Out there on the highway obviously they're less useful than a good map and even off-road in these places, 99% of travellers follow clearly-defined tracks marked on maps and even a route description; GPS is just a positioning aid.
We all managed fine in the pre-GPS era (the odometre was very important) but these days - AQ-M etc notwithstanding - we are able to be more adventurous off piste with the back up of GPS alongside maps.
In remote areas of UnTomTomed/UnOlaffed countries like Mauri and Mali you need to relate your position to a precise point on a map or GPS'ed route description and then act accordingly. In this way GPS helps eliminate the element of doubt and is these days also used as a very effective 'address' for a hard-to-find place like a consulate, campsite or rock art site. They can save time.
IMO a good paper map and a bit of nous is always far more useful. There are excellent paper or CD maps of Mauri and Mali too, right down to 200k scale.
Ch
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