Good ol paper maps and compass

[Bigfootcali]

With technology and map apps like onx and base maps how many still enjoy the good ol map and compass for land navigation,also how many feel that it's becoming a lost art amongst hunters?

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[LazyV]

It's quickly becoming or is a lost art. I use one more for terrain scouting then for navigation most of the time. Honestly, a GPS with OnX type chip is so much more useful in some circumstances, such as where I antelope hunt. Even with good landownership data on the map I think it'd be rough to navigate due to lack of landmarks to take good bearings/accurate location. Don't mind a map for a land nav exercise in the mountains but not as much fun in the desert is what I'm getting at for me.

 

[5MilesBack]

I always have a compass and map of the area with me, but I generally use my GPS. But when I'm studying and analyzing I always use my maps. I always go back after the season and mark specific waypoints that I put in my GPS while out there. Just adds to the bigger picture and helps for analyzing in the future........especially when you start to see trends.

 

[SWOHTR]

What would you all recommend as a good compass?

My dead reckoning skills are pretty good, but I fully recognize my void in skill between DR and electronic.


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[bsnedeker]

What would you all recommend as a good compass?

My dead reckoning skills are pretty good, but I fully recognize my void in skill between DR and electronic.


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I have a very simple base plate compass from Suunto, it's what I would recommend. I used to carry a fancy lensmatic compass but it's totally overkill for the simple way I use a compass and it's way heavier than my Suunto.

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[wind gypsy]

I rely way too much on gps/ electronics. One night this fall as my battery was dying in the dark with sub zero wind chills I decided that I need to start carrying maps too.

My question is where do you guys get maps online that are printable?

 

[Bigfootcali]

I rely way too much on gps/ electronics. One night this fall as my battery was dying in the dark with sub zero wind chills I decided that I need to start carrying maps too.

My question is where do you guys get maps online that are printable?

Depending on your location the local ranger station should have forest maps that are a good start and i use on a regular basis. There are several websites you could go to get maps topo,forest,etc. I like a compass that i can change the declination and able to easily get a azimuth on. To many rely on technology which is fine and comes in handy but being able to navigate with map and compass is gold and when technology fails or the batteries die you have a backup. Also find a land nav course to take,study the terrain and different types of topography that could safe your life one day.

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[beachbunny]

as a pilot and boat captain, we always have to have paper charts,so i always have paper and compass
this is an excellent resource.
Compass and Position Plotting

 

[.204smokechaser]

I carry a GPS for work, but it never ever comes out of the bag unless there is a fire or I need to mark a waypoint. Paper maps are still the way to go in my opinion if you know how to work a compass.

Hunting, I carry my personal GPS and usually have it on, but love to do things old school, so the map is usually in my side pocket and the compass is attached to my pack.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I almost always have a good old fashioned paper topo of the area I’m hunting and I use it a lot while on the hunt. I love topo maps in general, and I really enjoy scouting over them in my spare time, that said, I also always carry a GPS of some kind.


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[Bigfootcali]

I carry a GPS for work, but it never ever comes out of the bag unless there is a fire or I need to mark a waypoint. Paper maps are still the way to go in my opinion if you know how to work a compass.

Hunting, I carry my personal GPS and usually have it on, but love to do things old school, so the map is usually in my side pocket and the compass is attached to my pack.

It problay is only good for lat/long and i know were you are coming from on that paper maps are the way to go.

 

[juan trueno]

Moses was a land nav nogo. You can be one yes oh Lordy.


I print maps and laminate them off the Internet- like the state map center or hunt planner or whatever. Or I get the maps that I want done up by my topo to include MGRS grid waterproof property lines etc 20-35$ each. 20x30.

I also get whatever maps the ranger station offers/sells that will be of value this will usually be maps that have all the trails and roads along with a key that tells you there status throughout the year, a lot of times they’ll have GMU or WMA boundaries as well.

So often there is no replacement for having a decent size picture of your surrounding area. I love having access to 1 meter imagery etc of hunt areas- but I was having success based off of topo map scouting way before I saw a satellite or aerial photo of a hunt area.

There’s just a ton of things that you can do with map in conjunction with a compass and gps that you can’t do with gps stand alone. The tools available to me ie area calculate, line distance calculate etc are very valuable conveniences and I uitlize a couple apps on my phone for weather and navigation- and I have a Garmin. But I always have a real map and a compass. It’s fundamental


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[Jimss]

I use topo quad maps a lot when I first start researching, scouting, and hunting a new area. I'm constantly writing comments on maps (water/food sources, bedding areas, knobs for glassing, access points, rutting zones, wallows, springs, road access that is shut off....the list goes on. On-X is great for figuring out property lines. Once I've hunted an area I really don't use either a whole lot.

Another tool that I don't leave home without is a good camera and camcorder. It's a lot easier to remember what an area looks like with pics/video. It's also fun taking video/photos of critters I'm hunting so I can look them over in detail on the big screen at home.

 

[Luziana Feller]

Where can i buy good maps online to start studying before a trip out to Colorado?

 

[AK Troutbum]

Where can i buy good maps online to start studying before a trip out to Colorado?

Custom Topographic Maps and Aerial Maps for the USA & Canada


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[TheCougar]

Yes, it is a lost art. I almost completely rely on my gps maps, but I always carry topos and a compass with me as a back up and I like to take notes on the maps as I hunt. Complete reliance on electronics is a good way to put yourself in a bad spot. I use a simple compass that also has a signal mirror on the inside, so it has multiple uses. I print out my topos from CalTopo for free, which I love because I can put whatever layers I want on there and mark them up with areas of interest before I print. If I’m feeling really froggy, I will laminate them as well.

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

Nikwax sells a product you roll onto paper maps to make them water resistant, sort of a wax type thing. I have some but haven't used it yet. Alternative to laminating if you don't have a big enough laminator nearby.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

My question is where do you guys get maps online that are printable?

You can get free USGS quadrangle maps (1:24,000) from the Nat Geo website. Each quadrangle prints on four letter-size sheets of paper. If you have a color printer then you're in business. If you're military trained or understand UTM then you can plot UTM coordinates on these maps. I take paper maps on every trip in addition to GPS.

 

[MallardSX2]

V's point uphill. lol

I use paper maps a lot more than most people. They dont run out of batteries.

 

[bivouaclarry]

I always carry the quadrangle I am hunting. Backup to GPS for sure. But more importantly, the quadrangles allow me to see the whole unit in a wide format. It's much easier to plan routes, find seeps/water and plan an attack when you can see more. I do the same thing as Jimss and keep a pencil handy and take notes; beds, wallows, trails, elk spotted. After a few years you can see patterns and predict fairly accurately where to look.