Billy -
GPS are nice tools, but they are only as good as the software/maps downloaded to them. I know some folks that relied on a GPS during a mountain hike in Georgia and got very, very lost. In fact, they were on a cell phone with a park ranger who kept telling them to turn around, but they continued to argue with him because their GPS told them they were going the right way. They ended up spending a cold, hungry, LONG night in the forest.
Lesson learned? GPS tools are nice, but they don't take the place of good old-fashioned orienteering using a compass and a current topo map. They are, however, a good tool to have in addition to orienteering skills. You can get free topo maps at
Trails.com and at purchase maps and GPS software at
Topo.com.
Barbara
Mosaic Outdoor Clubs of America