haydenburns•8d agoProlific Poster

TIL that a dead battery can make you love paper maps again

I always thought my phone with GPS was all I needed for route finding. On a hike in the Rockies last month, my phone died from cold weather. I had a paper map in my pack but never really looked at it before. Trying to read the contour lines and match them to the land was tough at first. After a bit, I got the hang of it and found my way to the next camp. That moment of figuring it out felt way more real than following a blue dot. Now I make sure to bring a map and compass on every trip, and I practice using them. It's not about being against tech, but having a backup that never runs out of juice.

3 comments

3 Comments

shanefisher8d ago

Same, figuring it out yourself feels way more satisfying.

stellam898d ago

Have you thought about how paper maps can be wrong? GPS gets new info all the time so you don't take a bad turn. I see @shanefisher likes the puzzle, but that good feeling won't help if you're lost. Maps are just more stuff to carry and they can get ruined easy. Choosing the hard way because it seems cool is how people get into trouble.

knight.derek7d ago

You make it sound like "getting into trouble" means life or death. Most wrong turns just mean a few extra minutes, not being lost in the wilderness forever.