Paper Map Advantages?

[bradr]

As an X military land nav school trained infantry soldier I never leave for the field without a map and compass. I learned to navigate some of the nastiest field conditions in the jungles of Panama, Hawaii and some other areas of the world where it is extremely difficult to see land features. I trust my pace count and have confidence in navigating at night if necessary. Purely by habit I still count paces in the field and sometimes catch myself doing it as it is not necessary for general navigation purposes but its old habit. GPS's are amazing and the new software navigation apps such as On x and Basemap are pretty awesome as everything is at your fingertips but technology is technology. As a society we know how dependent we have become on technology and when it fails it's typically at the worst time and can be disastrous. Throwing a map and compass in a pack literally is one of the simplest things you can do, adds literally zero weight and just seems like a no brainer as a backup. Shit happens! Maybe it's the old man in me but I still refuse to head out without a map and compass.

Yes! I agree totally. Land nav with a compass & topo map is a lost skill nowadays. Most people don't know how to properly use them. I'm assuming you spent time in the 25th Infantry?

 

[klampson]

Always bring a paper map and compass with me, along with onXmap/smart phone, and now Garmin 66i. I like redundancy, especially since a lot of my hunts are solo. Learned to navigate and draw maps in college studying geology, no GPS allowed, nor did I have the cash to buy one at the time as the civilian ones were pretty new and expensive.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Interesting range of comments here. Personally, I like a paper map and compass if for nothing else than a foolproof backup. With proper orienteering skills the two are indispensable. Sure, there are times that you are in a position that the map is as useless as the GPS with dead batteries but overall being able to look at the big picture and relate that to your position is invaluable to me.

Spot On ,I always have a map in the pack and a compass around my neck. 〽

 

[WapitiBob]

The only paper map I now use is the WY Gazetteer that helps when driving from an Elk spot to an Antelope spot. If I ever draw AZ I'll have a forest map on the dash but other than that they'll be sitting in the tote at home.

 

[ntodwild]

I'm assuming you spent time in the 25th Infantry?

Yes sir. 4/22 25th ID

 

[bradr]

Yes sir. 4/22 25th ID

1/27th wolfhounds. I remember well the East Range & Kahukus. Never failed to dump rain on us when we went there didn’t it? As miserable as it was at the time, I’ll always treasure the memories!

 

[MITCHMO]

Not sure if this was mentioned but I don’t do well with traditional maps in areas I don’t know well. I tend to always want detail specific to my needs. So I make 11x17 prints from google earth with all my tracks and pins and laminate them. A very handy thing to have and they make cool placemats when your trip is over.

 

[Harrier]

+1 for mytopo.com. I use their maps a lot, even if just as a backup to GPS and Google Maps. Last year I did a three-day solo hunt in the West Texas desert, and the topographic map was a definite help.

 

[WyoDoug]

I keep both paper topo and BLM maps in my pack along with an old fashion compass. I also have GPS on my phone with hunt-x maps and again on a Garmin GPS. I am leary of getting in an area and GPS on both phone and Garmin fail.