athol49 It’s years since I last actually used a paper map and Iv’e forgotten how to use Northings/Eastings. Alot of people have probably never used a paper map as they use the maps on their smartphone and a Satnav to get from A to B.
I have to say this news upsets me quite a bit, personally. I know that digital navigation is usually more convenient (At least if you’re used to accessing everything through your phone) but putting aside the arguable benefits of paper-based navigation over digital^, it’s always wise to keep your hand in with paper-based navigation for those times when digital navigation will invariably let you down. 🗺️ 🧭 👍️
(^ - Paper maps don’t require a battery or network signal, are usually a lot more tolerant of poor weather, and are less likely to be stolen by seemingly “helpful” people when you’re lost in a place you don’t know that well.)
I’ve often wondered if there’ll come a day when digital navigation gets completely knocked-out by either an ecological catastrophe or a malicious attack (Both quite plausible) and what that’d do to the world if/when it happens. People suddenly finding themselves unable to navigate using their phones might seem like a relatively minor thing at first, but the implications of this on essential services - Ambulance and Fire Brigade as well as many others - Don’t bear thinking about, as does the increasing amounts of safety-critical tech that’s relying on it as well. 🤯
Personally, I recommend learning how to find and navigate using paper maps first, and using the phone as a backup. This is easiest on established transport networks (Railway and Metro systems, and using road atlases) and once you’ve got that under your belt more complicated map-based navigation (Like that used in Orienteering) becomes considerably easier. In any case, it’s a darned handy skill to have! 😇
+++ 🚄 ThunderDragon 🤘 +++
