Originally posted 2017-04-02 18:20:25.
Navigation in your local city or state doesn’t seem like all that big a deal to most of us. Why, we have our little devices in our pockets that have more computing power than the Apollo moon mission’s computers! What’s the problem? Just flick on your phone, go to your maps application, and you’re all set with voice commanded navigation. Awesome right? Absolutely, until your phone fails you. This is where a road atlas can become incredibly important.
Cell phones have certainly made great leaps in their connectivity and ever expanding service areas, but still today there are lots of places just in the US that do not get reliable (or any) cell service. Of course, that’s only if your cell phone has power or hasn’t been dropped off a cliff or broken on a rock or stolen or… you get the idea.
That, my friends, is where the humble road atlas comes into play. Back in the day, these babies were in the backseat of almost every traveler’s car, and although items like the TomTom relegated the road atlas to dingy corners of gas stations and book shops. I, however, will make a stand for the trusty road atlas! I think it’s vitally important to anyone preparing for disasters or a grid down event to consider keeping a couple in their supplies.
What are the advantages to having a road atlas? Well, they work in places your phone won’t. For example, in the mountains of my home state there are vast swaths of land that simply do not get cell coverage. You take a wrong turn and suddenly, you’re very, very lost. A road atlas can help you in this situation while your cell phone has basically become a very expensive paper weight. Secondly, the road atlas doesn’t need to be charged, and some of them are laminated so you don’t have to worry about them getting soaked in a storm. Personally, I prefer the larger binded atlases to the folding maps that are commonly available in gas stations. The folding maps can work in a pinch, but they are a royal pain in the ass to try to fold back up the way they were originally packaged, and they are more prone to wearing out and getting torn. The larger road atlas contains a lot more information, and you can find ones for your specific state all the way up to atlases that cover the entire North American Continent.
So, I hope this little article is some food for thought, and that you will consider adding a reliable road atlas to your survival stockpiles.
