New To Topographical Maps

[cachegirl20]

Can someone help me make sense of the use for topographical maps? I understand that I need them in order to have an idea of the terrain, topography, trails, etc. when hiking.

 

Maybe this is a stupid question, but if the software is on my PC, how does that help me if I am 30 miles from my house and decide to go on a hunt? Logistically, how does one get prepared for this? (I have a Venture, which means I don't think I can use Mapsource and a Sony Clie, which I use Cachemate on). Are topographical maps really only used by people with wireless internet access?

 

I feel like such a loser, but researching and reading isn't getting me anywhere but confused.

 

Thanks.

[+tirediron]

This is a huge topic, and probably requires more space than we can give it, but essentially, topographic maps allow you to "see" the terrain profile on a flat, paper map. As for taking them with you, you can either print them out and carry a paper copy, get the MapSource Topo to upload to your GPSr, or get a third-patry application such as Fugawi which will let load the maps onto your PDA.

[cachegirl20]

OK, that helps. Thanks. You're right, this is such a huge topic, and of course it differs from person to person.

 

I know there are tons of software options out there. I really like what Fugawi looks like so far. But I guess I was more interested in how people "prepare" with their maps. You must know ahead of time where you are going, so that you can either print out that map or have it on your PDA, right?

Edited May 17, 2004 by cachegirl20

[+tirediron]

Okay, as for prep, what I do is download my .GPX file, and use GPSBabel to turn it into a file that Fugawi can read. I then plot the 'cache location on the topo map that I have loaded into Fugawi (I use etopo but there are tons of choices) and then decide what is the best route to get from here to there. It allows me to see where there may be difficulties and problems.

 

On case that comes to mind which occurred before I got my topo was where I bushwhyacked for over two and a half hours up the side of a mountain to get to the cache (which was a DNF ) and it turned out that there was a trail on the other side where I could have parked, and had a nice short walk to the cache area. A quick look at a topo map before hand would have saved all that.

 

If I am going after several 'caches in one day, I will either print the maps out (If I am at work... ) or if I don't have access to a good colour printer, I will upload the Fugawi maps sections into my PDA... hope this helps, and BTW, Welcome, and enjoy!

[cachegirl20]

On case that comes to mind which occurred before I got my topo was where I bushwhyacked for over two and a half hours up the side of a mountain  to get to the cache (which was a DNF  ) and it turned out that there was a trail on the other side where I could have parked, and had a nice short walk to the cache area.  A quick look at a topo map before hand would have saved all that.

Exactly the situation that I am finding myself in! That's why I knew I needed the maps, but couldn't figure out the logistics of whether to print them out or figure out an electronic way to do it. I can see now that people can print the maps out if they are planning on doing a few hunts in one day.

 

Thanks!

 

PS, if anyone else wants to chime in with ideas, feel free.

[+nfa]

Hi,

 

I use the Topozone.com link provided on gc.com cache listing pages (right next to the small map on the cache page). simply click on the Topozon.com link, and your browser will open a new page with a topo map that has a red mark where the cache should be.

 

You can resize the map (it opens to small, and I always resize to large), and alter the scale (I often set the scale to 1:50,000 or more so that I can see what is around the cache; controls for the map are on the lefthand side of the page.

 

After getting the map to the dimensions and scale you would like, you can have topozone produce a printer friendly, 1 sheet of paper, version of the map (find the link on the lefthand side of page as well). Unless the cache looks to be incredibly easy, I print out a map courtesy of topozone.com for each cache I visit.

 

Hope this helps,

 

nfa

[+Rogue_monkey]

i would have to say that printing a map is a little better (althought not the most environmently friendly way to do it). the reason for this is that you can lose your signal on your gps is heavly wooded areas. if you have a map and compass you can get a bearing any time weather you have a signal or not. don't think you can lay a compass on a screen and map out a bearing . i generally carry a map (if i have one) with the cache marked on it just in case i lose signal. a compass and my gps. i have had to use all three before to find a cache. just a thought for ya

[Tahosa and Sons]

As stated previously TOPO ZONE works fairly well. Just make sure that the Datum is set to WGS 84 and you will have a workable map. One thing to remember with maps is that some trails that are on the map are not there and some that are there are not on the map.

 

A good choice of mapping software is National Geographics TOPO. I use it quite extensively as a major part of my land navigation course. Here is an example of what the maps look like. And I put links like this on some of my cache pages.

[+Renegade Knight]

I print out the large scale section I need. I may mark turn off's and trail heads wity a waypoint. If the back road or trail is a spagetti mess with lots of turns I'll draw out a route in the topo software.

 

The waypoints and routes get downloaded to my GPS (which I aslo have Topo maps on but no where near as detailed)

[SirPoonga]

Grab Utopia software from here.

http://www.texasgeocaching.com/tools.asp

 

Once you load up waypoints you can have the software take you to topo, mapquest, terraserver, cache page for that waypoint.

[+Wacka]

Make sure you check on how old the topo map is. One area near me has a military hospital where a plaza and apartment complex is. The hospital was there in WW II when that area was still part of the base. I think the hospital was torn down around 1950.

[cachegirl20]

Wow, great ideas everybody. Thanks for the great information!

[_sled_dog_]

I use my mapsend topo software to look at the topography of the area that i intend to go to. I then plot a corse on the map set waypoints along the route. upload the information to my gpsr. make a paper copy of the map to carry in my backpack.along with the cache page and i am all set then. then if im hunting in the woods i let the gpsr make its own ticks then when i get home i download the gpsr and it prints the route that i have wandered on to the topo map and i can make a copy for latter reffrence

[+SixDogTeam]

Sled Dog--I don't understand your avatar...

[+writer]

One thing to keep in mind - if you end up buying a topo map for some reason, there is a reasonably good chance that the coordinates on it might be based on some datum (reference system) other than the WGS84 that geocaching uses. If so, enter the coordinates into the GPS under WGS84, then switch datums to the appropriate one. You should get the revised coordinates that will work on the map.

[+briansnat]

Another good use is to plan trips. On a recent group trip, I used National Geographic Topo to plan our route and which caches we were going to hit. I drew in the trails by hand, copying them from a trail map, then uploaded the cache waypoints to the map.

 

Then I figured out what the best route would be and traced that in yellow, then printed copies for each member of the group. Here is what it looked like:

 

 

 

I also have Garmin Mapsource Topo on my GPS and find it to be very valuable for both finding my way to the trailhead and finding the cache. Without topo, the GPS tells you where the cache is. With topo, it also tells you what is between you and the cache, ravines, rivers, cliffs, mountains, etc.... That stuff is good to know.

[gm100guy]

Compass

 

I think the best thing about understanding topo maps is being able to read the utm coordinate off your gps and being able to use the compass that I linked to and being able to plot your current position on the map. Or if not a compass with scales you should know how to use a roamer.

 

If you don't know where you are you are never going to get to where you want to go>>>>

 

[+Markwell]

One thing that hasn't been said here yet is that you can plug the coordinates into Lostoutdoors.com and get both a topo map and a satellite image - AND you can plot multiple points.

 

For example: this map shows a topographical map of the given parking coordiantes (in blue) and where the cache is, and the fact that there are considerable brown lines between the two.

[+Maos_and_Co]

But I guess I was more interested in how people "prepare" with their maps. You must know ahead of time where you are going, so that you can either print out that map or have it on your PDA, right?

When I go out, I try to determine a general (usually a 100 mile radius circle) area that I'll be searching in. Then I use that area to upload the map or maps that cover that area to my GPSr. I find the topo maps on my GPSr are really helpful, as I can tell at a glance that I'm coming up on a steep part based on where I am on the GPSr map.

[+Jeeters]

Sled Dog--I don't understand your avatar...

That's a picture of "Scrat", the saber-toothed squirrel or whatever you want to call it from the movie "Ice Age".

 

[cachegirl20]

I've enjoyed reading the different ways people prepare. Thanks everybody for posting.

 

Since I have a Venture, I can't really get any topo maps on it. (Unless someone knows something I'm missing)

 

I think for the time being I'll use Topo Zone or USAPhotoMaps to save the JPG with the caches on them and then view them on the PDA. Or print them out if I'm going to do a few caches in one day.

 

I haven't quite figured out how people mark their routes on these maps. But on some of the maps that were posted, I can see how it would help to have your turn by turn drawn on the map. (That might be phase two for me )