Garmin GPS – Oregon 400t GPS

An indepth review of the Garmin GPS (Oregon 400t) handheld GPS device. This GPS device has it all, routes, tracks, easy interface, rugged, waterproof, reliable, good battey life, GeoCaching, Off road maps and many other great features.

I have just bought the Oregon Garmin GPS 400t handheld system to help me find my way around the countryside wilderness. This came about by walking up Scarfell Pike with my son on holiday in the Lake District – and getting very lost in the thick fog and mists! I realised at the time how good it would have been to have a handheld device that actually showed me the way home and even told me when I was getting lost.

Whilst I can find my way around a OS (Ordnance Survey) map with a good and trusty compass – there are times when you are totally LOST! You just need to find your way out of a mess. The Garmin GPS Oregon 400t is loaded up with full treking maps. The Garmin GPS Oregon 400t stores information on the device as well as an SD card that can store new maps. The device is really easy to use and completely waterproof (when you drop it in that stream by mistake).

The Oregon 400t – Garmin GPS has so many facilities I wont list them all here; it’s really a computer dedicated to maps and off-road trekking. I found many open source and free software applications that work really well with this device. The Oregon 400t comes with a USB interface cable that connects to a PC. That’s not all. The Garmin GPS Oregon 400t will upload and download routes and tracks to and from the PC. I have found this really useful to create routes using free applications and then upload the walks to the device. This way I can work out how far the walk is, how long it will take and what the terrain will be (really useful if your walking with kids!).

Free software I’ve found that is REALLY useful with the Garmin Oregon 400t:

• http://www.marengo-ltd.com/map/
  A free web application. Plot your route on a Google Map scene by drawing waypoints. The waypoints are joined together for you to form a route. The final walk (route) is then shown in GPX format. GPX files are a format that the Garmin GPS Oregon 400t fully understands, the files describe the information needed to create the route in an XML format. The saved GPX file can be saved onto your Garmin GPS Oregon 400t. All you have to do is walk the route!
• http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/
  Another free web application. OK, so you’ve walked the walk and got back home. NOW you need to copy the route from the Garmin GPS Oregon 400t that you actually walked (track) to the PC and then upload to this online web application. GpsVisualizer  will then draw you a nice map of “where” you walked. In practice I  found the combination of the above two tools perfect. I could display both the ‘route’ and the ‘track’ with this one application to see where I should of walked and where I actually did walk! Almost everything you need to use the Garmin GPS Oregon 400t in one place.
• http://www.geocaching.com/
  So, you’ve planned the walk. Now you need to persuade the kids that this will actually do them some good… Yep, a hard task indeed. Well geocaching.com could be the answer. This website allows you to search your area (postcode/Zipcode) or your planned walk (see above!) for geocaches. Geocaches are locations on maps where people hide little stashes. The Garmin GPS Oregon 400t fully supports GeoCaching and will show you the nearest GeoCache wherever you happen to be. It couldn’t be simpler to download the GeoCache information onto the Garmin GPS Oregon 400t either. The hidden cache (usually a small box hidden in the countryside somewhere) normally contains a guest book and a few goodies. Great fun for the kids. If you are lucky enough to find one of these GeoCaches, you can sign the book and even take something from the cache – AS LONG AS YOU REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE! Anyway GREAT for the kids (and adults), and they don’t realise they are getting excercise.
• http://www.everytrail.com
  If you’re pressed for time and don’t fancy plotting your own route before thw walk, why not pop over to everytrail.com and pop in your location, it will show you all the walks other people have uploaded for the area selected. NOT ONLY THAT! you can download the walks in (yes you guessed it…) in GPX format. The format that you can upload directly onto your Garmin GPS Oregon 400t.

Other features

Other features found on the Garmin Oregon 400t Handheld GPS with European Maps include:

• Automatic routing with optional mapping for detailed roads
• Electronic compass
• Barometric altimeter
• Geocaching-friendly
• Outdoor GPS games
• Hunt/fish calendar
• Sun and moon information
• Tide tables
• Area calculation
• Custom POIs (ability to add additional points of interest)
• Unit-to-unit transfer (shares data wirelessly with similar units)
• Picture viewer
• Touchscreen

Product details

• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 5.8 x 3.5 cm ; 191 g
• Boxed-product Weight: 908 g

Anyway, if you’re interested in buying one of these why not pop over to Amazon – The Garmin Oregon 400t Handheld GPS with European Maps – a great Christmas or Birthday gift for the outdoors.

View other great GPS devices that may interest you here

Links of interest for the Garmin Oregon 400t GPS device (updated 9/1/2010)

• http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/message/list/home
• http://gpsinformation.info/penrod/oregon/oregon.html
• http://www.gpsonlinepro.info/garmin-oregon-400t-3-inch-touchscreen-handheld-gps-unit-with-preloaded-topographic-maps.htm
• http://jorge9823088.blogowniczek.pl/
• http://jjtally.blogspot.com/2009/12/spoiled.html
• http://gpstracklog.com/2009/12/garmin-oregon-550t-review.html
• http://gpstracklog.com/2008/08/garmin-oregon-4-2.html
• http://newyorkoutdoors.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/updates-for-garmin-gps-units
• http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/12/choosing-the-best-handheld-hiking-gps-for-holidays.html
• http://gerald2185867.multiblogs.us/2009/12/24/broan-nutone-rm503004-best-price-reviews-compare
• http://www.travelgearblog.com/archive/garmin-oregon-400t-gps.html
• http://gps.toptenreviews.com/recreation/the-garmin-oregon-gps-with-a-touchscreen-interface.html
• http://blog.oregonlive.com/runoregon/2008/09/product_review_garmin_oregon_4.html
• http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10235513-1.html?tag=mncol
• http://blog.timesunion.com/kristi/17755/gear-up-for-cold-weather-fun/
• http://outdoorkopitiam.blogspot.com/2009/03/garmin-heart-rate-monitor-with-oregon.html
• http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/remember-that-great-hike-my-iphone-does/
• http://jupdi.com/handheld-gps-units-a-guide/
• http://calipidder.com/wp/2008/02/garmin-colorado-review-first-impressions/
• http://www.fivehens.com/garmin-oregon-400t-review/
• http://blog.livelyzens.net/jennifer3570988/2009/12/29/garmin-010-00697-10-compare-reviews-discounts/
• http://navigationgps.org/2009/12/garmin-oregon-450-and-450t
• http://tech-todays.blogspot.com/2009/12/garmin-oregon-400t.html
• http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/2009/12/geocaching-where-bison-roam-free.html
• http://optimagic.com/?p=21
• http://dylan9356428.alblo.com/2010/01/02/garmin-oregon-400t-review
• http://paperbackbookinformation.info/390/garmin-oregon-400t-black-friday-discounts