[tentcamper]

We have used GPS's since about 2002. I'm very good with maps but find them nice when driving.

I away plan my route ahead of time and review the gps route. Many times the gps does not have the best route. I truly love the traffic avoidance feature.

Many of times we will use the garmin and google maps on the cell phone and get difference directions. Google maps about 90% of the time has the better route and beter traffic avoidance.

Camping there has been many times when we leave a CS to head out and we can not load google maps because of service and the garmin works.

About 2x yearly I download new maps on my garmin. But any road changes are not made to garmin for about 6 months after the construction is completed. We have driven across garmin's virtual fields and across rivers without bridges.

Back when you had to pay for map updates: One trip with about 5 year old gps maps, we traveled about 50 miles through gps fields.

I love google maps on my cell phone for new bike rides, using the bike route feature. I do a lot of 20 to 70 mile bike rides and when riding new routes it finds the low usage roads, trails and the hidden rail-to-trail bike paths with step-by-step directions. These trails and bike paths have poor signs and can have many path intersection without signs. Without the gps these trails and bike paths can be a challenge to navigate and the next thing you know your on a busy 4+ lane. And with people texting they don't see how fast they are closing in on a bicycle.