Carrying GPS on pack strap?

Kevin Rooney said:

If you slip a loop thru a pack strap I can't see how you could lose it.

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I already did. My Rino was clipped to my pack and then the strap was carabinered to my pack as a safety backup. While bushwhacking the Rino caught on a branch, the clip broke and the safety strap ripped out the rubber of the Rino. Look at Edelweiss' (Joann's) 2nd photo in her link. that's also a Rino. You'll see the strap runs through the rubber that is a part of the case. The strap pulled right through the rubber. It's useless now. So it lives entirely encased in zip pouch, safe and sound. I actually like it better in the pouch on my waist belt. One less thing to be banging around on my chest and shoulder strap. I was just always wary of carrying it lower because I thought my reception would suffer horribly. So far I don't see any difference.

I've had my Rino for I believe three years and the flimsy clip was always a problem. It either would come unscrewed or the unit would just pull off the clip and be left hanging by the safety strap.

I use a little Granite Gear climbing pouch, think its supposed to be for carrying caribeeners and the like. Attaches to my shoulder strap just about the sternum strap. Seems to work well, but I wish there was a better option.

I have a Mountainsmith camera case for my camera, like Hikebikefish posted ('ceptin' mine is lime green ) but its too small for my Garmin 60csx. I looked at larger Mountainsmiths, but found that they attach such that the GPS would have to be pulled out from the side, not the top -- or something like that. Can't remember exactly what I didn't like about the design of the larger one, basically though, it attached differently than the smaller Mountainsmith, and I didn't think it would be easy to pull out the GPS.

The case I gave Judy was from Garmin, After having the clip brake and loosing my 530 in Ouluska pass, (I found it after awhile)the case is all I use, I had to put a small hole in the top for my antenna to stick out other then that it works fine,

In the first reply, I posted that Mountainsmith camera case. Now I am looking for the same style for my Garmin 76CSx. I would highly prefer it mount vertically on the shoulder strap (above the sternum strap). Not sure I would use it in the case if it had a clear plastic viewport, but I suspect (as Dennis mentioned earlier) that in cold conditions this clear plastic would be problematic.

Any recommendations? I can always fall back to the homemade ones suggested earlier in this thread.

Thx,
Tim

Although I have a 60CSx. not the 76, I use a solid black Garmin case that looks like it ought to be able to accommodate the 76. I clip it the D ring on my shoulder strap with a carabiner and add a little strip of a velcro wire organizing strap to keep it from swinging around too much.

Picture of my standard summer pack, gps on right strap, bino's on left strap.

To update my previous post - I question whether you need an additional case at all. Afterall, the 60 and 62 series are highly water-resistant, so a little rain/snow snow hasn't been a problem, at least for me.

I do put a screen protector on it, as well my camera. I buy them at Wal-Mart - the brand is WriteRight, and 5 of them provided for about $5 IIRC. Depending upon the size of the screen, you can cut more than one from each protector. I figure a box of 5 will last me several years.

The only wear points I've noticed on my 60CSx is the lettering on the buttons, plus the odd scuff. My hunch is that if I used a case the lettering would wear out even faster given the friction of withdrawing/replacing the GPS in the case.

Kevin,

With all the off trail hiking I do, the GPS would rip off of my shoulder strap if it weren't in the case.
I've seen a few people lose their GPS when a spruce branch or hobblebush grabs it when they are plowing thru the thick stuff.
My original 60CSx is still going strong with every week use, but the in and out buttons have worn and with a screen protector, not much else wear and tear with it out of the Garmin case many times a day.

I have a back up I bought a while ago and it has the western US maps loaded on it.

Moonray's system works well, all his stuff. Hiked with him a couple of days ago and he introduced us to Facebooking photos from the summit of Twin Mt.

I have two water bottle parkas I carry on me year round, one for water, the other to keep a bit of food close at hand. I have taken to stuffing my 60Cx into the parka with the food in it. Receives signal no problem, 100% of the time, even zipered up and in the hellish of spruce forests.

Brian

Peakbagr said:

Kevin, With all the off trail hiking I do, the GPS would rip off of my shoulder strap if it weren't in the case.

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The way I handle that problem is to use a long lanyard attached to the GPS, and with a small biner attaching it to the pack strap. Use the same method with any camera as well, although I do put the camera inside a small LowePro because cameras tend to be not as weatherproof as Garmins. I don't make any gear changes when I'm back East, but when I'm in the Whites now it's usually on a trail. Don't have the time (nor inclination) to do nasties like Scar Ridge.

Most of my hiking is off-trail as well, but my hunch is you're in consistently thicker stuff than I. About the only areas which compare to the eastern spruce thickets are near streams in narrow ravines/canyons in the willows. The abuse in the west, at least near my home, is more often from rock scrambling than vegetation.

I want the GPS to be

- handy
- protected
- un-drop-able
- loss-proofed
- functioning

Most importantly, protected from sweat. Waterproof is one thing, but I doubt perspiring on it will do it much good.

I will certainly consider the screen protector option.

I don't see any reason to have to use 'biners. As an option, yes, but there must be a reasonable case solution.
Tim

bikehikeskifish said:

I don't see any reason to have to use 'biners. As an option, yes, but there must be a reasonable case solution.
Tim

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I now use several minibiners, not only for the straps to hold camera and GPS securely, but also to secure the zipper pulls on my pack. They're tiny, and weigh almost nothing. Under windy conditions I use one on the chin strap if wearing a wide-brimmed hat. No more lost gear because it wasn't attached securely enough for every condition.

External cases are bulky and weigh far more than a minibiner, so I use them only as a last resort.

YMMV - and does.

Kevin,
I use a mini biner to the GPS lanyard. When I slip the unit out of the top of the case, it's attached to the pack. The lanyard has caught it 4 or 5 times.
...Believe me, I'd rather be in your terrain most of the time rather than in some of the off trail stuff we're both used to back east.

I have always used the screw-in clip attached to a shoulder strap on my pack. Never had a problem, although I do run a chest strap through the gps lanyard just in case. If the weather is bad (cold) I just put it inside a chest pocket or even inside an outer pocket of my pack. Never a problem with signal. (60csx)

Alan -

I should have pointed out that I also use the screw-in post with the clip as Stu mentioned. Not that it changes the potential for snagging, however.

On a slight tangent - the clips and posts wear out, and they're a bit pricey. I found a source on Amazon that sells both for about $9 which includes shipping. Discovered recently that if the clip won't reliably hold the GPS, it's probably the post, not the clip.

I carry my 60 CSX on the clip, clipped to my sternum strap for easy accessibility. I have had no problems with it there while bush whacking. When on trails or walking through public areas I store the GPS in the Garmin nylon carrying case (made for the unit) on my hip belt. It’s still easily accessible. However, I have gone through two cases. The zippers break. I have complained to Garmin, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. Lately I’ve been carrying my GPS in my pants/shorts pocket. And, I’m finding that it is quite accessible, safe and I find that the batteries last longer on winter hikes because they are kept a little warmer being next to me.

On my older 60CS the lettering on the buttons wore away. I have not yet seen this problem on the newer 60CSX, which I’ve had a lot longer. I also use screen protectors. Thankfully so, because I have acquired some large scratches that the protector took instead of the screen.
Jay

In trying to find a good GPS thread on which to post the link below, I found this one. Be careful our there with your GPS. Yeah, I know, but it could have happened on the way to a trailhead in the Cascades.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015325599_slough16m.html

Let's hope they bought the optional insurance at the car rental desk ...

Dr. Dasypodidae said:

In trying to find a good GPS thread on which to post the link below, I found this one. Be careful our there with your GPS. Yeah, I know, but it could have happened on the way to a trailhead in the Cascades.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015325599_slough16m.html

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There are loads of stories like this... For instance:
* drive off the end of a ferry dock into the water.
* Take unplowed secondary road and get trapped in the snow. (A man died in Oregon a few years ago.)
* Drive a big truck onto narrow rural road--have to back out.
* Drive truck into overpass.
* Turn onto RR tracks instead of nearby road.

The stories often blame the GPS rather than the idiot at the wheel. Back in the days when people rode horses, at least someone with some amount of intelligence was paying attention to where they were going...

Doug

DougPaul said:

...Back in the days when people rode horses, at least someone with some amount of intelligence was paying attention to where they were going...

Doug

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Yup. And sometimes they even wore blinders.

From an episode of "The Office:

http://www.geeksugar.com/Michael-Dwight-from-Office-1572902