REVIEW: Garmin Foretrex 401

The small things are often the most helpful. This also applies to GPS devices that help us navigate in the great outdoors. Some time ago we introduced the Garmin Foretrex 101, today we show you a successor, the Foretrex 401 from Garmin, which has been significantly improved.

Here is the candidate. Outwardly, it looks very similar to its predecessor. The 101 cannot really compete with the 401. With the early model, it was clear that it actually came from the sailing sport and that the device's reception sensitivity was designed for open water surfaces. This means that if you are in the forest with trees above you, the GPS reception quickly disappeared. The 401 doesn't have these problems and can be used unconditionally even in covered terrain.

The operation is rather simple. These buttons do everything...

A big problem with the 101 was also the attachment with a watch band. It was too weak, so if you hit something, the device fell off and had to be searched for on the forest floor. Have fun!

The Foretrex 401 now has a mount that is worthy of the name and is useful. For those who are still unsatisfied, there are pouches from various manufacturers with which you can attach the GPS device to a weapon stock, arm, or gear, for example.

The biggest improvement is that the Foretrex 401 has a data cable. With this, you can transfer all data to a PC or Mac and create movement profiles using software, such as how many meters of altitude were overcome, etc. This makes the 401 extremely practical.

CONCLUSION: The Foretrex 401 is an efficient tactical assistant with which you can mark routes and track them back. It takes up little space and reliably helps with navigation in the field or when evaluating march data. A small drawback is the short battery life, which is approximately 17 hours. Always remember to have spare batteries!

The Garmin Foretrex 401 costs 199 euros.