Inside the Google Maps app, you can also download sections of the map to 
your phone, and they will then work in areas without cell service.  In 
the Apple version, click the three-bar menu icon at the left of the 
search bar, then click on "Your places" and scroll to the bottom of the 
list to save a new map.

     -- jacob

> I recently bought a great paper map of the Lake Tahoe Basin.  Next to the key, it has a few paragraphs explaining the latest offering from the map company, download the map on your smart phone and use it  to locate your position in the backcountry.  It does not require wifi or cell coverage, just turn on the locator function on your phone.  Great idea I thought.  There is an annual fee of course, and the challenge of downloading and getting it to work.  Neither my wife or myself could master the process in several hours of trying.  She is very good at this stuff.  I am not.  I think too much and too differently from the people who write apps.  Many reviews of the product say it is too difficult to use.
>
> Idea.  Why not just use the google maps app?  So i did and i recommend it.  It is idiot simple, can be pinned with your location, shows true north, and another arrow for the direction you point it, plus names and positions of nearby peaks, and even lifts and ski and hiking trails.  The display can be expanded and shrunk.  No bells and whistles but nothing complex to screw up either.  In any real backcountry emergency fear is going to hinder clear thinking and remembering directions.  I tried it on a hike in Carson Pass, CA last month.  Worked great.  The area is near tree line and in open areas it was easy to line up the map with the peaks I know by sight. I returned to the area last week, following an 18" dump.  When the conifers, covered with snow, you cant see 50 yards; the look of the area changes totally.  I can't locate the trails by sight.  But with this app I knew where I was in moments.  I take a minimalist approach to outdoor recreation.  I'd rather trust my wits a!
>   nd experience than rely on electronic devices.  But I'm going to be carrying my cell phone and google map app from now on.
>
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