Remember when we used to print out directions from MapQuest before a road trip

I was driving through Utah last month and my phone died right outside of Moab. No backup charger, no paper map. Had to pull over and wait 20 minutes for it to reboot. Made me think about how I used to always print out those MapQuest directions with the little step by step list and keep a paper atlas under the seat. Now I just assume my phone will work everywhere. It usually does but when it doesn't, man you feel dumb. Anyone else keep any old school backup stuff in their car just in case?

3 comments

3 Comments

tarar2726d ago

My buddy actually told me a story about this - he drives through Nevada for work and his GPS signal cut out in some canyon near Ely last fall. He ended up driving like 30 miles the wrong way before he found a gas station with a paper map. I still keep a folded state map from AAA in my glovebox, the one that shows all the little backroads and scenic routes. It's kind of dusty but it's there. Plus I learned that trick where you can use your phone's offline maps feature (you know, download the area beforehand) which saves me sometimes when I'm in a dead zone.

the_sam26d ago

Tarar27 I am that guy who still has a dusty atlas under the seat right next to an old bag of chips.

christopher_sullivan21d ago

30 miles the wrong way through Nevada? That's brutal. GPS dying at the worst possible moment scares the hell out of me. Offline maps are smart but that atlas still wins for reliability.