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“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” right? That’s something more manufacturers in all industries should take to heart. So many good products have fallen to the wayside because engineers just couldn’t leave the winning formula alone. Garmin, however, seems to have its head in the right place with its latest addition to the eTrex line.
Garmin’s eTrex has been a go-to in the realm of hand-held GPS systems for roughly twenty years now. Although it’s undergone many changes over the years, it’s only been subject to updates that actually make sense for the platform. The newest generation, the eTrex solar, is no exception to that rule. But with the addition of solar charging being an obvious yet genius tweak to the recipe, it may change the game potentially forever.
An Update That Makes Sense
Next to positional accuracy, which the eTrex has in spades, the most important feature of any GPS is good battery life. I mean, without a battery, even the fanciest, state-of-the-art GPS is no more than a cruddy projectile to fend off noisy bears. Therefore, you really want to pick something you can count on keeping a charge for as long as you intend to use it. And since the eTrex Solar is drawing energy from the sun, it’s sure to live through even the longest treks.
Garmin’s advertising the eTrex Solar to have potentially infinite battery life thanks to its newfound regenerative abilities. That’s huge news as it can literally be the defining factor of whether you make it home or not. It’s not solely dependent on the sun for power, though. Should you choose not to use the solar charging feature, you can still reap the rewards of seriously impressive battery life. Garmin states that the new eTrax can deliver up to 1800 hours of run time in expedition mode. That’s 75 days, which we pray you’ll never need out there in the wild.
Sticking to What Works
Clearly, big battery life is the claim to fame here, but it’s not all Garmin’s banking on to put the eTrax Solar on the map. It’s applied everything that’s proven to work through prior generations. The eTrax Solar is outfitted with a 2.2-inch screen and a high-contrast display. Multi-band GPS ensures pinpoint accuracy, it’s built to endure anything with an IPX7 rating to show for it, and it can be paired with your smartphone via Garmin’s Explore app, even furthering its legendary functionality.
So, no. The engineers didn’t go and screw it up for some new and shiny feature like so many have a habit of doing these days. The only thing they did was make a stellar handheld GPS even better.
That should be no surprise, though, as Garmin does have a track record of getting it right. It is available now for a retail of $249. It’s a no-brainer if you’re ready to take your adventure to the next level or are searching for the perfect gift for that explorer in your life.
