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GPS is great and I now use it habitually just driving to and from places. The moving maps and point and pick waypoints on the units that now have them are simply fabulous.
There sure is something that a GPS will do that no map and compass can ever do: Give you an instant location whenever you are lost, no matter if it is night or day, fine weather or foul, no matter city or country, and no matter whether the terrain is featured or featurless.
You can get to where you want to get regardless of conditions.
To do things like this, you have to familiarize yourself with how to transfer your UTM location onto a good map and then figure out the UTM's of points you need find. It's nice if you have figured this out before hand, but if not you can do it in the field. Then the GPS becomes a tremendous tool for navigation, whatever your means of transport.
It is not hard to do this, but you do need to sit down with a good navigation book and familiarize yourself with the processs. It takes a little time, but it is amazing what can be done if you do.
Climb an Ozrk ridge to get back to your car and cannot decide which way to go on the road on top: the GPS will save you a lot of sweat.
Get caught in a good storm near dusk out on the Rain Paramo, soaked to the bone when staying out overnight could mean your end by hypothermia: the GPS will save your life.
No map and compass will help you in those situations.
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