Paperback maps beat my GPS on a rainy stretch of the AT in Virginia

Last month I hiked a 40 mile section near Roanoke and my phone died on day two. The rain got into my battery pack, so I had no navigation app and the trail markers were sparse through the rhododendron tunnels. I remembered an old trick my uncle used: I carried a waterproof paper map and a small compass as backup. Pulling it out felt absurd at first, but I could trace the ridgelines and creek crossings faster than any app load. Turns out the map had better detail on the side trails and shelter distances than the digital version I used at home. Now I always throw a paper map in my hip belt pocket, it weighs under 3 ounces. Has anyone else ditched the phone for paper on a tricky route, or is this just old-school stubbornness?

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masonm709d ago

Three ounces for a full map of a section like that? That's insane, I figured a proper waterproof one would weigh way more.