It's true that the GPS can use a fair amount of juice. For training hikes of a few hours I am OK with this as I like the info provided. Also, some of the tracking apps allow one to determine how often a point is tracked. Less tracking means less GPS so less battery usage but also less info provided.

When hiking the Florida Trail I only used the app to check where I was when needed (or simply wanted). I did not leave it on. A hike of several hours would usually have fewer than 10 minutes of app use.

That said, in addition to an app I always had a paper map and simple magnetic compass and knowledge of how to use them. I also had familiarized myself with the area I was hiking so I could find my way out without the map, compass, or app. I believe that in the continental US one is seldom more than a few miles from a road.