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I actually print and use paper maps a lot, specifically topographic maps. We do a decent amount of backcountry riding, and while not completely accurate, the US

I actually print and use paper maps a lot, specifically topographic maps. We do a decent amount of backcountry riding, and while not completely accurate, the USFS and USGS maps have various trails marked on them that are useful. USGS publishes nicely formatted quadrangle-sized PDFs when smaller areas are enough, and CalTopo provides custom PDF generation when it’s more useful to specify a range. These I print at home on a 24” Epson 7800 and some paper I really like for the purpose (iGage Weatherproof Paper).

exergy 7y ago
Indeed, paper maps are alive and well in the field of hiking/camping. It is a terrible experience trying to navigate even on the biggest of phone screens. Even the stuff one can print at home is, maybe, on an A3 sheet of paper, hopefully in colour. A vast improvement over the phone, and still not unwieldy. But to me, nothing compares to those huge mapsheets that fold accordion style. You can take in SO much more of your terrain and locate yourself so much better in your surroundings. One of my favourite things to do while out hiking is to sit with a compass and a map and try to identify peaks and glaciers. I could do it for hours. ETA: Everything I've heard about CalTopo makes it sound like God's gift to us.
arethuza 7y ago
In the Scottish hills I carry an iPhone with OS mapping app with a backup external battery pack, and usually a 'proper' OS paper map and a backup printout of my route overlaid on an OS map. The idea that paper maps were obsolete is news to me! More than once I've had to give people my backup paper map copy because they had no idea where they were, usually as their phone has run out of charge!
- ghaff 7y ago
  The Ordinance Survey digital maps are great. But, yeah, I carry an external battery pack, often even a spare smartphone, and a paper map. The paper is mostly just a backup but I don't want to be in a situation hiking where a dead phone puts me in a bad position.
davidw 7y ago
Yeah, I'll carry a paper map for mountain biking out where I may not have a cell phone signal, as a backup to any maps stored on the phone. That said, I remember saving up a bit of money as a kid to get 2 or 3 USGS topo maps. Now, I can get pretty good topo maps of the entire world for free from my browser. That's a beautiful thing.
- ticmasta 7y ago
  Have you used trailforks.com from pinkbike? Their app combines a lot of data with the actual map, plus it's hard to beat how current they are due to crowd-sourcing. Definitely focused on biking but expanding into other users and works offline.
  - davidw 7y ago
    Yeah it's pretty good. I use it, but I also like to have a paper copy as backup if I'm out somewhere remote.

exergy 7y ago

Indeed, paper maps are alive and well in the field of hiking/camping. It is a terrible experience trying to navigate even on the biggest of phone screens. Even the stuff one can print at home is, maybe, on an A3 sheet of paper, hopefully in colour. A vast improvement over the phone, and still not unwieldy. But to me, nothing compares to those huge mapsheets that fold accordion style. You can take in SO much more of your terrain and locate yourself so much better in your surroundings. One of my favourite things to do while out hiking is to sit with a compass and a map and try to identify peaks and glaciers. I could do it for hours. ETA: Everything I've heard about CalTopo makes it sound like God's gift to us.

arethuza 7y ago

In the Scottish hills I carry an iPhone with OS mapping app with a backup external battery pack, and usually a 'proper' OS paper map and a backup printout of my route overlaid on an OS map. The idea that paper maps were obsolete is news to me! More than once I've had to give people my backup paper map copy because they had no idea where they were, usually as their phone has run out of charge!

ghaff 7y ago
The Ordinance Survey digital maps are great. But, yeah, I carry an external battery pack, often even a spare smartphone, and a paper map. The paper is mostly just a backup but I don't want to be in a situation hiking where a dead phone puts me in a bad position.

davidw 7y ago

Yeah, I'll carry a paper map for mountain biking out where I may not have a cell phone signal, as a backup to any maps stored on the phone. That said, I remember saving up a bit of money as a kid to get 2 or 3 USGS topo maps. Now, I can get pretty good topo maps of the entire world for free from my browser. That's a beautiful thing.

ticmasta 7y ago
Have you used trailforks.com from pinkbike? Their app combines a lot of data with the actual map, plus it's hard to beat how current they are due to crowd-sourcing. Definitely focused on biking but expanding into other users and works offline.
- davidw 7y ago
  Yeah it's pretty good. I use it, but I also like to have a paper copy as backup if I'm out somewhere remote.