Electronic compass - worth having for hiking?

[badger_b]

I'm about to buy my first GPS receiver and I'm going to be using it exclusively for hiking. I've narrowed down my choice to either the Etrex Legend C or the Etrex Vista C.

Is it worth paying the extra for the electronic compass that comes with the Vista C? Has anyone had any experience of using a receiver with an electronic compass for hiking?

[kartracer]

I have a couple of electronic compasses; 1 in a Suunto altimeter watch, and 1 in a Garmin Geko 301 handheld GPS receiver. They both seem to work OK, but need recalibrating after every battery change.

For your planned use in hiking, where I presume you may be in relative wilderness, I would stick with a standard magnetic compass or at least carry one as a backup to the GPS. Electronics have a much higher failure rate than magnetised needles, and batteries may also die without warning!
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Kam

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