Although I'm a little late with this thread, I'll add my bit anyway. I own a Magellan 315 and it's everything I wanted in a small, handheld GPS. I read all the reviews before buying and the unit was exactly as described. I'm surprised at the places I've taken it and it still holds a lock. Inside my house, in my car (although near the windshield). I've never had the nerve to test it's waterproofness but I wouldn't trust any manufacturers claims of waterproofness. A couple of zip lock bags makes that whole argument moot and provides flotation as well. FWIW, I never bothered with the E-Trex, but am completely satisfied with my Magellan

: I'm in the process of planning a week to 10 day trip for the upcoming spring.
: Due to the fact that most of the water in this province is of the solid
: variety, planning my kayak trip and building a 14' Grebe for the kids will
: have to fill the kayaking void for the next 5 or 6 months.

: The trip that I am planning is on the Winnipeg River, from Kenora in NW
: Ontario to (possibly)Pointe du Bois in Manitoba. I have ordered the maps
: and will tailor my take out point to suit the number of paddling days I
: have. I have fished some areas of this river and it is very wide in some
: stretches and can be quite confusing due to numerous islands and channels.
: I have convinced myself that a GPS is in order. I will be using the GPS
: for kayaking, canoeing, cross country skiing, and Mtn. Biking. I don't
: require maps of cities around the world or altitude information.
: I have narrowed my search(unless you more knowelegable folks convince me
: otherwise) to either the Garmin eTrex $199(basic yellow model) or the
: Magellan GPS 315 $174. I read on a website, linked in an earlier post on
: this board or the Techniques board, that the type of antenna used in the
: garmin eTrex is somewhat less sensitive and therefore less effective with
: any sort of tree cover, than the type used on the Magellan's. Have any of
: you had any first had experiences(good or bad) with these or similar
: models? Are there other units that I should have a serious look at?

: Thanks,

: Ken