Disagreed with my hiking group about ditching the paper map for good, got caught in a rainstorm

I was on a group hike at Mount San Jacinto last Saturday and everyone was pulling out their phones for navigation. I said we should keep using the paper map too because batteries die and service drops. They all laughed at me saying I was overthinking it. Two hours in, a sudden rainstorm hit and every single phone screen was useless with wet fingers and foggy lenses. I pulled out my laminated map from my jacket pocket and led us back to the trailhead without any issues. Nobody laughed after that. Has anyone else dealt with people acting like paper maps are obsolete?

2 comments

2 Comments

kaip1128d ago

Hate to say I told you so but man that is exactly why I always bring a laminated backup. Phones are great until they aren't, especially in wet weather.

willow_martin27d ago

Double down on that waterproof idea too. I keep a couple of cheap dry bags in my hiking pack for both my phone and a backup power bank. Even a ziplock bag can work in a pinch if you seal it right. I've seen too many people lose a phone to a sudden downpour or a splash from a puddle. Makes you wonder why phone companies don't just make them all waterproof by default at this point, right?