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EDIT: National Geographic TOPO maps are now compatible with this unit and Garmin now offers a decent set of TOPO maps (MapSource TOPO 2008).  Where do I start...the need. We were heading down to South Carolina for our annual Family vacation and I was wanting to get a GPS unit as a bunch of my friends had recommended them (especially with kids aboard, rest areas and food stops). I also wanted one that was not a car unit, one that could be packed or hiked with and also could be waterproof to some extent as I planned on using it while on the rivers and streams.
 I had friends that touted their Garmin units and so I dove into that brand researching and price pointing. I am sure all brands have strengths and weaknesses but the form factor and the functions on the Garmin 60Cx caught my eye. The rubberized grip makes it easy to hold and also protects it from accidental drops. The batteries work well. It runs on 2 AA batteries and I've found they'll last about 11 hours (running mostly with the backlite feature set to turn off after 3 seconds). The backlit display does suck batteries so if you you that exclusively yu'll be down to just a few hours of use.  I purchased the unit along with the MapSource® City Navigator North America version 8.0. I also purchased a 256 micro SD expansion card. I would recommend investing in a 2 gig memory card with memory prices as low as they are. This will give you ample space for maps and topos.
 The initial trip to South Carolina was a success except for a portion of our trip (20 miles) where we were driving across uncharted territory. The Map didn't have that leg of the highway for some reason. Once nice feature was we were able to pull up addresses AND phone numbers of hotels while in South Carolina so we could book a return stay. It was like a pseudo internet. It worked great and we were abe to call several hotels and find a place to stay on our return.
Once we returned to Michigan I started looking into TOPO software to use with my new Garmin unit on the rivers and in the wilderness. I was not thrilled with the offerings that Garmin had. National Geographic has some great GPS software but Garmin has locked its system so I am unable to use the TOPO software on the GPS unit. I think this will change in the future but currently your only option is the TOPO software from Garmin.
 All in all the unit rocks. The backtrack feature is awesome. With the lack of a TOPO that I liked, I am able to basically track my own paths. I have used it on the Pere Marquette while drifting in my pontoon. I have been able to mark the river and all of it's bends as well as successful runs and holes so when I float back down I know where I am at. I am also able to trackback on the river and it actually will calculate my current drift time to a specific destination which came in handy when figuring our ETA to our takeout spot.
The unit is rugged...has a very bright display when needed...and has a ton of features...
Email me if you have any questions or comments!
Get wet...keep it bent!
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