Criticism from a park ranger made me stop using my GPS for route finding

I used to plan all my hikes on a GPS app and never look at paper maps. Last July at Yosemite, a ranger named Steve saw me staring at my phone and said 'that thing will die and you'll be lost in the dark.' I laughed it off but then my battery dropped to 20% two miles in. Now I carry a paper map and compass every trip and actually practice using them before I hit the trail. Has anyone else had a ranger or old timer give them advice that made them rethink their gear?

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campbell.nora18d ago

Steve's right, a dead battery leaves you screwed but paper gear is no guarantee if you can't read it either.