This is a good thread for me as I am about to spring for a Garmin Nuvi
500, the only consumer-priced GPS I've found that provides a
"hiking/topo maps mode" along with the normal developed-roads city
driving routing capability.

What I've been seeking is a dash-mount GPS that can let a fellow plug in
POIs based on lat/long -- like an undeveloped campground or geographic
feature in BLM land -- and will display a topo map along with distance
and bearing to that POI while driving.

Hiking GPSs all provide that capability, but (1) their screens are dinky
and not a good idea for old eyes to peer at while driving, and (B) don't
provide routablilty and turn-by-turn directions when in the city, like a
normal car GPS. I don't expect routing capability when in
"backcountry/topo" mode, but I do want that distance/bearing thing.

The Nuvi 500 seems to be the only dual-purpose one and it comes with the
24K USA topo maps preloaded.

However, I like Loren's suggestion that we "...let the GPS corporations
die the death they deserve," as I am the kind of guy that would buy a
Droid over an iPhone, and run Ubuntu Linux on my personal computer
instead of Windows. The opener the better.

So if a smartphone can do all that (provide routability and turn-by-turn
directions to addresses when in civilization, and display topo maps
along with a distance/bearing to a lat/long POI when in the backcountry)
WHILE out of range from cell towers, then I would look at that.

This has Vanagon content on account of it would be used for camping and
I'd be buying a cradle to mount it on the dash of Mellow Yellow. But it
also might be turning the thread so much that it deserves a new
Subject.

--
Rocky J Squirrel
'84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
'74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR