Garmin Dakota 20

Are we routing for Garmin's new GPS?

Product

Garmin Dakota 20

Promise

Touchscreen handheld GPS with full UK mapping and an affordable price – where’s the catch?

Performance

As small as a clamshell mobile, the robust little Dakota 20 has a punch to it: at only 190g it can run on two AA batteries for 20 hours, and the 2.6” touchscreen is big enough to read in bad weather and still sensitive enough to negotiate with gloves on. It’s compatible with the GB Discoverer mapping system, which in turn is based on trusty, familiar Ordnance Survey maps. When you turn this on, even as a novice to GPS units, you’ll recognise where you are immediately and begin to negotiate the simple menus with ease within a few minutes. Add to all this a barometric altimeter – for those without jargon, this tells you how much you’ve ascended or descended by reading the difference in air pressures between points. Plus a compass that works when you hold it at nearly any angle (we’ve corroborated this with a real compass and it’s unerringly accurate. You can even use a wireless function to share geocaches and wayroutes with other Garmin users too…

Verdict

A solid and remarkably compact product that feels like it could last and last. We recommend buying your map software when you purchase – you get it half price!