Tricks to make maps easier?

What kind of things do you guys do to make your maps more user friendly?
Do you mark the street numbering system on street maps?
Do you draw the corrected magnetic north on your topos as a line so you won't need to calculate it every time, and have a quick way to check your declination if you do calculate it?

So what tricks do you guys have?

waterproof them.
Write as much as you can on them. phone numbers, addresses, grid references, if you are in the uk philips road maps are a god send as they print the name of the youth hostels next to them.
then write the phone numbers and opening nights on the map.

it all makes for good memories when you look at them again :-)

QJS

Use highlighters on the grid numbers.

Study it beforehand.

That puts me ahead of 90% of the population :-)

Simpler words could not be spoken. Always best to have a good idea of the route before hand.

When I used a paper map for vehicle navigation, I would often highlight the route and make any notations necessary.

Now, with the GPS, it is much easier. I still keep maps on hand in case of failure.

For maps, I highlight important info, make notes in the margins. I try to minimize writing on the maps, except for my routes of intended travel, notated with the magnetic compass courses, adjusted for Variation.

For Nautical Charts, I do the above listed items but, I also use a green highlighter to mark all water that is too shallow for my vessel.

For Aviation Charts, I will sometimes connect the electrical towers, thus showing where the electrical lines are actually running.

Because you may not have the map completely opened up,
I write the two digit North and East Grid (Large)numbers in the interior of the map. Saves you from having to look all over for the base UTM numbers.
If you do this then no mater how you fold the map you can find the MGRS or UTM reference locations with out unfolding.

I find using a declination compensating protractor the easiest way of addressing the G-M (Grid-Magnetic Angle) issue.
It is so quick, and error free. All boat shops and FBO stores for aviation have them, also on ebay you can find the military version. Most also have a longer base line than regular protractors.
With a regular protractor you can mark it with a preset line so it will read magnetic as well.
Some company actually sells something like this.

Some people draw red magnetic lines on maps (aviation charts have them printed in magenta)
The only problem with this is over time the secular variations (yearly changes) add up and you have to buy another map or carefully erase and redraw.

I don't prefer this, but like to make one line on the map which is magnetic so it is easily oriented with the compass.

In the Army we just used the LARS (Left add,right subtract) method, which assumes the item you want is either left or right from what you have (Grid and Magnetic usually, sometimes True)

The old Aviators (and mariners) memory aid:
TVMDC AW and CDMVT AT,
Here because aircraft and ships also have a deviation due to the residual magnetic signature of the craft.

True Virgins Make Dull Company Add Wiskey
True +/- Variation = Magnetic +/- Deviation = Compass Add Westerly

Can Dead Men Vote Twice At Elections
Compass +/- Deviation = Magnetic +/- Variation = True (or grid) Add Easterly

On land you don't have a deviation (that it consistent anyway).

Variation is the same as declination, but early navigators used that term for celestial navigation so it was renamed variation.

What kind of things do you guys do to make your maps more user friendly?


I'm done with it, I let someone else fold the d@mn thing!

I get my maps from MyTopo.com too. Great maps!!! My paper USGS maps are sitting on a shelf now. Don't underestimate the value of being able to print a single map that incorporate several of the 7.5 minute USGS maps. A big money savings even though each MyTopo map is more expensive.

I only order the 24” x 36” (medium size) waterproof 'paper' maps, with UTM grids. I'd order the smaller size if it suited my specific nead though. It is a huge advantage for me to have the UTM grids on them. I tried adding them to the USGS maps, but it was a pain. The grids allow me to easily transfer UTM coordinates from GPS to map, and vise versa.

I also have my name put on them so they aren't so apt to walk away, and I have them sent to me pre-folded.

The other thing I so - not so much with the paper map - is I use the on-line 24K topo maps in Geobuddy gps software to preview the area in both 24K topo form and as an aereal photo. I use Geobuddy to create key GPS waypoints of interest (just point and click), to use those waypoints to create GPS routes (mostly to obtain preliminary distance measurements) (its as easy as connecting the dots), and then upload those waypoints and routes to my GPS.

Not only is it real handy to pre-load the GPS with waypoints, but the routes provide key compass bearings, if needed. It is also a safety precaution, just in case I get lost and forget to capture those key waypoints on-site. Its nice to quickly be able to determine how close I am to my destination just by turning on the GPS.

Not only is the magnetic declination added to the map (that's on the USGS maps too), but it is the CURRENT (when printed) declination for the area - not the declination as it existed in 1965 when the maps were created. That can be a pretty substantial difference.

Ken

First and most important, as soon as I get a new map, I cut it up into pieces that can be filed in folders and stored inside my 17x12 weather-proof map case. The principle is never to have to fold or unfold a map, and always to keep them well enough organized I can always find the relevant detail map within 15 seconds without having to stop my vehicle.

Then I take another map that covers a larger area and draw the grid that represents the whole map that I just cut up. I draw lines where the cuts are and number the grid with letters and numbers (like 1a, 1b, 2a, etc). This then becomes the index map and goes in the front of the folder. For areas where I already have the base USGS maps (most of the areas I frequent), I use the same index numbers as the corresponding topo map so I can move easily between different types of maps that cover the same area.

As for notations on maps, I usually add GPS lines if they don’t already exist, and highlight them if they do. In some areas (national forests, especially) I keep detailed notes on the roads, like if they are paved or if they may become impassable in heavy rain, and any gates that I find. In some areas I transfer the lines of public land ownership as shown on the local resource (park) maps and as seen on the ground, to my topo maps which show greater detail than the park maps.

I mark all access points to public water, sometimes with notes on the details. On navigable rivers and creeks, I mark unmapped cut-offs, major blockages and manmade structures which front the stream. For some public areas that I frequent a lot, I’ll start with a 2x or 4x blow-up of the most detailed topo map and add in lots of features like good camping spots and jeep trails.

Note: This is all pre-mapping-GPS, which I am slowly transitioning to. I’ve been working with incorporating the GPS changes for 4-5 years, but it’s still not where it needs to be to totally replace my paper system. Soon, though, I think it will be (with its own paper-based back-up system to protect against power failure). For the last year, I’ve been using a PDA-based mapping-GPS system that looks very promising.

For roadmaps, I've ordered the "Travel Pack" from AAA. It's been a while and I don't know if they still provide that service (it is/was a free service for members). The routes are highlighted on the map(s) and they give turn-by-turn directions. I usually skip the turn-by-turn stuff and use the paper maps as a preplanning thing (still carried in the car during travel though). I have a GPS but don't use that much for highway navigation (don't need it), but it's good for finding things like a Joe's Crab Shack restaurant in San Diego, and things of that sort!

For topo maps for hiking, I print them off from the TOPO! program I have on my computer. these are nice because you can print the specific area you are interested in from full-detail scanned USGS maps. However, your typical home printer only does 8-1/2x11 or 8-1/2x14 paper, so the maps cover too small of an area for anything much more than a day hike. You can print multiple maps but that's a pain to manage. And, if your want to take a compas bearing on that big mountain you can see from the trail, there's a good chance it's not on your little 8-1/2x11 map your printed.

The best "for purchase" topo hiking maps I've found (by far!) are put out by a company called Sky Terrain. If you can find them for your area, they are great. But it may be hard to find your area as their selection is limited. Since I live near Denver I use their map of Rocky Mountain National Park and Indian Peaks Wilderness Area all the time. Also their Boulder/Nederland map. I find these unequaled for detail, clarity, waterproofness, etc. REI handles them, or you can get them online.

As much as I like using my GPS, I would NOT recommend leaving the paper maps at home.

they don't have any for california, but for california i think tom harrison maps are the best.

I often set my uncorrected compass on the oriented map to draw the line.
It might not be surveyor accurate but it allows any compass to be used just by setting it on the line.

I find the confusion caused by magnetic, true and grid north can be a real problem for most people I meet.

(I must try to remember that about adding whiskey to virgins)

I also add notes about prominent landmarks or obstacles if they are not on the map, and highlight the best landmarks that are on the map.
I have seen street maps that didn't mark a building that you could see from more than 3/4 of the city, and cliffs that were to small to appear between the contour lines on topos.

I find the problem with generated maps are the same as the Govt maps.
They still won't include all the details I need in the field, or that I want other people to be aware of.
I am not computer savvy enough to know how to add those details to a computer generated map either, except on paper with a pencil.

Good tips on your note system, thanks
(and I have never found a good way to refold maps either)

I find that some of the most helpful maps and charts are produced by organizations that support certain outdoor activities. For hiking, you can get a topo from a lot of places, but, I find the most helpful ones in NH and Maine happen to be produced by the AMC (Appalachain Mountain Club). http://www.outdoors.org/

Their hiking trail maps provide topo info, but, also established trails, campsites, huts, sources of water, trailhead parking, contact info for all the support and emergency services in the area, and a great deal of detail that's relevant if you're a hiker. They are also printed on a waterproof tyvek-like paper. They also have matched guides that walk you over established trails, identify areas requiring certain technical skills/equipment, estimate how difficult different trails are, and give you alternative bail out routes to get below tree line in a hurry if needed.

When I'm on the ocean, nautical charts are available from a lot of places as well, and I carry some of the NOAA charts on the boat, but, I find that I use a waterproof chart of the bay I frequent most often that was produced with additional info, like fishing hot spots, marinas, gas docks, food and supplies in each port, and other things that the gov't produced NOAA charts don't include. I think they are made by Navtech, (it's in the boat, but, that's what I recall) and it was designed as a fisherman's chart.

I'm sure that in other areas of the country, there are more specialized charts, maps, guides produced by outdoor oriented clubs and organizations that will have the "normal" data, plus a bunch more that's related to your particular hobby. It's worth looking around for something like that, IMHO.

Having said all that, I love mapping GPS, but, you really still need the old fashioned methods. I especially find that planning a hike, or trip on the water, is much easier with a hiking map or proper nautical chart in front of me, than with the GPS alone. I seem to get a better perspective looking at the map than I do viewing a small image online.

I've been known to do this on maps I'll need in a hurry.

These days, mostly for budget reasons, I've been using my gutted deLorme atlas a lot. It's got enough that you can navagate by it, and it is generally only 5-10 years out of date. (Around here, the USGS maps have often gone 10-25 years without being photo checked. *shudders*) First thing I do is remove the in-town maps, and the touristy stuff. Keep that first page's map- that gives you the grid for your area and the key. Then stuff it in a freezer bag or two. For under 25 bucks, I get the whole state, rather than half the country- so it isn't accurate enough to call an airstrike and it lacks power lines and the like, for the money I'll take the difference.

I'll often copy sections of a map into my notebook. Either my geology field book, or my everyday pocket notebook. These maps aren't very big, and don't have much detail (at least not in the woods, in cities they can more detailed then a road atlas or internet map) but they familiarize me with the map I'm copying and they provide a useful back up to a full sized map. I'll start out by drawing in the grid lines, and use those as a guide for drawing in major features: roads, rivers, structures and major hill tops and a few contours. I'll draw them with different colors of bic pens I've cut down to 4" lengths, black, red and blue. These maps don't give a perfect representation, but they can help you find your position if you're slightly lost, or give you a panic azimuth if you're really lost. "I don't know where I'm at, but I know I'm north of this road and I can't be more then a few kilometers from it." In a foreign city, they also let you reference a map with out looking like a tourist.

The other thing I'll do if I'm covering a lot of a map or multiple map sheets is fold, cut and glue them to make a sort of book. This is kind of difficult to describe with out pictures. The first step is to cut the boarders off the map exactly so you're left with a rectangle that has nothing but map on it. Then you fold the map into a 'W' shape, with three vertical folds and glue the middle of the 'W' together with a glue stick to make a 'T' shape. Effectively reducing the white space on the back of the map by half and creating three pages. Then, you take an exacto knife and ruler and split the middle page in half horizontally. Finally, you fold the map in half horizontally in line with that cut.

You now have a map that easily folds up into a package 1/8 of the map's size and unfolds like a multi-dimensional book to show either 1/4 or 1/2 of the map sheet. To move around the map you just turn the page. You can even glue multiple map sheets together.

Assuming that we are talking topo maps here, I usually do the Boy Scout trick of drawing parallel lines showing magnetic north, then fold them in my own funny little way and stuff them in a qt sized ziploc bag...

Something I do when I'm tracking my course on a nautical chart is to use a couple of those sticky "sign here" plastic arrows to move along my line of travel whenever I take a fix, or pass a bouy. I usually have already plotted a pencil line between waypoints, so I'm just keeping track of where I'm at. It allows me to just leave common tracks I follow on the chart, but, use the removable sticky arrows to track progress. I'll sometimes jot the time down on them too.

Always good to keep a dead reckoning track anyway for myself, but, I always thought it would be good "just in case" so my son or wife would have a clue where we were if I have a problem and they have to make a call on Channel 16 for the CG or a tow boat... (something, thankfully, that hasn't happened yet!)

Any maps OBG.
If you have a trick that helps you with crappy gas station maps it would be very welcome too.
Anything and everything is fair territory.
Some of the comments coming in are for marine or aviation charts, some are for topos, and some are for street type maps...
It is all good stuff.

I have my wife handle the maps to back up the GPS while I drive. We agree not to complain about the work the other is doing.

I do it under my breath.

I keep a province wide roadmap in my car. I will likely add one to the emergent kit now.
With a few things added, like hydro lines, cut lines, some UTM numbers or maybe note down a few places latitudes and longitudes, it would be a good thing for rough navigation.
At least good enough that with a rough idea of where I was I could find the nearest town.

On this job, I use road maps. Usually, once I go to a place, I either never have to go there again, or I know how to get there again.

Since all my directions tend to have something to do with RR tracks, any permanent markings would soon make the maps useless.

So I bought a purple pen from a fabric shop to mark where I'm going. The ink in this pen slowly fades away in about 48 hours (24 hrs in a humid environment). Then, when I need to use the map again, it's unmarked and I can start over.

Sue

*perks*

Sue, do you have a brand name?

Yeah, me too. Found this online. Sue, is this the same one you use?

http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1642-AA.shtml?lnav=markers.html

Anybody know any more about them? Like whether repeatedly marking different materials (plainpaper, tyical map paper, photocopy) with them leaves any marks or damage?

Gas station maps are the worst in the world. Their folds seem to be cast in iron. My expert navigator just folds them so that the area we are currently in, plus as much of our destination as possible, are showing in an area of map approx 12" in diameter. Trouble with this is that in no time at all folds, both factory and self made, begin to thin out, then tear. So then we buy another map...

Truck stop used to have large, laminated, spiral bound maps that were great. Even included information RV'ers need like clearance and narrow turns. Last time I looked for one was 1992 though. Don't know if they still exist with GPS and all that.

Topo maps and county land maps I cut into 11x17 inch pages and code to the corresponding pages for continuing beyond the current page. Then I bind with individual rings so I can replace pages. (and fix the ones I get out of order to start)

Another thing I do, is I have a clip board I ripped the clip off of, if you use pliers on the rivets you can do this without ruining the board itself. Then I clip my map to the board with binder clips. That way the map is fixed to the board on all sides and doesn't flap in the wind or get damaged.

That's the pen. It's available at practically every fabric store in America. I don't know if only one company makes them or not, but they're all purple. There used to be a light blue one, but I haven't seen that in years.

I've been using them for this purpose for close to 20 years, repeatedly on regular maps, with absolutely NO problem. I've never seen the ink color return. I don't see where they would be a problem on other paper, either, but I don't think I've used them on other types.

They are intended for fabric, and work well on that, too, although I think I've only used them on cotton and cotton blends.

Sue

Now THAT is the "cool idea of the month"! I'm gonna have to get me one of those disappearing ink pens for sure.

I waterproof all my maps. Either with a liquid application or contact paper. I do like Adventure paper. I will have to try MyTopo. Never used that.

Not only do I use the standard maps, if I am going to be in a National Park area, I research other trail guides for maps and route specifics, copy them and carry with me.

If I know where I am going to be hiking I put a 'handrail' on the map so if I get lost I can head in a cardinal direction to a safe place or logical S&R area that runs the length of my trip like a road,main trail, train track or river.

I also leave a copy of my map with someone so they know my route.

I love using alcohol based map pens and mark up my maps before and during my trips.

Man, I need to get a new map for my collection.

About the map collection Comms.
For years now I have been storing maps in white plastic drain pipe.
It is fairly cheap and pretty durable. The caps cost more than the pipe did last time I bought some.
I can roll and stuff a lot of maps into a 4" plastic tube.
With the caps on the tube the map rolls can sit in the back of a closet or in the shed rafters with no worries about them getting torn or mulched by mice.

What I have been thinking about for quite some time and what I want to do is to map my surroundings and search for the hiding places and shelters that can be used in a case a storm is chasing me. For example it would be useful for biking. When you see or hear a storm in the distance or just thunderclouds it´s good to know where to hide and that the shelter can actually protect you from the lightning. Especially if you happen to be far from home. Being close to your bike let alone riding it in the storm is suicide. So I think having the markings of "stormproof" shelters (bridges, ...) in the map would be very useful. And not just for biking.