Paper Maps vs Navigation Apps for Remote Trips

Your map app shows a grey grid and a spinning wheel. The blue dot may still be moving, but the roads have vanished. That's the usual way a phone map fails far from town.

Why the dot works but the map doesn't

Two separate things are happening. Your position comes from satellites. GPS "does not require the user to transmit any data, and operates independently of any telephone or Internet reception".¹ So the dot can keep tracking you with no bars at all.

The picture under the dot is a different matter. Google Maps can keep a saved area on the phone for offline use.² Skip that step before you leave coverage? Then don't count on the map drawing itself, however good your signal looked at the trailhead.

What a saved phone map still can't do

Even with a saved area, there are limits. Google says offline maps can guide you "as long as the entire route is within the offline map".² Check that your whole route fits inside the saved area.

It also says that if you're offline when you drive, you can't get traffic info or alternate routes.² So when a track is blocked, the app won't suggest another way. You'll need to find one yourself.

GPS has its own limit. It works anywhere on or near the Earth "where signal quality permits".¹ So don't treat the blue dot as a promise. The page on how GPS works without a signal explains why.

What a paper map gives you

A topographic map shows the shape of the land with contour lines. These maps are often called "topo maps" for short.³ Topographic maps have recreational uses such as hiking and orienteering.³

Paper has a practical edge. You can spread it out and see the whole area at once. A phone shows you a small window and makes you scroll.

It also has weak points. A map can be out of date, and you have to know how to read it. The symbols are usually explained in the margin of the map, so look there first.³ The basics of contour lines and symbols take an evening to learn.

Which one should you rely on?

Neither, on its own. Think of them as two tools that cover each other's gaps.

• Phone app: shows your live position, and can guide you offline if the entire route is inside the area you saved first.
• Paper map: shows a wide area and doesn't depend on a signal, but it won't show where you are unless you work that out.
• Compass: gives you a direction when the screen is dead or the map is confusing. See compass basics for drivers.

A sensible kit has a saved offline map on the phone and a paper map of the same area. Add a compass. Then if one fails, you've got another way to keep your bearings, and you won't be stuck guessing at a junction with nothing to check against.

Before you leave

Save the offline area while you still have Wi-Fi. The steps are in how to download offline maps before you go. Check the saved area covers every road you might use, including detours.

Study the paper map at home. Don't meet it for the first time at a fork in the track, with the light going. Find your starting point, your planned route and a road or two you could use to get out. Tell someone at home where you're headed.

Some places also limit which roads or tracks you can use. Check the land manager's own site for current rules before you go.