I don't think there's any special reason. They are an expensive technology purchase. You can get cheap ones, but that's still £80 which is a lot of money for survival equipment if you don't have the preparedness mindset. I'm guessing this guy didn't carry a $100 torch, a $200 knife etc.

And if you spend a little more you can get one that talks to a computer and lets you upload and download trails, created or displayed via a mapping program on the PC. More money gets you one that can display the map in the unit itself. More money gets you one that can auto-route. Add in the maps themselves, a colour screen and other bells and whistles and you are talking quite serious money. And you have to figure that in 12 months there will be a better model. I've wanted a GPS for years but I wanted one that could talk to my phone via Bluetooth. I eventually caved and bought a normal hand-held because I figured now my phone would never be supported. It's a hard purchase decision. It's complex.

I doubt it has anything to do with not asking for directions. That's a social thing; GPS is not a human so using one doesn't have the same stigma. There may be a feeling that it's a lot of money for something you should be able to do with map and compass alone, but even that's a minority. Most normal people just don't think they are in danger. This guy could have carried a proper signal mirror, water, and left a note saying where he was going. He could have had a map and compass. A compass doesn't get a flat battery when you need it most.