Back when I used a paper map on the JMT versus now with Gaia GPS

I hiked the John Muir Trail back in 2017 with nothing but a folded paper map and a tiny compass. Every night I'd sit there with a headlamp trying to figure out where I camped and how far I'd go the next day. It worked fine but I made a few wrong turns, especially around Evolution Valley where the trail splits. Last summer I did it again with Gaia GPS on my phone in airplane mode with the whole route downloaded ahead of time. I could see my exact location anytime I wanted and it made navigating those confusing lake basins way easier. The downside is my phone battery died on day 5 near Muir Pass and I had to dig that old paper map out of my pack anyway. Anyone else find themselves relying too much on apps and then getting caught out when the tech fails?

3 comments

3 Comments

jasonallen12d ago

Did you at least have a solar panel or were you just living dangerously? I ran the same gauntlet on the PCT with my phone mapping everything out until I dropped it in a creek near Burney Falls. Paper map and a sharpie worked amazing for the next 20 miles, but my handwriting looked like a drunk spider had a seizure on the page. Guess the real trick is to bring both and just accept that your pack is going to weigh an extra pound.

spencer_park2612d agoTop Commenter

Feel you man, water and phones are a brutal combo on trail.

mia70011d ago

Nah, paper maps never need charging. Phones are a backup, not the main deal.