Okay, there's been a lot posted lately about handheld GPS's. Let me first say that I love... uh, loved.... my Garmin eTrex. It's been a faithful companion through many a trek. I never use it in a kayak or canoe without a protective cover. I don't trust the waterproof to a few feet for a few minuites statement. Well, today I am burying the eTrex, victim of drowning. Well, not really even drowning, call it steam suffocation. I use it on my powerboat and mount it on the grab rail on the console with a bicycle mount. Right next to that is a suction cup attached plastic "thingy" that holds my cell phone and handheld radio. The handheld is one of those waterproof to a few feet for thirty minuite things. The cell phone is your basic landlubber. I don't keep the cell in a pouch because I hate it and I want it to die so I can have an excuse to get another one. That's another story. When I'm done boating I throw the cell, the handheld, and the eTrex in a duffle bag along with my drip dried, slightly damp snorkel gear. Okay, not the best thing to do, but if the doggone cell phone makes it, why then did the GPS start to have water vapor in the screen and then just pretty much give up the ghost. Okay, I have to be honest and say that the back may have loosened from mounting and dismounting to the grab rail... then there was the mountain bike flip while doing a front wheelie in the parking lot, but I swear the eTrex did not suffer. The cell phone has been splashed with salt spray, carried while swimming to shore at a beach, and stuffed in the duffel bag, along with being dropped numerous times on the concrete. The handheld has had an easy life, as it's just a backup, but it gets lots of salt spray. The eTrex had it pretty good. I have NEVER dropped it in the water or even let it get rained on. The only thing was putting it in the duffel bag with semi-wet snorkel gear, and then converting that water to steam that appears to have done it in.

I loved my little eTrex, but I think now I'm going to try Magellan next time. I do intend to take the thing apart and (1) find out if there really is a membrane that covers that little pinhole in the back, and (2) see if I can resucitate it with a hair dryer. As for the cell phone, the thing just won't die. It has that funny green tint to all the contacts, but it keeps going strong. In fact, today after snorkeling all day (sorry northerners, hope the snow ain't too deep) I carried it through the water held just above water while I waded to shore, then clipped it to my wet bathing suit.... still going! It's like the energizer bunny.