Spent $40 on a printed map set for the Wind River Range and it was worth every penny

I was doing a 5-day loop near Cirque of the Towers last summer and my phone died on day two. The paper maps from Beartooth Publishing had all the off-trail passes and water sources clearly marked, which saved me a huge headache. Has anyone else had a similar experience with a specific map brand on a long trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

joelt701mo ago

Yeah Beartooth maps are solid, but I gotta say Green Trails has them beat for detail on those off trail routes. Their contour lines are just way easier to read when you're actually out there. Ended up using both on my last trip and the GT one was my go-to.

patriciah511mo ago

Agree with you completely on the contour lines. Green Trails just has that extra clarity that makes a difference when you're trying to judge a slope from a distance. I've tried Beartooth a few times and they're fine for general use, but the detail on GT for off trail stuff is totally worth the extra weight in my pack. Actually picked up a couple more of their maps for areas I rarely hit because of how much easier they made navigation on a recent solo trip. They just get the little things right, like marking seasonal streams that actually exist when you need water.

gavin6921mo ago

Man, that's a great point about the phone dying. It really makes you think. I was totally in the digital camp for years, just using apps, but a sketchy creek crossing wrecked my backup battery once. Had to bust out a paper map I'd packed as a joke. It was a Green Trails one, actually, and like joelt70 said, those contour lines are no joke when you're tired and need to pick a route. Totally changed my mind on always trusting electronics. Now I always have a good paper map, even on short trips.