Well, I tend not to hike alone. One of my buddies will occasionally go out on his own, but he lets people know where he's going, and when he should be back. As far as being stuck without the use of all our fancy equipment, one of the things I learned in a SAR class a few years ago was to figure out a back azimuth before you went off the trail/road/base/whatever. Figure out a direction to head in, such that no matter where you start from, you will hit something like a road or a clearing, or some other identifying landmark. So given the scenario of having the gps failing, and realizing some time later that I was lost, I would use my back azimuth. If my compass was lost or broken, I'd use my analog watch as a compas. There are still a few more direction finding techniques i could use. If all else failed, I'd stay put.

As far as Mr. Ralston is concerned, had he left a proper plan with the instructions to start looking if he didn't get back in time, he wouldn't have had to cut his arm off. What he did is truly a testament to the will to live, but it is also a testament to stupidity. What have I learned from him? Just telling some of your friends that you're going camping for the weekend isn't good enough. you need to tell them to start looking if you aren't back by monday. Or better yet, leave a plan with a ranger. What else did I learn? To not trust rocks, no matter how big and imovable they may seem, but then again, I don't really hike in loose bolder canyons, but it is still a good idea to check any kind of footing or hand hold before you put your weight on it.

-Chris