Debate: Does GPS kill the adventure or keep you safe?

I got into it with this older hiker on the PCT last summer. He said using GPS takes all the risk out of backpacking and ruins the whole point. But I argued it lets me explore more remote routes without getting myself killed. After 3 days of thinking about it, I still can't decide which side is right. Do you guys rely on GPS or stick to paper maps? What changed your mind about it?

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thomas_wright413mo ago

Yeah that guy's got a point about losing some of the spontaneity... but I've been lost in the backcountry with just a paper map before and it wasn't fun. GPS lets me push further into the unknown without worrying about stumbling off a cliff.

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