Need help selecting a suitable GPS unit for our deep & thick Piney Woods. I bought a Magellan Gold years ago & have used it less than a half-dozen times. Reason being it is too complicated & very unreliable in our woods w/so much overhang.

Recently seen the Garmin E-trex 2o which converges (2) separate satellites plus other handy features. The salesperson yesterday suggested both the model 30 or 40 (more expensive). Please give your experience pros & cons regarding GPS. Been lost in these woods too many times & do not want to spend $300 again for a useless paperweight. Thanks for any assistance in advance.

I had an etrex (I think it was a 20), and it worked well in black timber, but I moved up to an Oregon and like it better. Has built in topos, although they are a large scale version, but I downloaded some 1:25000 topos off the internet for free, and they are very good.

I had a etrex 20 and I could never really figure it out, and sold it to a guy that is very happy with it.  before that I had a lowrance globalnav212 which is a antique and huge by todays standards but it does everything I need it to do, which is hook up in heavy timber, save WP's and give coordinates .With the Etrex, I could never figure how to get coordinates to a point so I could just use a compass to get there.. im to old and non tech I guess..i have pretty much just gone back to a map and compass.....have heard good things on the oregon

Dakota 20 and a compass is all you need

I just bought a new Garmin Oregon, which is top of the line for trail use. The new Oregon is so different from earlier models that I'm surprised Garmin is still using the same name.  Maybe it's like car models that keep getting upgraded from year to year.  I'm sure the new Oregon has a feature that will make my toast and coffee in the morning, but I'm still looking for that one.  While Garmin is pretty good at making these things "user friendly," the user they have in mind is someone who already has at least some interest in figuring out technical gadgets, not like my wife, who just pushes buttons and hopes something favorable happens.

But with all the whiz bang features, I'm still not going to get a location if I stand under a dense tree canopy. I'm going to have to find somewhere I can see the sky more than just a few twinkles of light through the leaves.  Out west, this isn't usually a problem, but sometimes it is, and that's when you would really like some help from the GPS because you can't see any big landmarks.  I've never been anywhere I couldn't get a reading if I moved around 40-50 yards, but I realize you guys have lots denser forests than we do.

I love my delorme pn60

Garmin Etrex 20 seems to me to be the best value.  It has maps that are detailed enough to read, but doesn't cost too much.  Battery life is good too because you can turn the back-light off.

Most receivers will use both GPS and GLONASS constellations, but make sure it is WAAS enabled as well.

I hate spending money on something that might be outdated shortly after I buy it,  This is primarily in reference to electronics, such as computers, etc.  I looked really hard at a new GPS.  I have an old etrex that I never really learned how to use.

After much hand wringing and research, I bought a Garmin Oregon 600.  It is very user friendly by my standards and you can access not only US satellites, but 20 to 22 Soviet satellites.  I get more satellites than I can count from inside my house.  At $400, it ain't cheap, but I think it is easy to use, is state of the art for over the counter, and should last along time.

I bought it because I will be elk hunting in Colorado and wanted one to be certain of my location.  Ot also has a barometric altimeter.  I will also have maps and a compass.

Good stuff & thanks. I too had enough fill of complicated tech with my Gold. Just more trouble than the worth.

Mcdave, if your Oregon is top of the line & won't get a signal under canopy, I need to be especially careful. That will do no good at all.

I've relied on compass for years. Today I planted my climber in deep unfamiliar woods. Hope I can find it again? But, if I could mark it with GPS I could go right to it even in the dark...maybe? Please share your GPS stories & info. I'm sitting on a fence.

garmin etrex gets my vote for the simplicity.  They are useful but practice with them first.

I got Garmin GPS 60's for my son and me a couple of years ago we took 2 classes at REI. I feel so much better in the woods-my son can easily do out and back and me too. Bring extra batteries-even though you won't need them. It does not have to be complicated at all just use the basic functions. I am an classic luddite and it still  works for me!

Obviously I can't speak to McDave's experience with the Oregon, but I get a signal in my two story house, and in black timber with mine. Last year, I marked an elk wallow that I stumbled upon, and a couple of weeks ago, I used the Oregon to find it again. It took me to within 10 feet of my previous waypoint. I'm pretty happy with the Oregon.

I get an outstanding signal on my Delorme PN60....and with the free topo maps for North America and the $20 fee for unlimited Satellite coverage (SAT10, DOQQ, etc) down to 1 meter resolution it is a steal in my opinion.  It is waterproof as well...  We have some very thick stuff here in southeast in swamps and I get a signal all the time....I still carry a compass as a back up as when it is that thick you walk slower and can affect your readings on any GPS.  The Delorme has a position sensor so you dont have to be moving for it to know which direction you are facing...

Give it a look...they also have one with SPOT integration if you are needing that for backcountry hunts miles from nowhere.

Magellan just came out with a hunting specific setup as well...no experience with them but worth a look.

I have a Garmin Oregon.  I wouldn't buy a GPS that wasn't capable of downloading topos.  Sometimes some terrain is too steep to pass, and having a heads up of that steep slope/cliff saves you a bunch of walking.

Curious why some can get signals in black timber & others not? But, the fact you can impresses me to give it another shot. It will most likely be Garmin E-trex (Oregon?). The 20 uses an SD card for additional maps as well as 2 satellite resolution. Thanks for the great input. Hope I can get to the store by Friday? More stories & experience welcome beforehand. Regards

I'm still using my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSX.  It's been discontinued but it's very easy to use and gets great reception in the woods...never tried it in the mountains though, we don't have many here in Minnesota.  Might be an option if you can find a used one or one on close out.

Whatever you get make sure it has an electronic compass.  Electronic compasses work when you are standing still, non-electronic compasses you need to be moving a 2-3 miles per hour for them to function...pain in the rear in rough cover.

QuoteCurious why some can get signals in black timber & others not?  

I wonder if it could have something to do with mountains?  Out west, I usually have a significant part of the sky blocked off by mountains on each side, so I lose any signal from the side in those directions.  Then if part of the signal is blocked by the trees, it might block enough that the signal can't get through.  In order to get a GPS fix, you need connection with a minimum of 3 satellites, and the more you connect with, the better the fix.

I never tried it before, but I found that I am also able to get a GPS location fix inside my house with the Oregon, but there are definitely places I hike where the signals are blocked by the trees and/or the mountains.

The mountains do another funny thing, which is to reflect the signals.  Sometimes the signal the GPS receives has been reflected off a nearby mountain cliff which has put me 500' higher or lower and in a different location than I really am.

Satellites are launched to follow specific orbits and travel at constant speeds.  Depending on your position on the Earth, some satellites will pass overhead, some along the horizon, and all points in between.  So the time of day (when enough satellites are passing overhead)can make a difference.

I have worked on old ordnance plants and marked locations with a surveyor's grade GPS.  Around buildings, in valleys, or heavy cover, we could only reliably get accurate readings between 10:00 AM and about 2:30 PM at one such plant unless out in the open.  Early or late in the day we could not lock onto enough satellites at one time to get an accurate reading.  That was about 15 to 16 years ago.  

More satellites now, but still have to deal with terrain limitations.  The steeper/deeper the terrain, and the narrower the valleys, the more difficult it will be to get an accurate reading because your GPS can't track enough satellites.  However, at certain times, depending on satellite orbits, even in tight deep spots you may be able to get accurate readings.

Makes perfect sense Mike. Maybe why some have trouble under canopy & others not? Our woods here are thick & tough especially with the underbrush least of which will eat your shorts.

I asked the saleslady if I could bring it (GPS) back if it didn't work in deep woods. She's OK with that. Might as well jump in with the Garmin E-trex. Thank all you good folks for your input.

QuoteOriginally posted by straitera:
Makes perfect sense Mike. Maybe why some have trouble under canopy & others not? Our woods here are thick & tough especially with the underbrush least of which will eat your shorts.

I asked the saleslady if I could bring it (GPS) back if it didn't work in deep woods. She's OK with that. Might as well jump in with the Garmin E-trex. Thank all you good folks for your input.

Buddy, let me know how it goes. I too am in the Pineywoods and have been researching this. I've never even held a GPS!