Map folders vs. digital apps on the PCT in 2018

I did a section of the Pacific Crest Trail near Crater Lake back in 2018 and switched from paper maps to an app halfway through. The GPS battery drain was a pain but having real time location saved me from a wrong turn on a snow covered ridge that the paper map didn't show clearly. Anyone else find digital tools better for tricky terrain or do you stick with old school maps?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_cooper6d ago

Oh man, paper maps all the way for that kind of terrain. The GPS battery drain is exactly why I ditched my phone halfway on the JMT last year, almost got stuck after dark with a dead battery and no backup. Those apps make you dependent on something that can fail or break, while a paper map works even if you drop it in a creek or your screen shatters. Plus, studying a physical map before a tricky section gives you a better mental picture of the whole ridge, not just a tiny dot showing where you are.

avery_flores6d ago

@abby_cooper my buddy dropped his phone in a creek near Muir Pass and had to rely on my paper map the whole way.

jenny_lee5d ago

Paper maps and me have a complicated history. @avery_flores I once tried to refold one in the wind and it looked like a frantic game of origami. But yeah, beats panicking over a dead battery for sure.