Where to place the gps handheld while hiking, geocaching or kayaking? In the pockets of your outdoor jacket? No, that is quite often not an optimal solution, depending on the pocket size and placement. The handheld is not handy at all and the GPS reception might be limited.
One solution is the Garmin carabiner clip. This clip is in the box of some handhelds (e.g. GPSmap 64s) and can be purchased separately. The carabiner clip has some cons. Not every shoulder strap of your backpack is equipped with loops for attaching the clip, the loops might be not at the right place and the cliping/uncliping can be annoying.
But Garmin provides an alternative: the Garmin Backpack Tether! It might be a bit overpriced – $19,99 – but has some strong advantages (and gets positive customer reviews on Amazon).
Our Garmin Backpack Tether review reveals all pros and cons!
Garmin Backpack Tether – Pros
- Easy to pull the handheld off and reconnect
- Suitable for most Garmin handhelds: Dakota, eTrex, GPSmap, Oregon
- Perfect adjustment at the shoulder straps (positioning higher / lower)
- Suitable for different shoulder straps (max. width about 7,5 cm / 3″)
- Velcro straps are interchangeable for attaching to wider shoulder straps (e.g. against longer velcro straps with buckles)
- Can be used at shoulder straps without accessory loops
- Lanyard cord for handsfree action and preventing loss
- Can be attached to a PFD when kayaking
Garmin Backpack Tether – Cons
- Bit overpriced
- Can slip when attached to smaller, non padded shoulder straps, especially with a heavy handheld like the GPSMAP 64
- Lanyard cord will quickly fray (sticks to the velcro of the spine mount), replace it with a 2 mm or 3 mm climbing cordage)
- How durable is the velcro that holds the GPS handheld? We will see!
