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A ranger in Shenandoah asked why I carry 2 paper maps and I haven't stopped thinking about it
I ran into a backcountry ranger near the Byrd Visitor Center two weeks ago while I was resting on a 22 mile loop through the park. She pointed at my hip belt where I keep a folded paper map AND a backup one in a zip pouch, and asked me straight up: 'What happens when both of those get soaked in a creek crossing?' I laughed it off, but then she pulled out her own map, which was laminated and covered in packing tape, and said hers has lasted 6 seasons on the Appalachian Trail. I started thinking about how many people I know (including me) plan routes on an app, print nothing, and then panic when a phone dies on day 3 of a 4 day trip. Now I'm wondering if my whole 'paper is the real backup' thing is just as fragile as a phone if I'm not waterproofing it. Has anyone actually wrecked a map mid-route, and what did you do to finish the trail?
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jessica84126d ago
Tbh a map that melts into paper pulp in your pocket is basically just a phone with extra steps. Ranger out there with packing tape winning the gear war while the rest of us feel prepared with soggy confetti. Next trip I'm laminating everything, including my snacks.
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charliestone26d ago
Man, this takes me back to a soggy trip I did years ago where my buddy swore by his fancy waterproof map case and it still leaked like a sieve. Halfway through the hike he was reading a blurry blob while I just used the trail signs and my own two eyes. Sometimes the low tech move is just paying attention.
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