I also have the Garmin E-Trex, but the one without the electronic compass. I consider the electronic compass to be almost essential. Of course since I don't have it, I carry an old fashioned compass, which isn't all bad. In fact it is probably good insurance. If you have never used GPS before, GPS will not work unless you have a clear view of the sky. Therefore it often doesn't work in places like the woods. So, I get a bearing in a clearing and follow it and then recheck my bearing at the next clearing. That works unless where you are going is between clearings. For example, I shot an elk two years ago and managed to mark a waypoint on my GPS. I also hung a full sized bed sheet from a tree above the elk. I walked back to the truck to get my pack, when I was 20 yards away, I couldn't see the sheet. I had a hard time finding it again, and couldn't have if I didn't have a compass.