best handheld gps for finding your way in woods?

[brad coin]

Hi everyone Im looking for a handheld gps for finding my way through the grouse woods and carry in my vest

scenario- Im walking a trail and a grouse flushs,I miss "has usual" and go in after him he flushs again,,then again,,Im now turned around and would like to find the trail,,If I waypointed the trail before I went in I would always know where it is no matter how far I go into the woods,,,what would be the best unit for that,

has a second feature I would also like to input waypoints for the best trails in the forrest

anybody have any recomendations for a unit

[woody1975]

H20C - I love that unit! One experience: One of the guys in our group gut shot a doe one night. We left it for a few hours and went after it. After a couple hours of trampling around in the woods, we found the deer. I kinda knew where we were, and started to walk in the direction I thought we had to go. My brother had marked the truck with his H20C and a drag that would've taked us 2 hours (my way) took us 10 minutes. We had made a huge circle, like the often do and we we 100 yards from the truck. Quick aquisition, Clarity, Accurate - Well worth the money!

DL

[croixflats]

A Garmin unit I feel has better reception in the woods and Valleys. As far as features I think they are pretty much the same .

What is nice about the handhelds you can put waypoints in where you want to go and where you are at. And also you can enable a tracking feature that shows you by drawing a line of where you already have been so no double tracking. I am sure the Lowrance models have that, I know Garmin does.

The reliability of Garmin I feel is better. I have yet to see anything bad on the forums for Garmin but I do see on occasion on the Lowrance units.

Last year I had to install a mile long boader fence weaving in and out for the Wisconsin DNR in some thick woods with out the handheld it would have been next to impossible to clear cut a path in the woods for the fence to each marker.

One of the best investments I made from OutdoorFishingSupply.com. Check the HSOforum out he has great prices and carries both Garmin and Lowrance and you can get that ArticArmor suit that you always needed or anything else sports related electronics.

[BobT]

I'm with croixflats.

Another feature with my Garmin is waypoint projection. I can decide I want to go a certain distance in a particular direction and have the unit project a waypoint. Now I can set the GPS to go there and it will continuously tell me which way to go to get to that waypoint.

One suggestion I might have. No matter which brand you choose, for walking I would recommend getting one with an electronic compass. Without the eletronic compass, the unit doesn't know which way you are facing while standing still so the map orientation may not be accurate until you start to move and it calculates your direction and speed. This forces you to watch the unit while your walking and that opens the potential for tripping, stick in eye, etc.

Edit: One last thought. Even if you carry a GPS, don't go without a magnetic compass. THe GPS requires batteries and they can go dead.

[fr0sty]

My garmin 60cx looses its calibration all the time. I was very confused until I realized what was happening. It's annoying to have to calibrate all the time (spin a a circle three times slowly while holding the gps flat).

[BobT]

I've never seen that problem.

[croixflats]

Me either.

Good call on the electric compass. I elected not to have the electric compass because of battery consumption though I wish I would have gone with the electric compass

[PierBridge]

For walking in the woods I use either my Garmin 3 plus or my Magellan. Both are quite a bit smaller and have much greater battery life than my H2O's.

[deadeye]

A silva ranger never looses calibration and doesn't need batteries...

Anyway, I still like the H2oc but I did take my nuvi 500 out last time and it was nice to have the bigger screen.

[DanH]

I use the Garmin GPSMAP60cx for hunting Grouse and brush busting. I clip it on my vest or shirt –no problems. Have used it for a few years to mark drumming, flushes, and kills. Am very satisfied w/ it. It always acquires a signal -even in deep valleys under canopy on cloudy days. The GPSMAP series have a removable chip caddy. You can also make your own maps for these units; including topo, water features, roads, cities, etc. I've had good luck with rechargeable NiCAD batteries in mine. Today, I'd get the csx -with the electronic compass.

I also always carry a compass and matches, and sometimes a paper map. Nothing beats the reliability of old fashion analog technology.

[DinnerPail]

I have a new Dolorme PN-40 this year. I like to do alot of mapping and research so this unit is great for that. It's not a beginner unit. I can say I've never used a unit that updates or responds as fast. The mapping is great and that is what I was looking for when I got this one. There are alot less expencive units that will do what you are looking for. But I can say after you start using one you'll want to upgrade.

I still believe you need to know where you are, what is arround you and how to use a compass when all else fails.

Try to hook up with someone that has one or borrow one and go out and try it. Sounds like what you are looking for a less expencive unit might fit the bill