GPS Routing Vs. Tracking

A dear friend sent this screenshot to me.

It is important to understand the difference between using GPS to ASSIST with navigation, but not TAKE OVER your navigation. I almost never use routing (and NEVER in the backcountry), but rather stay on the map screen to keep my planned track visible. Then I make my own routing decisions based on what the roads, trails, terrain, and general risk potential looks like. If I need to deviate from the route I originally had in mind, it is because I made the decision, not a set of algorithms computing and plotting my route for me from thousands of miles away from the real-life situation I am in. I have had countless times when this approach has worked well for me, when a GPS routing technique may well have ended in disaster.

If you don't understand the difference between GPS routing and tracking, I would be happy to help with that. That knowledge could actually save your life.