Pro tip: I stopped planning my routes on paper maps and switched to a phone app, and it saved my butt on the Eagle Rock Loop last month

River Davis · 2026-10-11T11:35:04.501975+00:00

For 12 years I planned every trip with paper maps and a highlighter, marking water sources and campsites the night before. Last month on the Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas my buddy kept saying just download the offline map, so I did it 20 minutes before we started. When we hit a washed out trail crossing on day 2, the app rerouted us in like 30 seconds while my soggy paper map was useless. Now I still carry a paper backup but I do all my planning in the app first. Anyone else made this switch, and do you trust the app's mileage or do you still double check?

Free To Speak

Loading…

Pro tip: I stopped planning my routes on paper maps and switched to a phone app, and it saved my butt on the Eagle Rock Loop last month | Backpacking Routes - Free To Speak