Just out of curiosity, are you full digital do you still buy map often ?.
They always gave them away for free, so I guess never?
The last summer before the “brexit” I went to scotland, one of the classic hike there is going atop the Ben nevis mountain. Even though in summer it’s not a complicated hike, I still bought a paper map to not be yet another tourist lost in the mist, I have a limited trust in mobile phone map in outdoor activity, especially when the weather isn’t optimal.
Question was triggered as I stumbled open that map when sorting some stuff on my bookshelves.
I just bought one for a backpacking trip this summer. I consider it a required backup for long hikes taking me far away from help and cell coverage.
False dichotomy: I’ll still happily grab a paper map to this day if given the option, but I’ve never paid for one.
Every paper map I’ve ever used has been either a state highway map given for free at the state welcome center on the side of the freeway, or a state/national park hiking trail map given for free at the visitor center or ranger station.
I don’t typically ever have to Buy maps. But whenever I’m touring a new place paper maps are awesome. Especially for cities. I learned basically all of Paris and Barcelona that way. Granted I also had to walk everywhere.
Corsica trip with my wife, 2019. A paper map doesn’t need batteries, it’s big, you can annotate it easily. Plus it has that fresh-off-the-press scent 👌
Also IGN (Institut géographique national) maps are amazing
Are these anything special ? I mean, are they road maps with elevation, or something else ?
They are very precise, cover the whole french territory, are all in the same format, follow the same standards and the paper maps are not too expensive. There are topographical maps at a 1:25000 scale, and roadmaps at a 1:250000 scale. And these paper maps are as sturdy as they can be, my dad has been rocking some of them for almost his entire life.
I guess I just get too excited about state funded institutions that provide good service to the public and still exist in 2024. Them paper maps can really be a lifesaver when you’re hiking in the more remote parts of France though
NY 2014. I bought one of those books with paper maps because I was going to visit and my phone would not work. It was great because it explained their subway system but my phone did work at the end lol
somewhere around 2012. I wanted to have something on my wall as a teen.
I like the infinite battery life, massive fold out screen size, and great daytime contrast ratio and glare filter. regularly for hiking.
I’m such a screen addict that I once pinched-to-zoom a paper map.
If you move your head forward at the same time, it works !
I moved to a new town and I wanted to get an overall view without zooming in and out and scrolling, just a more natural overview.
Last time I moved. Went to the mass transit agency and got maps of every neighbourghood I need it go or pass through. I was lucky to find one with my neighbourghood as well as my office. I keep it this me always in my pocket.
It works offline, never bugs or slows down and the interface never have a glitch. And if I want to, I can still use the GPS that’s in my phone. It’s not like I lost the option bc I have a paper map.They are free though…
Hiking.
I use digital when my life doesn’t depend on it.
Edit: bought it last month.
Not me per se but rather my father. For our third (and up to this day latest) roadtrip to Las Vegas in 2014. My parents were still not very smartphone-savy and I wouldn’t have my first until a year later. That time we really did a lot of roaming around the city beyond just the Boulevard and surroundings.
Do decorative video games maps count?