As we count down the days before the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) opens its many doors in Las Vegas next week, Garmin has provided a sneak peek at its latest handheld hiking GPS, the Oregon 450 and 450t. (Look for complete CES coverage in the Consumer Reports Cars and Electronics blogs.)
As their model names suggest, these new devices are enhancements to the Oregon 400 Series—a product line that performed very well in our testing. The new models share the same physical design as the other Oregon units, though Garmin claims the touch screen is more responsive and easier to read. (Operation while wearing gloves has been a limiting factor for the Oregon in our tests, and visibility in sun has also been a critical weakness compared against other devices.)
The Oregon devices are among the most intuitive, with appealing interfaces, straightforward menu structure, and simple synching for geocaching. The Oregon 450 enhances this system with user-selectable dashboards, enhanced track navigation, high-speed USB for quicker map transfers from the computer, photo navigation, and the three-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass. Beyond the promised screen enhancements, this latter function may be most appreciated by adventurers, as it will display the compass direction without the device being level or in motion.
Both devices include color-shaded “base maps” showing major roads and waterways. The 450t adds the 100k topographic maps for the United States with 1:100,000 scale. Further maps can be added, such as more-detailed 24k topographic maps and Blue Chart marine maps.
While the Oregon 450 may be better than the Oregon 400, the Oregon 550 remains the company’s premier hiking device, distinguished by an integrated three-megapixel camera. Among its recent production introductions, Garmin also offers a smaller, yet similar, Dakota Series.
Before choosing a handheld hiking device, see our recently updated buying advice and ratings.
—Jeff Bartlett
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