4 ms·

"They didn't have phones with them?" I've had to give people paper copies of maps more than once when hiking because their batteries were flat on their phones.

"They didn't have phones with them?" I've had to give people paper copies of maps more than once when hiking because their batteries were flat on their phones. NB I take a phone, an external battery pack and two copies of paper maps. Edit: As an aside, I'm trying to reduce my reliance on digital maps and go back to using paper maps and compass more as I'm sure it reduces awareness of where you are (I've actually made more navigational mistakes using digital maps than when I mostly used paper maps).

flyinghamster 7y ago
A couple of other important advantages to paper maps: you can get a much better "big picture" view, as printed maps have a much higher resolution and can be printed as large as necessary. Zooming out on a digital map comes at the price of reduced detail. Also, if you drop a paper map onto a hard surface, it doesn't break - and even if damaged, a paper map can still be useful.
- arethuza 7y ago
  Having lost a paper map to high winds before I'd add that a waterproof map case with a lanyard to go over your neck can be a good idea!
- deleted 7y ago
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Ididntdothis 7y ago
The same is true when you navigate a city with a paper map. You really learn how everything fits together while with your cell phone you basically don’t learn the city.
DagAgren 7y ago
The further away from base stations you get, the more your phone will have to turn up its transmitting power, and the quicker the battery will drain. Going out into the wilderness will drain your battery quicker than expected.
- lazide 7y ago
  Hint for those who do this regularly - put your phone in airplane mode after you've downloaded offline maps, or use a dedicated GPS device with mapping data. Garmin makes decent models that also have basic sat phone functionality (can text, send emergency notifications, etc.). Also, a good orienteering course will teach you how to actually find your way around, which can come in quite handy.

flyinghamster 7y ago

A couple of other important advantages to paper maps: you can get a much better "big picture" view, as printed maps have a much higher resolution and can be printed as large as necessary. Zooming out on a digital map comes at the price of reduced detail. Also, if you drop a paper map onto a hard surface, it doesn't break - and even if damaged, a paper map can still be useful.

arethuza 7y ago
Having lost a paper map to high winds before I'd add that a waterproof map case with a lanyard to go over your neck can be a good idea!
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

Ididntdothis 7y ago

The same is true when you navigate a city with a paper map. You really learn how everything fits together while with your cell phone you basically don’t learn the city.

DagAgren 7y ago

The further away from base stations you get, the more your phone will have to turn up its transmitting power, and the quicker the battery will drain. Going out into the wilderness will drain your battery quicker than expected.

lazide 7y ago
Hint for those who do this regularly - put your phone in airplane mode after you've downloaded offline maps, or use a dedicated GPS device with mapping data. Garmin makes decent models that also have basic sat phone functionality (can text, send emergency notifications, etc.). Also, a good orienteering course will teach you how to actually find your way around, which can come in quite handy.