[Jonty30]

It’s easy to get lost if you leave the trail, even just by a few feet. It happened to me when I went to Jasper.

I was on a trail and was heading home. I saw the trail below me and thought I could just go through the bush down to it. So I did. I ended up losing sight of both trails. My phone was nearly out of power but it gave me my bearings well enough that I was able to find a trail to get on and get back to my car.

So, I learned to always carry a couple of small power packs onhand if I am not just at home or at work to keep my phone charged.

[Zhang Fei]

It’s easy to get lost if you leave the trail, even just by a [few feet. It happened to me when I went to Jasper.

I was on a trail and was heading home. I saw the trail below me and thought I could just go through the bush down to it. So I did. I ended up losing sight of both trails. My phone was nearly out of power but it gave me my bearings well enough that I was able to find a trail to get on and get back to my car.

So, I learned to always carry a couple of small power packs onhand if I am not just at home or at work to keep my phone charged.]

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No compass?

[Political Junkie Too]

This is what gets to me about cell phones.

They have so many apps on them that people forget the main purpose of one. Most people drain them while streaming music that when they need to make a call the phone is nearly out of power.

Sometimes I yearn for the days of a Walkman so I can keep my music and my phone separate.

-PJ

[nickcarraway]

I haven't been on that exact trails, but other trails in Ventana Wilderness it's is almost impossible to go off trail, because it's steep/impassible on both sides.

I think she was trying to get a view of the waterfall and fell.

[nickcarraway]

I’m a little bit North of there, and we can barely ever go off trail. There is one area of Nisene Marks I remember the trail was confusing and you could go off trail.

[piasa]

What if you stumble and drop your phone?

[curious7]

Might I suggest a suitable compass and a laminated topo map of your area as a backup? Then no matter if the phone hardware fails (or is dropped/lost) or the power fails, you have a way to plot your course in a time of need. Because Murphy’s Law states that a phone failure/loss or power failure will occur at the most inopportune time. I’d make the same suggestion to anyone relying on a dedicated GPS unit, too.