Which one you want really depends on what you want it to do. I' m not positive, but I thought the Summit was better for guys that climb (ie high mtns and the like). The basic Etrex is probably the cheapest GPS on the market and when you' re completely lost, it would still get you back to the truck as would the best of them. So, it really depends how much you want to be able to see major roads and little towns on your GPS as well and then it would be time to step up to a higher model.

I was looking through a magazine last night and still think that the Summit may be too high a price for your needs. It is better suited to climbers and doesn' t have the storage capacity of the Venture or the Legend.

As for the the digital compass, I would strongly recommend that you carry a real compass at all times. Never rely on an electronic device solely. 99% of the time, there would be no problems, but I wouldn' t want to be there when the last battery died.