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Think of a gps as a compliment to a map not instead of a map. A good map will show what kind of road you are looking at as well as how that road relates to everything around it. That will help you tell the difference between the gravel road over the mountain compared to the paved road around it. Or for that matter, the short road with lots of traffic lights instead of the slightly longer freeway.
It helps to have several maps. The map that helps you find your way across the state won't tell you that the road between the small town you are in now and the campground you are heading for is wickedly steep. You need both.
The gps is of the most value when you are on the way. Put your preferred route in and you won't have to look at a map while driving (always a dangerous thing).
And please, take a paper map. As a career natural resources professional who has search and rescue responsibility in the past, you have no idea how many folks I've seen with dead batteries in their gps and no clue where they were or which way to go. A map and compass and the skill to use them can be the difference between life and death for anyone who goes off the beaten track.
As for myself, I carry a gps, a compass and an assortment of maps of varying scales everyday at work, even though I'm in an area I've worked in for years. I may not need them on any particular day but I have them anyway and so do every one of my professional colleagues.
Sorry to preach, but it's something I feel strongly about.
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Hybrid Mode
