I have the simplest possible Garmin eTrex H - it's about $80, very tough, runs on a pair of regular AA batteries and since it only has a simple BW screen they last a long time.

I haven't used one and I don't know how good the mapping is, but the Garmin eTrex Venture with a color screen and downloadable maps is only about $125.

EDIT- the Venture it only comes with a 1:100,000 base map, the 1:50,000 maps are about $150 per region. At that price if you want mapping you might as well buy a smart phone.

I prefer paper maps and a compass, the GPS is just a backup, so I go for the simplest cheapest model that isn't going to have flat batteries if I don't use it for months.