Went from paper maps to GPS on trail, then back to paper last month

For like 5 years I was all in on my phone for navigation. I had the apps, the backup battery packs, the whole setup. But last month on the AT near Damascus, I lost signal for 3 hours and my phone died by noon. I had a paper map and compass in my pack as a backup that I hadn't even opened in ages. Felt like an idiot fumbling with it while two guys walked past and pointed me toward the shelter. Now I print out the section maps from the ranger station before every trip and keep them in a ziplock. I still use GPS for tracking distance, but I plan turns with the paper first. Does anyone else carry both and actually use the paper one, or am I just being paranoid now?

2 comments

2 Comments

williams.kim18d ago

Read somewhere that most search and rescue calls start with someone's phone dying or losing service, not with them getting truly lost on purpose. That stuck with me. So yeah, I carry both now too. Paper for the plan, GPS for the what the hell is that turn up ahead. It's not paranoia, it's just backup brain. I even laminated my last map with packing tape because the ziplock fogged up on a wet day. One less thing to stress about when the battery bar is blinking. You're good.

emery_lopez18d ago

Buddy of mine @williams.kim got stranded on a ridge for six hours because his phone died right after he left the trailhead, and the paper map he had was an old one that didn't show the new logging roads. Now he photocopies the map and stuffs it in his chest pocket, no ziplock bullshit, just wet paper if it rains, but at least it doesn't fog up on him.

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