Garmin GPSMAP 66i GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator

The screen is not touch active. The unit is heavy and bulky. The battery lasts less than a day. It requires more than one app to manage the maps and routes.

The Iphone and soon other phones are ok for casual hiking and being able to use Satellites to send an SOS if you get lost in the woods or hurt. However, there are some major advantages to owning a quality handheld GPS/Satellite Communicator.

First, the Iphone is not built for rugged conditions. Although phones have come a long way and many are now waterproof to a degree, they can still be fragile in extreme conditions.
For example, your hiking and take a bad fall. Your phone screen could be smashed and broken, thus limiting your ability to see the text and answer the SOS questions, etc. Whereas GPS units are built for rugged and extreme conditions. Ice, snow, river rafting, jungle heat, etc.

Second, battery life on our phones is not bad, but even then, they do not compare to the life some handheld GPS units can achieve. My emergency GPS unit can last double the time my phone can. Also, I carry a small solar charger on camping trips that is capable of charging my phone or GPS unit.

I live in a very rural area and camp and go off-roading often. My wife and I were 12 miles deep into the woods on ATV's one weekend when we got turned around and could not find our way out. The area we were in was very remote and if you chose the wrong direction, you could go 100 miles and still be in the woods. We had no cell service and back then, our phones had no GPS. Luckily we found our way back to the trail but it took about 3 hours and at times we were very scared as the sun continued to go down and we did not want to be stuck there overnight. It taught me a valuable lesson and we immediately bought a GPS unit to keep with us on all trips.

I would never trust my phone in many of the conditions we go through on our trips. My phone has never failed or been broken, but I'm not putting my life on the line for it either. Again, if your a casual hiker or outdoorsman, your phone might be just fine. If you really travel off the beaten path or to very remote areas, I'd highly suggest the best GPS/communicator you can afford. You can always make more money, but you can't bring yourself back from the dead.

For the communicator, yes; gps, no.

I had one of these a couple of years back. For me, a smartphone with OsmAnd is a much better mapping solution. If you need the satellite function, the Garmin Inreach Mini is a better choice IMO. If you absolutely have to have a 66i, then this is a great price.