: Can a handheld GPS eliminate the need for a compass? What are it`s
: shortcomings?

There are two key differences between a GPS and a compass that need to be considered.

1. A GPS can tell you where you are and what directions you are moving in. A compass tells you what direction you are facing, which on land is usually the same as the direction you are moving but on water, with wind and currents, rarely is.

2. A GPS relies on battery power and being waterproofed. Compromise either one of these and its worthless. Most compasses do not require electricity and retain their waterproofedness through anything short of an attack by a hammer.

A GPS is a more powerful, through less reliable navigation tool than a compass. I've thought seriously about carrying a spare GPS as a backup, but a $10 compass and a waterproof chart take up next to no space, weight about nothing and most of the time are enough to get you home safely. The one circumstance where a GPS is clearly superior to a compass is when you have to navigate without visual landmarks, as at night or in the fog. In those cases a compass MAY get you close to where you want to go; a GPS's performance will be undiminished.

It would be dumb to own both a GPS and a compass and not carry both.