As the holiday season rolls around, many of us wrack our brains for gift ideas...for our loved ones, or for ourselves. GPS technology is changing rapidly, and the decision as to which GPS unit to buy for somebody (even if that somebody is you) can be difficult. This article will examine GPS units in general, some of the new technology, and accessories for GPS units.

GPS units for geocaching can be divided into a number of categories for decision-making purposes: basic, points of interest, mapping, and specialty. There are arguments to be made for buying GPS units from each category, depending on the needs and wants of the intended recipient (as well as how much money you wish to spend). Factors to pay attention to with all categories of GPS units include: water-resistance, battery-life, ability/ease of connection to your PC, and WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability.

Basic GPS Units

A basic GPS unit will accurately show your position, and show your position relative to a waypoint or route or track. It may also have one or more of the following added bells and whistles: PC connectivity (for uploading waypoints, a biggie in my book), compass, altimeter, fishing/hunting algorithms. A basic GPS unit can cost from under $100 up to $200. The Garmin eTrex is a recommended GPS unit in this category.

Points of Interest GPS Units

This category of GPS unit has the features of basic units plus the ability to store "points of interest" (like cities, marinas, etc.) in its memory, oftentimes along with some rudimentary "basemaps" of highways, lakes, and state lines. A "points of interest" GPS unit can cost from $150 up to $250. The Magellan SporTrak is a recommended GPS unit in this category.

Mapping GPS Units

This category of GPS unit has the features of the previous 2 categories an also allows you to load detailed maps (topographic or street maps) from your pc into the GPS unit; some have routing capabilities that can give directions to your destination. A mapping GPS unit can cost from $200 up to thousands of dollars. Recommended GPS units in this category include: Garmin eTrex Legend or Vista or the GPSMAP 60 & 76 series, Magellan SporTrak Pro or SporTrak Map and the Meridian series.

Specialty GPS Units

There are a small number of GPS units that are produced with specialty markets in mind. Garmin's Foretrex and Forerunner series are wrist-wearable GPS units, weighing just a few ounces, yet having many of the features found in much larger units (the Forerunner series is more of a runner's training tool, as opposed to the Foretrex series which has many more features for the geocacher). Garmin's RINO series combines GPS with FRS radio, which allows users to talk to each other and "beam" their location to another RINO user (which presents the opportunity for new games/activities related to geocaching). These types of GPS units, that combine other technologies and/or interests, may have greater appeal to someone new to geocaching, or to someone with very specific needs (examples: the Foretrex can be used with both hands full, and the RINO can increase safety among groups in the woods).

Magellan's new Explorist series offers rugged and inexpensive GPS units with some mapping capability (in the 200 and 300 models) along with some features ordinarily found in the much pricier models (including electronic multi-axis compass, barometer, and altimeter in the 300). The glaring problem with the series is the lack of PC connectivity (which allows you to upload waypoints, points of interest, and more detailed maps). If this doesn't bother you (and most geocachers I've spoken to think it should bother you), then consider the Explorist series.

Garmin has upgraded the eTrex Legend and Vista (with "C" added to the names) to include color screens, longer battery life, and autorouting. The Foretrex 101 has the great features of the 201, but takes AA batteries instead of using a rechargeable. The RINO 130 has all of the features of the earlier RINOs, but has added an electronic compass, barometer, receives NOAA weather channels, and has 24 MB of memory for adding maps.

In all of your shopping, don't forget the great accessories that can help make geocaching more fun. Accessories can be very series and model specific, so make sure to get the right widget for your GPS unit. Accessories to consider include: GPS cases, memory cards, map CDs, power cords for your car (wow, will this save you a lot of battery hassles and worry), mounts for car or bike, and external antenna.

It's worth mentioning that if you are the owner of a Magellan GPS unit, and would like to upgrade to a better model...you can. I recently traded in my SporTrak for a Platinum Meridian, and they only charged me the difference in suggested retail prices of the two models. Garmin has no such program at this time (I asked when I was researching this article).

Is there a "best" GPS unit? YES. The best GPS unit is the one that most closely matches the person who will be using it, based on their geocaching needs and budgetary constraints. All of the GPS units on the market today receive and process information from the same satellites in basically the same way (except for those that are WAAS enabled). User interface differs between Garmin and Magellan GPS units, many people prefer the Garmin interface. Some people I talked with prefer the quadifiler helix antenna found on all Magellan GPS units but lacking on the eTrex models of the Garmin line.

Visit the Magellan and Garmin websites to read up on the various models that interest you, and maybe even go play with one in a local outdoor store before buying one. At the end of the process, remember to:

1. Think about what features you need in a GPS unit
2. Think about what you are willing to spend
3. There are a million places to buy your GPS unit, but Amazon.com tends to have good prices, free shipping, and good customer service
4. When the GPS arrives, go find a cache with the recipient
5. Have fun!