norco17 wrote:"the best navigation skill anyone can have is to pay attention."
No argument.
There is no situation that I can see where a map and compass is not more accurate and more dependable than a stupid ass piece of electronic crap.
A compass will not tell you where you're at on the map. The only thing it can do is point to magnetic north, nothing more. From that info you must triangulate from known points to find your position on the map. At best a slow and tedious process. At worst (night, fog, heavy timber, etc.) impossible.
By comparison, the modern mapping GPS constantly centers the map on your current position. Therefore knowing your position on the map is instantaneous. Now what you do next still requires judgment.
For me personally, its the maps that make a GPS so compelling. That "stupid ass piece of electronic crap" in the photo has the equivalent of every USGS Quad for CO, UT, AZ & NM inside its lame brain at all times, try that with paper!!! To me that's freedom, freedom to know I'll always have the map I need wherever I'm at. The trade off is I have to pay attention to the batteries.
Indeed the electronics can fail, the batteries certainly will deplete, whereas the magnetic pointer is almost bullet proof. Either is a choice. Cheers.