GPS for Hill Walking

Trotter wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a good handheld GPS that will accurately tell me what grid reference I'm at based on an OS map?

Any handheld GPS on the market will fulfil that function. It wouldn't be a GPS otherwise

I'd like to have one that includes a good map showing forests, changes in terrain etc,

That's where the problem arises. There are no 'official' topographic maps of Ireland available for any of the major brands of GPS on the market (yet). There are rumours that Garmin may be bringing something out, but nothing definite. The best you'll manage is the free contour 'maps' available from the SMC http://www.smc.org.uk/ContourMaps.htm, but these are just that, i.e. contours and nothing else. Even the current OSi paper maps don't show forests with any degree of accuracy, so there's little hope of any GPS based maps that'll do the same or better.

.. but will also do the basics of navigation info, etc.

Not quite sure what you mean by that? They'll all be capable of storing waypoints and navigating towards them, recording tracks etc. The main differences are in the max number of waypints, trackpoints etc.

Any advice is appreciated!

As far as outdoor GPS's are concerned Garmin is the only real player at the moment. Take a look at the etrex range, especially the newer H series of high sensitivity receivers. There's also the slightly bulkier 60Cx and 60Csx which some people swear by.