Thread: How do you carry your topi maps while hunting/tramping ?

Map pouch/case, ziplock bag ?

Any special tricks you have for folding them ?

Curious to see what other folks use ?

take big topo map into local shop and get the bit you need photocopied and laminated....fold it up and poke in bumbag. my whole hunting area is more than covered by a single A4 page.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

take big topo map into local shop and get the bit you need photocopied and laminated....fold it up and poke in bumbag. my whole hunting area is more than covered by a single A4 page.

Wot he said.

On my phone nowadays.

Originally Posted by Shearer

On my phone nowadays.

yea download NZtopo50 and use my phone, works with no reception and has a bigger screen on it than my gps, which just sits in the bottom of my bag now

I download section of map I’m going into, print out (usually half or 2/3 of A4) and then laminate. Often I’ll do a bigger scale covering bigger area, then a blow up of smaller area where I plan to focus the hunt - then print out and laminate them back to back in the one pouch. Pretty bullet proof in regards to water and wear and tear. This gives a better large scale view of the area than you can get on small screen of your gps. GPS great for the detail and track marking, way points etc.

I've got Freshmaps on my laptop, print out the exploded view of a given area being hunted, print out the wider area as well then sharpie marker in my east and north grids, put them back to back and laminate them together and stuff it in my pack. Keeping your map dry and undamaged from handling becomes largely unnecessary.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

I've got Freshmaps on my laptop, print out the exploded view of a given area being hunted, print out the wider area as well then sharpie marker in my east and north grids, put them back to back and laminate them together and stuff it in my pack. Keeping your map dry and undamaged from handling becomes largely unnecessary.

Take a look into the settings on freshmap, as mine prints off with grids etc

Originally Posted by Pengy

Take a look into the settings on freshmap, as mine prints off with grids etc

Makin them easy to see in the dark with a torch.

laminated maps too.... but rather than folding them i keep them in a plastic tube (50mm pvc waste pipe) length of pipe is the same as the width of a4 paper.
just find the maps last longer if they arent folded must be the scottish in me ....

Print from topomaps onto A4 photo paper and keep in a pouch. Ink doesn’t run on photo paper unlike ordinary paper I’ve found

Print relevant area (good A3 colour printer at work) from nztopo or wherever, put in ziplock bag or clear plastic map pouch. Folded business side out so you don't have to keep unfolding and refolding to read it.

Also have backcountry navigator app on phone, but if I'm going anywhere interesting I take a paper copy and compass as well.

I just bung the folded topo map with the appropriate area showing and compass into a snaplock bag, into daypack. Job done.

Gotta always allow for tech meltdown @ebf - Honestly have a gps, phone with topo but I'll allways carry a silva compass and topomap (laminated) or actual map in zip loc in my belt kit.

Just the way I was taught.. tech fails once, bugger - twice, shame on it - I don't take a map and compass - shame on me!,

Originally Posted by Carpe Diem

Gotta always allow for tech meltdown @ebf - Honestly have a gps, phone with topo but I'll allways carry a silva compass and topomap (laminated) or actual map in zip loc in my belt kit.

Just the way I was taught.. tech fails once, bugger - twice, shame on it - I don't take a map and compass - shame on me!,

I dislike anything with short battery life when I am out in the boonies. That includes most GPS units...

Most of my nav is printed topo map, and the one concession I make to battery power - altimeter on my Kestrel 2500.
That thing's battery seems to last for years, and the replacement is TINY
I've just invested in a decent analogue altimeter/barometer. Majority of the time in the bush I can't see enough to take decent bearings, so altimeter is much more useful.

Switch my mobile phone to flight mode so the battery lasts several days. Got downloads of the LINZ map images, and use Avenza app to view those with integrated GPS pointer from phone.