gator99- I have a Garmin GPS 12 and have used it for a couple seasons. It is a great unit and can pick up the satelite signals very quickly even in fairly heavy timber. Good battery life also. The worst thing about it is that it has so many options that it may take a while for you to get used to it. Take it out and just play with it this summer. Mark waypoints, routes and try to rename them and finally erase them. I think that the eTrex is a more user friendly unit but the GPS 12 is much more powerful. The more you use it the more comfortable you will be. I just use mine for marking camp or other key areas and don't really bother with the other 90% of options. Remember your compass...

The Mouse