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Home > GPS Receivers > Outdoor GPS   

Garmin Foretrex 101 Wrist GPS


Customer Reviews and Ratings for Garmin Foretrex 101


Garmin Foretrex 101

Average rating: (4.6/5.0 based on 16 ratings)
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100% of our reviewers recommend this item.
 
 


Daren
Ottawa Ontario
Nov 23, 2009
 
EXCELLENT SMALL GPS

Pros: compact with many functions
Cons: wrist strap could be bigger

This GPS offers most of the features from larger systems with a compact size. It is very user friendly and has print that is easy to read. It is great on your wrist or strapped to any item. Batteries last longer than I expected. The wrist strap could be longer but the extension it comes with makes up the difference.

Recommend? YES

47 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


1 RCR
CFB Petawawa
Nov 18, 2009
 
BEST HANDHELD EVER

Pros: battery operated

This GPS is very functional for military personal as it is rite there when you need it. Whether you put it on your wrist or mount it on your rifle, the grid you need to call in a "9 Liner" is no more than a foot from your nose at all times. The goto button is another great feature. Great product at a great price. Sorry to see it discontinued.

Recommend? YES

67 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Mike
Toledo, Ohio
Nov 11, 2009
 
GARMIN FORETREX 101

Pros: small, accurate and quick working, inexpensive
Cons: could use a stronger band attachment for hard use

I just purchased the third Garmin Foretrex 101 in about six years (the first one was lost while sailing and the second one got knocked too hard while sailing). It is the most compact unit with all the features desired for sailing, hiking, skiing, and other boating. It has good battery life and is very accurate - the receiver has been updated and now it has extra features like the countdown timer with an even lower price - under $100 delivered. I have several friends who have purchased one after seeing me use mine and learning what it offers. I have never had a problem with water proofness, batteries (nice feature of this unit is being able to use regular batteries) or any kind of electronic issue. It can be worn like a watch or around the arm outside outer clothes with the extension strap. Very convenient and versatile for active outdoor enthusiasts. It even allows me now to connect to the computer via a USB cable.

Recommend? YES

59 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Don
Roseville,Ohio
Nov 9, 2009
 
BEST GPS FOR HIKING.

This is my second Foretrex 101, brought it for a backup for my first Foretrex 101 in case it goes bad. It works great for hiking and geocaching. I did change the wrist band to a metal flexable band.

Recommend? YES

54 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Bruce
Ketchum, ID
Nov 4, 2009
 
FORETREX 101

Pros: small, light, cheap
Cons: batteries don't last very long

I own 10 other GPS units and bought this one because it is the smallest, lightest and simplest of them all. Just the basics if that is all you need. I use it mostly for a speedometer on my Zero Electric Motorcycle, and also to log a Waypoint at the trailhead, turn it off to save batteries, and turn it back on if I need it to navigate back.

Recommend? YES

64 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Big Al
Baghdad
Oct 23, 2009
 
SEEMS LIKE A GOOD PRODUCT

I can't offer a true review of this product because I'm in Iraq and it's still in the States. I will say that GPS City made the purchase easy and shipped FAST!

I bought this item to be used in Afghan when I go.

Recommend? YES

70 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Todd
Sherwood Park, AB
Oct 16, 2009
 
CONVENIENT GPS ON YOUR WRIST

Cons: wrist strap too short to use over bulky jacket

Good little unit, less all the bells and whistles!

Recommend? YES

61 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


MikeD
CFB Petawawa
Sep 28, 2009
 
GARMIN FORETREX 101

Pros: size, runs on aaa not rechargeable,
Cons: wrist strap, very weak

Awesome lil GPS, Aquires SAT fixes extremely fast, Holds signal even in thick bush. I would highly reccomend. One fault is the strap, for such a GUCCI piece of equipment, the strap couldnt save its own life yet alone keep the GPS secured to your wrist. That definitely needs fixing.

Recommend? YES

77 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Ed
Winnipeg, MB
Sep 25, 2009
 
BEST OUTDOOR GPS

Pros: very sensitive.

This unit is awesome!! It locks to sat's very fast and stays locked in forest.

Recommend? YES

81 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Larry
Ontario Canada
Sep 25, 2009
 
GREAT BASIC GPS FOR THE TRAIL:

Pros: wrist mounted feature,good unit value.
Cons: no mapping features.

The Foretrex 101 has all the basic requirements for trail,hunting,ATVing and other back country uses. Having both hands free is probably one of the nicest features allowing you freedom. The unit is always available with the flick of your wrist. The features are easy to learn and use.

Recommend? YES

72 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Trunk
Sandbox
Sep 10, 2009
 
GOOD PIECE OF KIT

Pros: easy to use
Cons: would like a topo map feature but would be more $$

Love this gps. It's compact size and ease of operation makes it a valuable piece of kit when on dismounted patrols. My squaddies and I will be trekin several klicks into unfriendly areas that are not mapped out. With this item I can mark with ease where our RDV points are where I have posted an overwatch and where our QRF as well as good extraction points.

Like the wriststrap, it stays on when killin the Taliban.

Recommend? YES

87 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


J
Canada
Sep 7, 2009
 
MILITARY PERS. ARMY MOSTLY

Pros: mgrs
Cons: map zoom???

I am a serving soldier with the canadian Army. I serve in an Armoured recconsaince Regiment. Our feild of work requires constant navigation and situational awareness at all times. This GPS is a wicked piece of kit. i'll admitt it has taken me a few days to really get to know how to use everything, but i absolutely love it. A firend of mine let me borrow his earlier this year when we were overseas in Afghanistan. It worked great over there and works just as good here at home. Standard Mil Iss. sucks. As all true feild soldiers know. The thing I really like about it is when we go for morning runs and marches. Boss says "we're going for 5 Km this morn". GPS says 5.93 Km. And I say.."actually sir its more like six" Pointing to the GPS... Absolutely love it, and reccommend it to ALL MILITARY pers

Recommend? YES

89 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


J.
Edmonton
Aug 17, 2009
 
DOES EVERYTHING YOU NEED

Pros: small, light, good on batteries, simple to use.
Cons: wristband pins pop out easily.

I've used this GPS in mounted and dismounted training and it does everything I need it to do. It doesn't have a pretty colour screen and it doesn't have 25 useless functions that you'll never use. It does exactly what any average user would require: tells you where you are, what direction you're heading, where you came from, where you're going, etc.

On top of that, it's very light on battery usage which means having to carry fewer batteries. I find one set of batteries is often enough for two days of prolonged, constant use.

The primary drawback is the wristband. While comfortable and adjustable, the pins hold it in place are prone to popping out if the unit is twisted even lightly. This can be overcome with liberal use of tape, but is an annoyance. However, given the light weight, small size, and reliable function of the unit, I don't see this problem as a show- stopper.

Recommend? YES

94 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Grandriver
Windsor, ON
Jul 2, 2009
 
SOLID UNIT - FAIR PRICE

Pros: lots of info.
Cons: navigation not intuitive (but easy to learn)

My dear wife loves to cycle and have stats for her ride. The typical bike speedo and odo doesn't seem to last very long. This is a solid unit and we've enjoyed using it. We also purchased the bike mount but haven't used it yet as she finds having it on her wrist preferable.

Recommend? YES

111 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Chris
Nov 12, 2008
 
USEFUL, BUT FAR FROM PERFECT

The Foretrex 101 is useful for marking your track and finding your way back, but the accuracy is often questionable when you overlay the track on a map later on. It often takes 2-3 minutes to get a fix even in good conditions and wide open spaces, though sometimes it has a fix in a few seconds. Altitude readings from multiple flights show sudden vertical drops of several thousand feet in a matter of seconds when descending for landing, so it seems there is quite a delay in adjusting to new altitudes. Battery life is not bad, but there is no warning before the batteries die completely, and the battery meter is divided into 4 quarters only, so once it gets to the last bar you need to keep a regular eye on it or change your batteries pre-emptively. Connecting to a computer is not super easy, as you need to buy the PC cable, and if you're on a laptop you'll probably need a serial to USB or serial to PCMCIA adapter. The USB adapter doesn't work in all computers, and I had to go on a hunt for the PCMCIA card which is guaranteed to work (creates a real COM port instead of a virtual COM port). The device is a bit bulky, so people often stare when they see such a strange "watch" but if you're using it primarily on the trails then there's no one to pay any attention. Having AAA batteries is a huge plus if you're away from electricity for long periods of time, as I am, but be sure to carry lots of batteries! Interestingly, the reception in my pocket seems to be as good as the reception on my wrist, provided I get a satellite fix before I put it in the pocket.

Recommend? YES

136 viewers found this helpful.   

 
 


Ross
AZ
Prior to 2008
 
The Foretrex is small (about the size of a large pack of gum, only a little longer) and light. The wristband is (surprisingly) comfortable enough that I often forget I’m wearing it while hiking… until I get lost, anyway. The unit is fairly durable and has enough functions to keep me busy for a while (the customizable screens are especially nice). I recommend you take a look at the online manual (at Garmin.com), and look in the appendix for the massive list of info you can display. The battery life has been good (about 12 hours continuous operation) using cheap alkaline batteries (there is a battery saver function that only intermittently activates the receiver, but I haven’t needed to use it). I have read reviews (on other sites) complaining that this unit’s battery life is dismal (one guy got only 4 hours). If you read the instruction manual (but who does that?), it tells you that to get maximum battery life you need to turn off the sound (honestly, do you need to hear a beep every time you hit a button?), and not use the backlight (which only comes on when you press the backlight button, and isn’t necessary unless you’re in complete darkness and without a flashlight). My hiking is primarily in mountainous terrain through pine forest with no horizon visible, and only patches of sky visible through the branches above. The reception in this environment has been surprisingly good (I usually get at least 4 satellites). I have read complaints (again, on other sites) about the reception of this unit in heavy forest. Remember, the GPS signal is essentially line-of-sight (if there’s too much stuff between you and the sky, you aren’t going to get reception with ANY unit). That said, this little unit does surprisingly well through trees. The Foretrex gets noticeably better reception with its display pointing skywards (which makes sense as the antenna is built into the left face of the unit, under the Garmin and Foretrex logos), but does a good job even with your arm down at your side (the antenna, being on the left end of the unit, still points generally upwards when your arm is at your side), but only if it’s on your left arm (read on for explanation, or skip to the last sentence for the short version). Like so many other products, this one favors right-handers (sorry southpaws). I (as a right-hander) wear the unit on my left wrist. As I walk along with my arm by my side, as noted above, the left side of the unit points up (for those with short-term memory problems, that’s the side with the antenna on it). However, if I put the unit on my right wrist and walk, the antenna side of the unit now points down at the ground. This results in dismal reception. The short version: wear the unit on your left arm. The design of the Foretrex was well thought out, and I only have one gripe: The speaker is located on the back of the unit, which is in contact with my sweaty arm all day. The idea of salt water (I don’t care how waterproof it’s supposed to be) repeatedly finding its way into those tiny holes bothers me, so I simply put a small square of electrical tape over them (I don’t use the sound anyway, as noted above). My conclusion: If you want a very lightweight basic GPS for hiking and biking, you’re not going to find a better unit.

Recommend? YES

149 viewers found this helpful.   

 






  




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