Jan 20, 2011 20:01 GMT  ·  By

Since geo-caching has become quite a popular trend among those people who love to spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors, Magellan has decided to lend them a helping hand and released the eXplorist 310 GPS, a waterproof and rugged handheld GPS that should cater to the needs of most entry-level users out there. The latest addition to the eXplorist lineup, that's also been showcased at CES 2011, but with fewer details available at the time, comes packed with a 2.2-inch transflective color screen, a highly sensitive GPS chipset providing 3-5 meters of accuracy, and the ability to record hundreds of waypoints, tracks, and routes.

Furthermore, it is powered by 2 x AA batteries, that should offer just about enough juice for up to 18 hours of non-stop use.

As mentioned right from the start, the 310 also offers a few interesting functions and features for geocaching fans, such as support for 10,000 paperless geocaches, the possibility to expand the map detail and coverage by adding regional versions of Magellan's Summit Series topographic maps, as well as the fact that it comes pre-loaded with Magellan's World Edition map, featuring a road network of more than 200 countries, so that users will be able to find their way just about anywhere around the world.

"The eXplorist 310 is a key addition to our outdoor lineup as it provides users with a high-quality navigation device at an outstanding value," said Justin Doucette, Director of Product Marketing, for Magellan GPS.

"From novice to expert, Magellan now offers the right handheld GPS receiver for anyone who ventures into the outdoors anywhere in the world!," the company's official added.

Despite providing quite a large number of advanced navigation features, the eXplorist 310 is far from what we'd dare to call an expensive device, given the fact that it will be available in March 2011 at an MSRP of USD $199.99.