Ron Wallenfang wrote:
I've been wondering if I should get a GPS system for use on my more or
less annual long rides.

I've been using a Garmin eMap for almost 10 years now on both day
rides (in lieu of a cyclometer) and tours. It's been discontinued for
quite a few years now, but there are plenty of good units available.
When touring it's been very useful in locating grocery stores,
libraries (good for finding local information), and motels. The maps
have been much less useful for campgrounds (the public, NFS-type that
I favor are usually not listed, and instead many unsuitable places are
listed - sports 'camps', bible-study 'camps', etc.). The Garmin maps
include phone numbers, so if you carry a cellphone you can call ahead
to motels/etc. and verify availability and confirm that they're open.
Of course the map and business data does get dated sometimes, but I
haven't found it to be much of a problem, especially in the smaller
towns frequently visited while bike touring.

Main drawback compared to a regular cyclometer is battery life. Mine
runs on AA cells and when touring I can usually get 2-3 days of use
per pair of rechargeable NiMH cells. So for touring I carry enough to
last a week and beyond that carry a small charger to use in motels or
even while eating a meal in a restaurant (get a fairly fast charger to
make this feasible).