What Are We Using In Canada?

[+ArcticNomad]

While visiting the US for most of last year, I became heavily involved with Geocaching. I really got used to the excellent online database of maps/aerial photos for the US to help with my caching. What I want to know is what are we using in Canada to get accurate topo maps of areas we want to cache in? I have searched for online databases, but there are none that I am aware of. I am assuming that there must be some software available that would help. Maybe we have to lobby the government to start making topo maps available online!!!

[McKenzie Clan]

We have nothing close to what the US has for free.

 

If you want to drop some coin Fugawi, and Oziexplorer seem to be two of the more popular choices.

 

PDOP's page has a good comparasin chart, and several resources for maps listed.

 

http://members.shaw.ca/pdops/

 

Scott

[+Capitalpete]

Try using this http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/topoCanada.jsp

[+Couparangus]

Maybe its just me, but what benefit is there to having topo maps on your GPS?

[+Capitalpete]

 

....uh.... Toys..... you gotta have ALL the toys. AND you have to get them in the cheapest possible manner, and tell everyone else about it. You get to spend hours and hours online bragging about how you got it $10 or $20 cheaper online instead of walking into someplace, trying it out and walking out with it right then. The money saved is well spent on all the time discussing it. LOL

 

Well, really when it comes to mapping, you can just be a "dot" if you do not have the appropriate maps in your GPS. With the mapping, you can be a "dot" on a map.

 

I use them a lot when I am on the water, pretty handy if you want to avoid running into reefs, kelp beds, ripe tides or other hazards. Boats are expensive to fix, I don't want to wreck our boat so I don't want to run into hazards and things. I also want to be able to search for the nearest safe anchorage or shelter when traveling to other places in the boat. GPS units with appropriate charts and maps are very useful for this.

 

I also use them a lot when I am in places that I do not know real well like Vancouver, and am looking for an address and have my iQue give me driving directions to where I want to go.

 

As for TOPO maps, well maybe you are looking for a particular tree, or rock. It seems that everyone is really concerned about getting the TOPO maps before they go out into the wilderness, they seem pretty afraid of getting lost.

 

How the heck did we ever do this stuff before GPS and TOPO maps. My Dad must have been insane taking us out canoeing and backpacking with only a paper map and a compass. We did not even have cell phones back then.

 

It is amazing we survived.

[+Fish]

Maybe its just me, but what benefit is there to having topo maps on your GPS?

The benefit would be that you can see how bad of a heart attack you'll be looking forward too on your way to a cache!

[Team Cache-away]

Perhaps with a good paper topo map you could have a look at the area prior to your arrival, plan an alternate route to the cache and avoid the heart attack all together. As for those that refuse to use paper maps and have a compass with them, and insist that thier battery operated technology will not fail, Good Luck.

Search and Rescue crews are used to having thier lives interrupted. Technology is great, but you better have a back up system.