Pro tip: a cheap plastic compass saved my day on the Lost Coast Trail

I spent about $12 on a basic Silva compass before heading out to the Lost Coast in California last month. My phone's GPS died after the first day when it got wet in my pack. That little plastic compass and a paper map got me through two full days of fog so thick I couldn't see the ocean. I know it seems old school, but it's the best money I've spent on gear in a long time. What other low cost backup tools do you guys carry that have actually helped?

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3 Comments

lane.morgan7mo ago

Exactly. We're forgetting basic tools.

2

rayc896mo ago

Forgetting basic tools" is the real problem here. William407 has a point about tech being good, but that doesn't make the old skills useless. It's about having a backup that doesn't need a battery.

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william4077mo ago

Old school" is right, and not in a good way. Carrying a paper map and compass is just extra weight for most people. If your phone dies from a little water, you bought the wrong phone or a bad case. A decent power bank is a better backup than learning to use a compass you'll probably read wrong anyway.

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