Originally Posted By: gulliamo
Why not get a decent smart phone + app?

I use a Samsung Galaxy S10 and Backcountry Navigator Pro. It works 10x better than any dedicated device I've ever used.

(I also have a SPOT I activate very occasionally when I go waaayyy off grid for a really long time.)



I have a phone with Gaia installed although I haven't messed with the software much. My main issue is that my Android has a sealed battery; the phone is fairly new so the life is pretty good but it's not uncommon for an app running in the background to deplete the battery in short order. The beauty of the GPS is that it uses AA or AAA that I can easily replace in the field. So if you rely on a phone when the phone battery dies you've lost everything- comms and nav.





Originally Posted By: hikermor
Staunch traditionalist speaking up. GPS devices definitely have their place, and they are very helpful, f not essential, but the good old USGS 1:24,000 quad maps should be available for any serious enterprise - the paper versions, that is. Best if they are waterproofed and full size. That way you can slice off the blank margins for use as fire starter. Try that with your InReach!

You don't want to know how I learned this......


Yeah, I have paper maps and a compass. Just looking for a bit more capability and some redundancy/backup.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman