I have been looking at grabbing a Garmin etrex 30x GPS.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/into-sports/handheld/etrex-30x/prod518048.html

For those of you with much more experience using these than I. What kind of battery strategy do you employ? Do you shell out for new Lithiums every few hikes? Has anyone had a good experience with rechargeable ones? Or do you use rechargeable ones and keep a nice set of lithiums in reserve just in case? Cold weather experience would be awesome.

I use NiMH rechargeables.... Sanyo Eneloops with good results.

Tim

Same here. Never a problem. My Etrex 20 with Sanyos goes just about 24hrs tracking on a single charge (so even a 3-day weekend of hiking sometimes on one charge). And the Eneloops don't have a memory really (no need to fully discharge them before charging, like with say NiCd).

Old fashioned alkaline batteries... Duracell Pro-Cell

Costs about $0.50 each and typically lasts 3-4 dayhikes or 1 multi-day trip (turning off at night), I'll typically pop in new batteries if it's cold and haven't had any problems. When the batteries start to run low or I think they won't last a trip then I'll change them out and set aside the partially used batteries for random things at the house (remotes, mice, etc).

Lithium....and I usually get the Energizer. I find I can get 2-3 trips out of a set of AA's or about 20-24 hours.

Been using these for for about 10 years now with outstanding results in several different pieces of equipment. And also have the rapid charger for these which is well worth the money. About 15 minutes and you're good to go.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Energizer-NH1 ... ack/887736

Awesome! I didn't realize the rechargeable batteries worked so well in these devices. I may end up deploying a set of rechargeable and a back up non recharge. It's nice to know I won't be shelling out for new batteries all the time.

Hey Joe, I'd like to start using rechargeables....didn't realize they'd work so well. How do they do in cold weather?

If I start out fully charged, they rarely quick before said hike is done. And I've been out on some pretty damned cold days. That's in my GPS and the camera that uses AA's. Becky uses them in her ski boot warmer insoles. Fully charged, never an issue. And we've been using these energizers for a long time.

I'm not Joe, but I've seen little difference in working time between summer and winter with the Eneloops.

Many years ago I used NiMH rechargeables made by Kodak, and then when Sanyo Eneloops came out switched to those. Eneloops have evolved over the years, and the ones you buy now usually won't discharge over time while in storage. Except on very cold days, one set of AA's will run my 60CSx all day, but I always have a carrier with 4 spares. If I'm on a hike during the winter where navigation is especially important, I put that little carrier in my pocket to keep it warm.

I once bought a set of 4 AA lithiums, which I carried for years but never needed them. A couple of years ago I stuck them in a drawer. The Eneloops are quite reliable, even in cold weather.