What is the best gps hand held unit for outdoor recreation use?

Answer 1

I'm going to assume you mean "off road" ie. hiking.
So you want fairly simple, with good battery life.

I'd suggest the Garmin Legend, or Etrex if altitudes are important.

If you go boating, you want waterproof.
If you go 4WD, you want in-car.
You need to provide more data !