For sure, a garmin gps would help. They're not 100% though. I have a property in the mountains with jungle and there were steep drops that did not show up on my topographic map. I imagine someone could easily die if they didn't pay attention.

Also, slipping and falling is a serious risk during the wet season, even on well known paths.

Surely lidar would be valuable, given how it has already proven its effectiveness for archaeology in this region

How is this a response to that comment? What does LiDAR have to do with hikers using a GPS?

More precise topographic charts, I guess.

> there were steep drops that did not show up on my topographic map

GPS often fails in dense cities with tall buildings. Also in mountainous areas with sharp terrain like the Julian Alps.

I imagine a dense jungle could pose similar challenges. If nothing else, a gps won’t help if you can’t find a route to where it’s telling you to go because the jungle/river/valley is impassable.

GPS can tell you exactly where you are, and nothing more. It can’t tell anyone else where you are, it can’t teach you to read a map if you don’t have the skills. It can’t tell you the best route through dense jungle terrain if you don’t have the skillset.

But it should be able to point you back to the hiking path, or retrace your steps backwards, as long as it's connected to mapping app.