That $400 hiking GPS I bought didn't survive a wet creek crossing

I was doing the Eagle Creek Trail in Oregon last fall and dumb me thought my old GPS would be waterproof enough to wade through a small crossing. It died about 10 minutes in and I had to navigate using just my phone's compass and paper map for the last 5 miles. By the time I got back to the trailhead, I'd realized I wasted a ton of money on gear with fake ratings and now I only trust stuff I actually see people use in real conditions. Anyone else had a pricey piece of tech fail you at the worst possible time?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley_jones11d ago

Dropped a $600 Garmin in a Montana river last spring. Had it clipped to my pack strap but the clip snapped the second I slipped on a wet rock. Spent the next three days using a cheap compass from a gas station that worked better than anything with a screen.

sage30811d ago

Wait, did that compass actually hold up better or was it just the situation making you appreciate it more? I used to be all about the fancy GPS watches too, thought anything with a screen was just naturally better. But hearing stories like this makes me wonder if I've been wasting money lol. Getting stranded with just a basic tool and having it save your ass really puts things in perspective, doesn't it? I bet that gas station compass is still in your pack somewhere too.