Just realized my old map method was slowing me down big time

I used to spend 20 minutes at trailheads folding paper maps and plotting waypoints with a compass before every hike. Last June on the Lost Creek Loop in Colorado, I got caught in a sudden storm and had to pull out my phone for the GPS app. Now I download the route on Caltopo before I leave and just follow the line on the screen. Anyone else ditch the paper maps for good, or do you still keep one for backup?

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rodriguez.diana16d ago

Carried a soggy paper map in my chest pocket for years because I thought it made me look like a real hiker. Last time I tried to use it, the ink had smeared into one big blue blob and I ended up walking an extra two miles past a turnoff. Now I just screenshot the Caltopo route and pray my phone battery holds. Still keep a paper map in my pack, but mainly as a fire starter at this point.