I'm in the market for a small wrist or pack mounted GPS for hunting and the rare hike that may come up.
I'm torn between several models, each being different in age, size, and specs. I'm liking the Garmin 401 due to the size, reputation, and the fact they can be found used on eBay for under $100. Then there's the Garmin 60cs, which I like for the price and layout. Then there is the Garmin 64st going on sale at Cabela's on Black Friday for $170.
I just want something that can give me a compass reading, a readout of my trek to and from my hunting spots, and something that is reasonably cheap and portable. I'm a total noob to GPS kit, so any guidance is appreciated!

If you have a good smartphone look into OnX.

Great gps even when out of service, it is about 30/year.

401 for using AAA alone it's worth it.

2nd OnX Hunt... great app.

I have the Garmin 64st mainly for ATV use but also use it for hiking. I like it a lot. A set of fully charged eneloop batteries last me about 12 hrs of run time.

Go for the 64st.  That’s a great value.  I believe that model comes with 100k maps.

I have: 60csx, 62s and 66i.  Skip on the used 60 series.  I would get a 601 if I wanted a wrist mount - but no real maps on the 301,401,601,701.

If this GPS is going to be put in a pack and left for extended periods of time, do not get anything that runs on an proprietary internal lithium battery.

I don’t buy any GPS that doesn’t have AA or AAA primary batteries. Lithium batteries don’t last forever, and when they do, your unit is trash.

.....

Sent you a PM...

I've had the 401 for about 8 years and it has been on two deployments, two NTC rotations and a bunch of training ops. Between that it sits in my assault bag with the batteries removed. It works when I need it and I can attach it to anything and use batteries that are everywhere. Map feature is terrible but you can fix that with a little planning and carrying a real map which you should be doing anyway. A quick button push and I have my grid for whatever I need.

When not using my Garmin Rino I use an etrex 20 w/ 100K maps.  2AA batteries last a long time and its easy to use.