Hikin Jim had this topic on a source for topo maps that went "commercial" called @#%^&&*! Commercialism!! that generated some info on where to get maps. I thought it might be good to have a topic on map, compass, and GPS use. I assume that must of the people on this BB probably already have such skills but there's always stuff to learn. With his permission, I'd like to use his post to my response to get this started:
Rick M wrote:
Hmmmmmm, "any tips for printing", what exactly would you like to do? You can print out an entire quad on a single 8x11" page but it would be impossible to read (too small).
Well, is there a way to have the printout go over multiple pages both horizontally and vertically? After printing all of the pages the map would span over, I could just trim the margins, tape everything together and have the entire USGS quad...
Rick M wrote:
If I know where I'm going and I want a map I usually only print that section on a page and because my eyesight isn't getting any better (maybe I should get glasses?), I usually enlarge it before I print and on the back side print a possible adjoining area I might be interested in doing (remember that you should leave an itenery with someone before you go...especially if going solo).
I typically file a "hike plan" before I go out, even when accompanied. Printing out a map and going over it with a highlighter seems like an effective form of communication. When I'm leading others, I'll also print and highlight maps for everyone else.
Rick M wrote:
Or on the back side I might print the area I'm going into smaller and include a lot of surrounding area but possible hard to read especially at night.
Yeah, it's nice to know what you're looking at, be able to orient yourself, and be able to adjust if you need to detour. I've had to adjust my plans more than once due to heavy snow. Really good to have the adjoining area maps if you need to detour! Not having the map can turn the detour into a disaster!
Rick M wrote:
...something I just learned from a lot of map and compass work and field geology in the days before GPS. When you're staking a claim, you really don't want to make mistakes. If I was in terrain that had considerable relief, I would frequently only use a map for navigation.
That is one of the great things about mountains. Lots of relief. If the terrain is open and clear, say at high altitude, with a lot of relief, then terrain association is in some ways better than a GPS. If one kind of bears in mind the terrain as one moves along, one can make a sort of common sense check on what the GPS is telling you. It's like using a calculator. A lot of the time I'll get a ballpark figure in my head before I use the calculator so I can flag it immediately if I unknowningly hit a wrong button. I've seen guys start charging off based on their GPS when I knew "that can't be right" because I had been terrain associating the whole way along. When we went over how they had arrived at their conclusion, I was able to see where they'd made some kind of procedural error.
Rick M wrote:
One thing I would like to mention, I think everyone in a group going out somewhere should have a copy of a map. I’ve been on way too many trips (and missions) where only one map was in the group and it got lost or someone got separated or whatever.
Here, here. Compass as well. It really bugged me recently when one of the guys put his compass back in the car after he saw I had one. Not good! Far better to have everyone in the group with map & compass. Even if you don't split up (say someone needs to go for help), it's still better to have the ability for others to form a "second opinion." I've seen mistakes caught that way too.
Rick M wrote:
ps Even in this day of GPS and cell phones, I think people need to have map and compass skills…they’re fun! Try orienteering (takes more skill than geo-caching…I like that too!)
And compasses' don't have batteries.