Garmin GPS III Review

"I recently purchased a Garmin GPS III and must say that I am extremely impressed with it! The unit is half the size I expected it to be, extremely easy to use right out of the box and remarkably accurate. Acquires satellites remarkable fast, even on the other side of the world (i.e. ROK).. Excellent additional navigational aide... A steal at $299"

"This GPS is similar to Garmin II except it has a built in map. The map, as can be expected, is basic with only major roads, water courses, and towns, but is pretty detailed considering the scope of material. At times, the roads were labeled wrong, but this wasn't very often. At $370, $100 more than Garmin II, I don't think the map feature is worth it. You're usually not that lost on a road, and when you are, it won't have the data stored anyway. Another minus is that the map can't be upgraded, so you're stuck with what it comes with. Eagle has a GPS with a map feature, that can be extended with map plug-ins. But at $550 for the unit and $99 for a map plug-in, that only covers a small area, you're talking major cash. Otherwise, the Garmin III at 9oz with batteries is a great unit with a precision, with averaging, to 50ft. Remember, though, with selective availability, the error can be up to 300ft. GPS is a great addition to using a compass and map, but it is no substitute. All backcountry users should know how to navigate with a compass, just like they should know first-aid."