Selecting a GPS device I am out to purchase a (dedicated) GPS device for the outlined below use cases. Trouble is, I have never owned a GPS-enabled device. Furthermore, general articles on "how to purchase sports GPS" seem to vague. What features am I supposed to value most? What "type" of device do I need?

Use cases:


Ski trekking at about 2000m elevation, up to a week without electricity. I use a map, but if a (heavy) fog falls, I could be depending on the device for up to 2-3 days straight.
Bicycle trekking on rough mountain paths, up to two weeks without electricity. Again, I would carry a map, but when in doubt would need the GPS so as not go off path and waste half a day wandering around.
What features am I supposed to value most?


Really you should decide this yourself.

I would value


longest battery life
simplicity of display
least size/weight
usability with gloves on


The second point is quite important to me. This isn't a device you will use when sitting at leisure at a desk or table sipping a Martini. You probably want to keep your eyes ahead and occasionally glance at the device to pick up key info. A display that crams lots of detail into it will usually be much harder to read at a glance.

For more leisurely perusal you might as well just buy a $50 smartphone and an offline mapping app (ViewRanger is pretty good IMO).