Hands up who owns a map?

[mcshroom]

I've got OS Explorer maps for the Peaks, Lakes, Dartmoor and Brecon Beacons, with some other areas as well; a number of Pathfinder maps, Some Harvey maps (lakes, and Beacons again - they are clearer under torchlight than os maps) and some 1:250000 road maps of Scotland and the north of England. I also have the whole of the UK and NI in 1:50k on Quo

I also have a few austrian mountain maps (printed by Kompass and not a patch on OS maps)

My standard approach to long rides is to print out a map on Quo and put it in a bag in my back pocket, and then carry the track on a GPS. The track is fine to follow, but the map is useful for knowing where I am and changing plans if needed. Being able to read maps is a skill that I think would benefit a lot of people.

 

[marzjennings]

I have a cupboard full of 'em. About half the UK covered in 1:25000 OS detail. Mostly mine, some my fathers and some even older. Kinda cool to overlay newer maps on maps 40 years older to see whats changed.

Haven't used a single one of them for at least 8 years. GPS and google maps are much easier and more convenient to use. No need to carry bulky OS maps and have the hassle of keeping them drive in the rain.

 

[I like Skol]

Lots of OS Landranger maps of Derbyshire and Wales used for my 4x4 hobby and covered in various coloured hilighter pen scribbles to denote differing levels of R-o-W's (You have to be sure of your entitlements when taking a 4x4 into the countryside!).

I am ashamed to admit that my bulging AtoZ library was culled nearly a decade ago when I started using satnav and computer based route planning tools which together with Google streetview means a bit of planning in advance means I rarely take wrong turn and usualy know the colour of the gate posts for my destination address.

I am still making the effort to teach my sons aged 6 and 9 how to use a UK road atlas and navigate by os grid references.

 

[G-Zero]

Being a keen walker, I've got loads of OS maps, mainly covering Highlands, NY Moors and Cumbria, but several others from various parts of the country.

Before Google maps etc took off, I bought Memorymap for the computer and still plan my walks and rides on it to this day.

It's great being able to plot a route, drop a blue dash line along it and print it out for the ride/walk.

 

[growingvegetables]

Lost count a long time ago. They're like books - I NEVER, EVER, EVER throw a map out!

And I've no electronic toys like GPS and Garmin and the like; horrid things. No soul. No story.

 

[redflightuk]

Loads of O S maps and street maps(town & county). A couple of years ago i bought a copy of a 200 year old map of Hertfordshire and enjoy comparing it to the present day version.

I do have a garmin but use that for recording stats for the ride.

 

[Cush]

A lot of OS maps but these days I down a load a days riding on to a shet of A4 and leave the folded map at home.

 

[Flying Dodo]

I have lots of maps. I've even kept my last aeronautical topographical chart from when I used to fly (15 years ago).

I do have a GPS for the bike, but that has full OS mapping on it as well.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Yes. I if it is a new route, I'll try and study the map as best I can before leaving the house, but I have still had to use them during a ride occasionally.

I have 20, both O.S. and the Sustrans maps, some of rather exotic parts of the country which I hope to visit one day.
I also have 3 books with various assorted routes, and I have a couple of those big posters with all the routes in the UK on them, which can be interesting to see, particularly if looking at the LEL run or LEJOGs, and trying to see what the optimum route is.

I fear that with Sat Nav these days, people will eventually not know how to read maps any more, which could be.... err, interesting.

 

[Globalti]

Wow! Great response!

Somebody once said that using a GPS was the equivalent of reading a map through a cardboard tube as you miss all the extras around you.

Here's something for map lovers: the French IGN sells these absolutely superb 1:10,000 maps of some major mountains for a mere 25 Euros, we have a couple framed on our wall and they really are works of art: http://loisirs.ign.fr/5279967/produit/aiguille-du-midi.htm have a look on the IGN website for Cartes Anciennes. Ours have the date 1852.

The IGN website also sells those plastic relief maps of The Alps if you're interested in that kind of thing.

 

[mcshroom]

I find the gps a tool that allows me to concentrate on the scenery rather than the route, but I have to do the planning before hand on the map to see where I'm going and if there are any interesting things to look at.

Imagining the route just from the map is a fun experience in itself.

 

[ushills]

All of the UK at 1:25k and 1:50k...

Brought a subscription to OS Getamap and print out OS maps for every holiday destination and plan routes on it. I like using a compass and map when walking. When on the bike I download gpx routes to my etrex mounted on the handlebars and follow the trail as its quicker.

I find I get through paper maps quite quickly as I keep folding and unfolding them, the ability to print out and draw on new copies is very valuable.

 

[theclaud]

I love OS maps, and usually ride with a Landranger in the jersey pocket. I'd go so far as to say that exploring the map is often the whole point of the ride. If I've ridden without a map, I will often get the map out afterwards to think again about the ride.

 

[ufkacbln]

Dear fellow cyclists I must make a confession to owning a GPS, rote planning on the Mac, and using Anquet and worse - I have a Kindle!

However my main planning document is Muirheads Blue Guides from 1926, and I have an entire bookcase full of maps. My local area has over 20 from reprints of early mapping to the OS maps in various editions and antiquity.

Maps (and old Guide books)have a smell,feel, texture and enable you to investigate changes history and places of interest in a way that the modern methods do not

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Loads of O S maps and street maps(town & county). A couple of years ago i bought a copy of a 200 year old map of Hertfordshire and enjoy comparing it to the present day version.

I do have a garmin but use that for recording stats for the ride.

Like you I have loads of OS maps and a few historical maps which give some areas great depth. Though the only maps I've used recently have been OS 1:25000 map tiles on Quo. I do quite a lot of urban riding and find that simply printing out A4 sheets of the OS maps at 1:8000 (so I don't need reading glasses) and stuffing them into my jersey pockets is an easy way of exploring new areas. Maps are also a great pretext for taking a breather when out on a ride.

There are quite a few historical maps online which are a fascinating way of wasting time and gaining centuries. Here are a couple of online sites that I haven't fully explored yet:

http://www.oldmapsonline.org/

And for Londoners: http://www.locatinglondon.org/