What Map Would You Get In This Situation?

[+crash331]

I need a map of a rather large area and I'm going to get it from mytopo.com.

 

I can either get two 24x36 maps or one 36x44 map to cover a region. Both options will cost around $30 since the smaller maps are 14.95 each.

 

I havn't had much experience with maps on trips, but what would be easier to manage: one large map or two medium maps?

 

 

and it's a map where caches are located, so it's on topic.

Edited September 22, 2004 by crash331

[+tirediron]

software maps on a laptop would be the easiest to manage, but assuming that's not an option, definitely the two smaller maps. That large one sounds like it's only just short of being a spinnaker on an America's Cup boat. Besides if you damage one of your two maps, you still have one... if you damage one of your one....

[justinthornton]

I say go for a software solution if your using it as you find caches, you can print out what you want when you need it.

 

But if you don't want that, it depends on what you'll use it for (by the way I'm a map freak, love them)

 

If you will be using while caching, i'd say go for 2 small ones. If you just want it four house use to... lets say to hang on a wall. go for the larger one.

 

But by far software is the way to go... love my national geographic Topo! software.

[+crash331]

It will be used for weekend backpacking trips and some extreme caches. Don't want to load a 15lb laptop in my backpack along with my tent

[justinthornton]

with backpacking you want to go as small as possible, so the smaller map if you go ahead and buy it, and if you do buy in i would even just scan or copy the part you are going to use on different smaller sheets of paper. I hate having to hold a huge map with a 20 to 30 (even more on some trips) pound pack on my back.

 

But I still must say the topo! software by National Geographic has made my life easier when it's come to hiking and backpacking, All I have to do is print out the part I want and keep them in a large freezer back to protect it from the rain. Also if it gets trashed after a trip you can always print out another one. REI also sells water proof paper. I guess after cutting all the weight out of my pack, just carring the part of the map that I needed was inevitable (sp?).

 

And back to geocaching. Also on my computer I have a marked all the caches within 100 miles of my house. It makes for easy referance.

 

Sorry If I went overboard, but truely mapping software has truley made my outdoor adventures more easy and cheap. (I don't have to buy 50 maps for all the places I like to go)

[Tahosa and Sons]

Spend another 70 clams and get Nat Geographic TOPO and make your own maps, And when you return from your trip download your GPS and see where you went.

[+Renegade Knight]

If you want paper, standard USGS Quad maps are hard to beat. They cost a lot less as well. I'm assuming that means the two smaller maps.

[+crash331]

It takes about 4-6 USGS 7.5 minute maps to cover the medium sized maps and 6-9 7.5 minute maps to cover the larger size, so I think I would save money by using mytopo.com

 

 

 

The only thing that worries me with TOPO! is my printer always stinks. It always prints line sin stuff, I think it has a bad head.

[+crash331]

Hm, another question.

 

If I want those Topo maps on my GPS, I would have to drop another $100 or so on the Garmin National Parks east 24k maps, wouldn't I?

 

I already have the 100k topo from Garmin, bu they really suck unless all you want to do is locate the general area of a mountain. Can't find trails on them at all.

[+1stimestar]

I say go for one map and here is my example of why.

 

I recently went into the back country of Denali NP. When you apply for your back country permit you have to have the topo maps of your section (you are only allowed to go in your section so they can limit the amount of people in each section). Anyway, my section covered parts of two maps so had to have both of them. It was a hassle to keep going back and forth between the two. Where I was hiking through was across the line from one map to the other so I had to keep switching back and forth. I had to fold the border on one map to get the two to match up properly. So in this case it would have been much handier to have one larger map. I could have folded it to show the location I was hiking in.

Here are some pictures just in case you want to see the gorgeous scenary and grizzly bears.

My first solo trip into the back country.

That's a blister and the gal that gave me a ride back to Fairbanks on her motorcycle.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v40/1stimest...venture%202004/

Second trip was with some friends.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v40/1stimest...0Denali%20Trip/

[+McMurdo1]

For Search and Rescue (a previous life) I found that carrying 12.5' quads a real hassle. My pack was set up so everything fit in a manypocket vest. I would take the quads of the areas I was most likely to have to use, cut them into 9 pieces at the tick marks. Print up a backing page with the quad name and portion, and place them into the clear plastic sheet protectors for a 3 ring binder. Tape the slot at the top and I had a waterproof map. I could just take the 2 or 3 sheet protectors needed and stuff them in a pocket without worrying about them too much. I would also carry two or three colored marking pens for overhead projectors and could make notes and boundaries on the "map" and just wipe them off with a damp rag to restore them for the next use. I still have 4 or 5 6" binders full of "cut quads" for my county.

 

Mac