Hot take: I used to think GPS route planning apps were overrated

For years I swore by paper maps and handwritten notes for my trips. Then I did a 6 day solo hike on the Long Trail in Vermont last September and got caught in fog so thick I couldn't see 20 feet ahead. My phone's GPS kept me on track when every landmark was invisible. I still carry a paper backup but I finally get why people rely on digital tools in certain conditions. Anyone else have a moment where tech saved your hike when you least expected it?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_brown109d ago

It's funny how that works... I've noticed this same thing with people who insist on doing everything the "old school" way until they hit a wall. My dad was the same with smartphones, swore they were a waste until he got lost driving through some backroads in Maine and had to call me to pull up Google Maps for him. Sometimes you just need that one moment where the modern tool proves itself, then suddenly it's not a crutch anymore it's just common sense.

shanem378d ago

It's like that for everything though, not just technology. People dig in their heels on some old habit or tool because they know how to use it and it feels safe. Then one good crisis comes along and shows them the better way was right there the whole time. I've seen it happen with everything from using cash to clipping coupons from the newspaper. Once they see the new way actually work, they switch and never look back.