Entry level GPS.

[New Hampshire]

Ive been eyeballing GPS units lately.  Im completely new when it comes to GPS.  I know what they are and how they work (i.e. satellites) but as to the general function Im in the dark, so bear with me.
Id like to get an entry level unit.  What I wish to gain basically is something I can use for hiking, hunting and scouting in the woods.  Im just looking to go from point A to point B and have the little box tell me how to get back (you know how scouting can be, you wind up wandering around the woods paying more attention to what your looking at then where your going   .)  Being able to mark spots (waypoints they are called?) would be nice, but not really necessary to me right now.  I also dont need fancy street and US maps since its mostly gonna be woods use.  So Ive been looking at a couple of units around $100 in the Cabelas catalog.  One is a Garmin eTrex.  The other a Cobra GPS 100 for $90 (and they have currently a rebate offer.)  There were a couple others at $100 too, but these two were what really caught my attention.  Does anyone have any comments on these units?
Also, the catalog talks about logpoints.  I could use a bit of clarification here.  Im assuming they are points that are logged to indicate a travel path.  My question is do all GPS units do this automatically?  What I mean is, can I turn the unit on, start walking to my destination, and along the way does the GPS automatically keep track of my path of travel so that when I get to my destination and I look at the GPS my traveled route will be shown?  Or am I requiered to add logpoints as I walk?  Se, I told ya I dont know much  :grin: .
Thanks for the help.
Brian M.

[Dave in WV]

I just got a GPS for Christmas. I picked it out and ordered it. I got a Garmin 60C instead of an entry level unit. I posted a question like yours last year and then decided to invest a bit more. Many entry level units can't have the software upgraded by going online to the manufactures site and downloading the update. The reason is most of the entry level units seem to not have a computer cable connection port. This also means you can't transfer routes and maps you put in the unit into your computer and store them for later use. You can't put topo maps on a unit that has no computer connection port and memory capable to store them. I'm not expert much less much of a novice but I saw what several guys were getting at. If you are in a situation where you can get lost if the GPS dies due to bad weather, foliage, battery or unit failure you need to keep up with your position with a map and compass as a backup.

[jgalar]

I have the e-trex as well as a Garmin with full mapping capability. The e-trex is a nice unit and you can hook it up to your computer. When you walk it keeps a trail/track of where you go. Just pushing a button will mark a location. Its very simple to use. I take it when going to things like sporting events where there are acres of parked cars and mark the location of the car. I set the unit to goto and let my 6 year old find the car with it. Its that easy to use.

[jackfish]

The Magellan eXplorist 100 is easy to use, great for navigation and costs under $100.

http://www.magellangps.com/en/products/product.asp?PRODID=1014

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Detail-Magellan-eXplorist-100.asp

[Siskiyou]

Suggest you read some reviews on the Cobra gps before investing.  

When you have a Garmin unit in the track mode it will automatically log points which can be downloaded as a track on a map with MapSource software.  Normally when creating a track which I want to print later I will create a few waypoints.  This might be water sources, hazards,  buck tracks or other points on interest.

If you want to keep it simple then go for the yellow etrex or the new magellans.  But if you "think" that you might want more take a look at the ones that offer more tracks, waypoints, and mapping memory.  The Garmin Legend can be had for about $147.00 on the Internet.  And there are some good prices out there on Magellans that offer user memory.

Gps tracking and receiving ability can be effected by cover, topograph, and the number of satellites that are over head.  I was talking to a law enforcement officer the other day regarding gps units in the outdoors.  He told me that in deep canyon country they may plan activity around satellite coverage.

When I started looking into gps units I talked to a couple of people who fight forest fires in the West.  They managed helicopter crews and are dumped off on fires in remote areas.  Their choice was the basic etrex.  It worked for them all over the country.  In turn those who are higher up in the command structure may have a laptop with them on a major incident and load local maps on their more advanced gps unit.

[New Hampshire]

Thanks for the replies gents.
Maybe I will look some more at the Garmin Legend.  I know I said that I dont care about maps and so and and so forth.  But you guys planted that seed in the back of my head....you know, the "are you sure, maybe you should just in case" seed   .  The Cobra is out I guess.  So the Garmins and Magellins are in.
Brian M.

[LongShadow]

Whatever model you choose I think it will easily serve your intended purpose.  I use  Garmin GPS 12.  By todays standards in doesn't have a lot of fancy features.  It is simple to use and picks up satellites easily.  Functions are fairly easy to use but it does not have some of the nice on-screen mapping features now found on a lot of units.
 
The one thing that stops me from spending a lot of dollars on a high end unit is simply the fear of loosing it.   Same thing goes with my camera I carry in the field.  If I happen to drop this thing somewhere I'll be out $100 or so.   So I guess that is another good reason to keep carrying a compass and maps of your area.
 
After you get your GPS take some time and learn to use it well.  These things are pretty user friendly but they do take some time to become familiar with.
 
Also, the unit I own keeps automatically tracks your position (bread crumb trail) along the way (carry spare batteries as the unit must be powered constantly for this to work).  You can also mark your position (ie.  at prominent features) and give them unique names(truck, lake, tstand, etc).  This way you can set up your own routes for future use or use it as a direct Go-To point.