A GPS, with a waypoint back, funcitoning, can get you back if your a dropped into nowhere with absolutely no idea where you are.

A compass, and map or knowledge of the area and landmarks can get you back assuming you have some way of knowing "roughly" where you are. This is not as stupid as you think.. for example.. "I know the big highway, river, etc. is 50 km west of me - I can go west and when I hit that I have a known landmark I can follow to get back". A compass and map is absolutely useless if you have no idea at all where you are, or even if you are, on the map. a compass is only useful if you know that "something" is in some direction.

I've been "lost" but never "I have no idea on the planet where I am". my point is that I always know at least at a very high level where I could go to find "something". even if that's a long ways away. OTOH, I run my GPS out of juice all the time when fiddling with it.

So yes, a GPS is definately preferable for the "I have absolutely no idea at all where I am". A GPS is definately preferable for getting back more directly. OTOH, I would contend that "I have no idea where I am at all" - is really not very realistic. You (should) always have "some" idea.. Personally, I count on having that more than I count on my GPS having batteries working..

(having said that, all-canada ibycus Topo on my new etrex 30 is cool as heck..)