable $228, nan Garmin eTrex Solar is cleanable for anyone who participates successful outdoor adventures and doesn't want to get lost. But if you don't request nan star cells, nan eTrex SE is disposable for $149.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you are looking for a dedicated GPS instrumentality to thief you navigate and research caller areas, nan Garmin eTrex Solar is worthy your consideration. The deficiency of maps whitethorn beryllium an rumor for some, but Garmin has plentifulness of different much costly options pinch maps and colour displays.

The eTrex Solar is designed to person an highly agelong artillery life and supply you pinch meticulous and elemental way tracking. Geocaching is well-supported and a nosy family activity.

This article was primitively published connected February 13, 2024, and was updated connected July 11, 2025.