prograde

Excellent - thanks for your thoughts! I just found a relevant thread (sorry, should have looked for that first): Comparing Garmin Handhelds The price difference between the Legend and Vista is about $50. I imagine that a compass would be useful, but I happen to own an old-fashioned, mundane one that works just fine. I like your suggestion to put the $50 towards maps. thanks again.

Hello all, I'm in the market for my first GPS, and I've narrowed the field to the Garmin eTrex HCx line. As far as I can tell, the only difference between the Legend HCx and the Vista HCx is the later has an electronic compass and barometric altimeter. I don't personally think these would be terribly useful features...would anyone care to change my mind? My primary use for the device is an upcoming, week-long back country canoe trip. I also do a fair amount of hiking, and this whole geocaching thing has my interest piqued (never tried it, but it sounds like fun!). I'd love to hear from you wise souls, if anyone has an opinion or experience that would help to guide my decision. many thanks, -prograde.