12XL

The Garmin 12XL GPS is a 5 star product. It is very rugged and has been to the summit of Mount Whitney, California twice, as well as used on an unsuccessful summit bid in January 2001. As a hand held device, it is very hardy, small, and lasts for about 24 hours on the AA batteries. It uses Latitude and Longitude, UTM, and MGRS coordinates, plus a whole lot more not routinely employed in the USA. The position "fix" is accurate and fast after being introduced into the area. While it does not have topographic mapping software, that is good, as it forces you to use it with a map and compass, which should be taken on any trip in case the GPS "dies" for what ever reason. A number of folks are starting to rely upon the GPS without a map or compass, and that can be DANGEROUS. With the external antenna feature of th 12XL, you can carry the unit under your coat and have the antenna out to receive signals. This is important because my experiences with liquid crystal display (LCD) in the 8F weather on Whitney, proved the display was "out of action" until properly warmed up in very cold weather. And without a display, the GPS is just another "rock." In addition, with accessories, you can transfer data from your computer to your GPS, and vice versa. Also, you can transfer your data to many other types of Garmin GPSs with a cable.

I have used this product and have "mixed" feelings about it. First off it shouldn’t be the only thing you bring to find location, nothing is as reliable as a good compass and a map. Another thing is it tends to not work when it get cold, so it isn’t really reliable to use in the bitter cold of the winter. Finally it tends to not want to get a signal in the mountainous valleys, another less glamorous feature. But, in its favor it does do its job very well when it does work and it is useful to me hunting back in Wisconsin, where I always get a signal. The GPS is also very, very tough, I have brought it in the worst weather imaginable, and have dropped it a few times and it sill worked after that. In conclusion I challenge its use for navigating in the winter months and even so in the mountains, but has some practical use in the summer months when it is warm. You really have to ask yourself before purchasing one if it is worth it to fork over the $200 dollars to get something as unreliable as a GPS.

This is old technology - I have had mine about 5 years now. However, I have had it under all sorts of conditions and it has outperformed much more expensive models. Garmin still supports it - I recently upgraded mine over their website to add in some software features like measuring area, etc, which I can use at work.



The down side is, that compared to the newer models, it's big and heavy and it is not correctable with WAAS.



The cold problem mentioned by another reviwer is easily fixed by using lithium batteries that work well in very cold temps, rather than alkaline, which quit much sooner.

This model has been a trusty friend for a number of years now and got me out of a few whiteouts. It does what you'd expect without any fuss. In the UK we can now buy electronic maps of mountain areas and its possible to plot a route on your pc then download it to the GPS via the serial connection. (You dont get a map, just a route of coordinates) The problem tho is that newer laptops only have usb ports and getting them to talk to The Garmin 12 has become a problem.

Lastly I wouldnt knock its chunky size. Try manipulating a smaller model's buttons with a pair of winter gloves on!