paddy to me it seems you might be a little bias , can you say that you gave it a real good shot at learning how it worked and used it regularly as you went . also mine is a simple one and does not have alot of extra,s that i do not require.here is an example of why mine is very important to me.

i am hunting north of our town the area is very flat and no mountains or land marks are visable , i wound an animal and it takes off running. the trees are thick and you can not see the sky. withouy my gps and marking the spot where it all began i would not want to bet that i could find my way out. yes you can put up flag tape as you go but as it gets dark will i be able to find it by headlight what if a storm blows in i always know that no matter what i will have a way to get back. yes most definate i would watch my compass as i went but with all the twisting and turning will i be able to retrace that route probally not. this gps gives me peace of mind and it is a good feeling that yes i may get a little twisted up and i probally wont have to set off my p.l.b. and wait sheepishly for the calvery to come when i am only a mile or 2 from my truck. [img][image]http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm236/northernbc/DSC00097-1.jpg[/img][/image]