My map got soaked and turned to mush on the Lost Coast Trail last fall.

I was near Shelter Cove when a sudden wave soaked my pack, leaving me with just a phone that had no signal, so I had to backtrack using trail markers for two miles to a ranger station. Anyone else have a good backup plan for when your main navigation fails?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_campbell21d ago

What about a waterproof map case? I always keep my paper map in one now after my compass broke on a rainy hike and I got totally turned around.

theagibson21d ago

Waterproof cases just add another thing to fuss with... I've seen maps get fogged up inside them anyway. Grace_Campbell, your compass breaking was the real problem, not the map getting wet. A soaked paper map is still readable if you're careful, but a broken tool leaves you with nothing. I'd rather put that money toward a better compass that won't fail in the rain. Sometimes more gear just means more points of failure.

susan_wright3421d ago

Ever think about just laminating the map instead? Less bulk than a case and no fogging issues. Theagibson has a point about gear failing, but a laminated map is cheap insurance.