1) Does anyone use a non-Garmin GPS with good success?

 

2) I see that Garmins are rated to -4 degrees F.   When our old buddy Polar Vortex comes around, is there real danger of the device freezing to death?

My 910 stopped working in the cold a few times this winter.  First time that ever happened!  I think it was the battery croaking in the cold though, not necessarily the Garmin electronics itself.    Once it warmed up, it came back.

1) Does anyone use a non-Garmin GPS with good success?

 

2) I see that Garmins are rated to -4 degrees F.   When our old buddy Polar Vortex comes around, is there real danger of the device freezing to death?

Considering the winter we just went through in MN I think they may be a bit conservative with -4. I run with a few people who have Garmins (different models) and don't recall any issues.

Been reading enough to adopt Baboon's "if it ain't (too) broke, don't replace it" philosophy. My 210 does pretty much everything I need it to do, and in about 1.5 yrs I have had to do a master reset "only" twice. Never had any problems in the cold. And while my major beef was always the erratic clip connector, I sort of have a system down where I can get it to work with reasonable consistency. And the benefit of needing to physically connect it to upload data is that I am charging the battery virtually every day anyway, so I don't care about battery life. It is rated at 8 hrs, and I really have no plans to run that long in one go any time soon.

For maybe the third time only in the last 6 years, I found out that the battery of my garmin needed to be recharged, just as I was about to start my run. Thankfully, I am clever! I have this habit (sort of like a meditation exercise) of counting up to 100 over and over when I'm running (and racing as well). I've always done that. I've come to realize that 8x100 one side steps is the equivalent of one mile at about 9:00 pace for me. Closer to 7x100 steps gets me one mile in the low or sub-8:00 pace. Not accurate enough for speedwork or goal pace, but it works just fine for those easy runs days. I've also done a marathon with just a regular watch (I had forgotten my garmin). With the help of mile markers, it was very easy to keep track. Goal was 3:39 and I finished in 3:40 and change. A garmin would have made no difference at all in the result. I gave everything I had to give that day.

FreeSoul, why aren't you considering the 620?  While I do gripe about it, it's still a huge improvement over the 610.  Huge.  Three of the issues I had with the 620 were corrected with software updates (crazy elevation readings, wonky wifi connection, and lack of bike mode).  I was also an early adopter of the 620 so I sort of expected some kinks, though that doesn't mean I still won't bitch about it.  The watch restarting mid-run is still an issue though I've gone a week since that's happened (knock on wood).  Hopefully a new one wouldn't do that.      

I kept looking at it too, and i actually really REALLY like the color schemes... but it cost as much as the 910, even on amazon. In the end I chose the 310 because on amazon through my prime account it was only $173.25...

I kept looking at it too, and i actually really REALLY like the color schemes... but it cost as much as the 910, even on amazon. In the end I chose the 310 because on amazon through my prime account it was only $173.25...

Cool.  Good deal!  $173 is indeed cheaper that $399.

 

She already purchased the 310 damn it!

I can't keep up around here.

 

You must be an accountant.

LOL...