Variation East, Magnetic Least.......
Well I agree with your sentiment mike_ie, but I, for one, love maps.
There is nothing like getting a bunch of 1:100,000 maps and planning out your journey. Marking it with pencil and noting, on route, how the road has diverged from that on the chart. (I have noted numerous changes in Vic High Country which can amount to 200m off track error - often you go for a walk and you can find the long since overgrown original track).
But I'm still "old school", I love:
- getting out the compasss and laying down on the bonnet with your map - only to remember the vehicle has a nasty effect on compasses.
- Driving on the compass
- Looking at where the sun is, orienting myself as you drive by the shadows,
- watching where the sun sets and comparing that to west and the time of year.
- learning how to measure your distance travelled by reference to eastings.
To me it's all about the experience and my way of "having fun" in the bush.
GPS are good and so is driving a Disco4, but I like to have the navigating in my head and the gearstick in my hand!