Cotten

If you want the very best, get Garmin's Rhino 130. You will not believe what all it will do. And it's simple.

etw

NOT A GARMIN[:'(] My Garmin quit after about a year. Just sits there "looking" trying to find where it is and Garmin wants $75 just to look at it, plus postage. GARMIN does not stand behind their product!!! That has been my experience.

Sam Houston

Did you possibly move the unit over 600 miles without turning it on? If so, read your manual for the solution.

DUCKSTAMPEDE

Garmin-updates are better-mostly when people don't use their GPS it comes down to convenience of use-Magellan and Garmin are easy to use but the updates on Magellan I have had trouble with-so went with Garmin 3 years back and love it.

Highpower

I have several Garmins and have NEVER had a problem with any of them. They are considered to be the most accurate on the market. (FAA said that, not me) I second the opinion on the RINO's. Several of us tried them this year for the first time and before we broke camp, everyone wanted one. Great little unit, especially when used with other RINOS.

kshunter

ETW, Just curious, it sounds like your unit was out of warranty, which Garmin does have a "flat rate" fee to repair any unit which includes a complete overhaul. I'm assuming yours was out of warranty? What unit did you have?

I've owned a lot of Garmins, and have plenty of experience with Magellans. Garmin are without a doubt the higest quallity of the manufacturers out there. They are quality made, and after dealing with the company I am amazed at their great customer service. You won't go wrong with a Garmin, like most everyone else here has said.

Montana Bob

My vote would Garmin Etrex Vista. The Vista will hold 25 MB of info stored in the unit.
It has the option of installing Mapsource programs. I have both the Mapsource Topo and MetroGuide.
The MetroGuide allows me to install any area of the US (other country's available). I am able to type in an address and go right to it as the crow fly's with an arrow showing the distance left to the address as you drive. You are also able to find Hotels,Places of interest and a whole bunch more. It has address's and phone numbers as well.
The Topo is the best feature. Living in the West we have alot of varied terrain. You can install a topo map of again any place in the US and it's just like having a map. It is very detailed showing elevation,trails,streams and anything you would find on a topo map. The great thing I like is coming home after a hunt or scouting trip and uploading to my computer. It takes seconds to do and you can see the path you walked along with any notes made along the way. It has become a valuable piece of my hunting gear and I would not leave home without it. The first thing I do is mark the vehicle when hunting and this saved my bacon just a few weeks ago in a small blizzard although it had a tough time reaching the sky through the snow, when it cleared I new exactly where the ride was.
The only gripe I have about a GPS is that it must have access to the sky. When hunting it is a pain to hold the thing while walking. They do have a belt holster like a cell phone but it doesn't work that well and loses reception often when attached to the belt. I take my unit and attach it to the back of my hat pointing to the sky and seems to work ok. I would like some kind of small antenna with a 3' lead to clip on. It is also difficult in heavy forested area's were the view to the sky is limited.
I would say if you are an AVID hunter or outdoorsman a GPS is a must. Make sure you get one that will enable you to download info to your computer and has the ability to store maps.
Ebay is the way to shop for these. If you go to a retail outlet you will pay alot more. I saved over $250 on my unit as well as the software.
They have a detailed site. http://www.garmin.com/outdoor/ Check it out for more info [X(]

Champlain Islander

I have a Garmin ETREX Vista and I really like the expanded memory for maps and the electronic compass. From a warrantee point of view I think garmin is great. My brother's Garmin 12 (older model) decided to stop working and he plugged it into the computer and went to the Garmin site and downloaded a fix for the unit without even having to send it in. They recommend periodically getting the latest software patches to fix things before they impact the unit. Works for me.

rost495

having had both Garmin and Magellan all I'd buy now is Garmin. Have not been all that happy with Magellan. But their customer service trying to get a couple of units to work right was great.

PS-- TimberCreek- get off that 4 wheeler more often and you might need the GPS more often. Might see some untraveled territory too

Finally even though the newest GPS have good maps systems I always carry a few other things. New set of batteries. Topo map of the area with quad ticks, and a good compass.

Jeff

Champlain Islander

I agree with rost495 about having a good backup. The new GPS units are really amazing especially if you have mapping. Over time you have to remember that all things electronic can fail. I too carry spare batteries in a sealed 4 pack and a couple of compasses. When I am in big country I use the compass and the GPS unit together to periodically check on my posiition reletive to the truck. If you are 10 miles in on a dirt road and parked at the end you don't want to miss the truck at last light.