Daughter 2 wants one for her birthday next week,for use on Geology field trips mainly. The 30x has been suggested as the one to go for. Topo maps of Europe are important. AA batteries too. Looks like the 30x is now the 32x, so may go for that instead. Aside from driving using my phone, I’ve never used GPS, so anything we need to add or watch out for?

I’ve got the older Etrex 20. Screen is small but you just need to get used to it. Much easier to use than the touch screen on my 810. but the software is not that intuitive. Maybe the new models have addressed that?

At the time the Etrex 30 only seemed to offer an altitude sensor so I went for the 20 which was on offer.

The battery life is outstanding on a pair of rechargeable AAs. Runs for days and days.

Ps I use open streetmap for maps. You can do route planning etc on the device, not sure about off it. Wish you could do planning on a phone and then wireless transfer.

I have the Etrex 20 too. Battery life is about 24 hours on a good set of rechargeables. 40 minutes on pound shop guff.

For navigation, and the type of stuff she’ll be using it for, it’s a good GPS. It can be used for all kinds of stuff.

Agree with the intuitive software though. It’s quite clunky, and quite dated now to be honest. For cycling in particular, in an age where most modern units connect to your phone/wifi, where you can update settings, transfer routes, and have your ride automatically uploaded the moment you set foot in the door, the eTrex is a huge faff in comparison.

That said, I’m not aware of any like for like alternatives to the eTrex, and I’m not sure how far the technology has improved in the newer models.