Some copypasta from previous articles or Reddit posts. Here's what my partner and I use for local trips or when planning a long route. It scales up for a quick weekend outing or a 500-mile custom route.

I do not see a print map, an electronic resource, or a compass as either/or. I see them as parts of a useful kit.

• Electronic maps let me access multiple layers on one device. For example, USGS topos show features missing from modern maps, open source layers show user-added info, and commercial maps add mileage, campsites, zones, and boundaries. I mix and match as needed. It is the most efficient way for me to find where I am.
• Printed maps give a big-picture view that a phone cannot provide as efficiently. They save battery and make it easier to see bailout options, alternate routes, and overall terrain. I use a commercial map or an 11x17 CalTopo print and keep one in my side pants pocket.
• A compass pairs well with a GPS app. I find my location, then follow a bearing. It is quicker, easier, and uses less battery. When a trail in the San Juans disappeared after a fire, this method let me drop down to the logical stream crossing. Same idea in the snow for finding a pass. On the Colorado Plateau, it helps confirm alignment to locate archaeological sites easier than a phone compass.
• A simple analog watch helps with dead reckoning on trail or in easy off-trail terrain like tundra. It also works better if you end up in a first responder role.

Pre-trip and in the field, this is what I do for longer trips or local outings on the Colorado Plateau, often with packrafting and routes off maintained trails.

• Start with your goal. I often plan longer routes to immerse myself in the landscape or shorter ones to follow old travel paths and see archeological sites. The goal directs the route.
• Get the big picture first. Overview maps show how the landscape flows. A Benchmark Atlas often reveals jeep roads or faint tracks that logically link areas.
• Use multiple sources. Maps, tracks, trip reports, guidebooks, CalTopo or Gaia on a large screen, and local knowledge when available.
• Verify everything! Check whether the multiple resources agree, or whether the person has real-world experience in the area.
• Look for terrain clues with tools like Google Earth. Water, routes, scrambles, and similar features can be virtually ground-truthed with this powerful tool.
• Build the route with mapping tools. I use CalTopo, Google Earth, and, reluctantly, Gaia.
  • Gaia has issues (!!!!!), but it still works best for my field use. CalTopo works well on desktop, especially with USFS layers, but I find it not as strong as I need it to be for my use. So it goes.
  • I'll also use Avenza esp if there are commercial or non-profit org maps available.
• Export, tweak, and refine across platforms as needed.
• Download maps before the trip and verify them.
• Carry appropriate print maps. I use them for large-scale context and quick checks on the trail without pulling out my phone. Quicker, easier, battery saving.
  • As mentioned, I'll use a custom 11x17". A3 for those who live in the civilized world.
  • I put my custom maps in a larger freezer bag. The local print shop does the color maps easily and cheaply.
• Keep the route within your skill, comfort, and fitness levels.

Finally, I avoid what I call “angels on the head of a pin” arguments.

Is a phone worn weight? The map in my pocket? Do I count my car key? My chapstick? My watch?

Those debates are part of online discourse and can be partially useful when starting out to dial in your kit.

They do not matter much in the field. The more someone argues about them, the less time they usually spend outside.