A 20 mile loop trail in rough terrain can be a 10+ hour hike, depending on your skill and fitness. If things work out, you’ll be fine with a smartphone, maybe w

A 20 mile loop trail in rough terrain can be a 10+ hour hike, depending on your skill and fitness. If things work out, you’ll be fine with a smartphone, maybe with a powerbank to recharge. If shit hits the fan, you’ll be in trouble. So it depends. Do I need to hike with my smartphone only? Certainly, in places where there’s a significant likelihood of encountering other people. I’m not taking a GPS to the woods out of town. Would I go on a trip somewhere less populated with my smartphone only? No, definitely not. Paper maps make for a great backup, if you know how to navigate in terrain, but many people lack that skill.