Ordnance Survey Maps
I'm sure many of you experienced people are aware of this, but just in case...
Our local library (Newbury) has the full range of Plastic Laminated OS Explorer Maps 1:25,000 scale which may be borrowed for up to three weeks. They are fantastic for getting your bearings and exploring the area.
Caravan sites are normally marked together with footpaths etc. A visit to your library (assuming it's still open) before your next trip may be worthwhile, rather than buying local maps.
Comments
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Same as us Wye. We order them online, or buy while away. If you buy from OS, I think you get free downloadable map as well. We love to get a map out, and read it. Almost as good as a book!
Good that libraries lend them out though, not everyone wants to buy!
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For the cost of threeO.S. maps one can have a year's access to all 1:50000 and 1:25000 on as many electronic devices as you want. Can even save an area of mapping that you want across multiple sheets to use offline.
Paper is dead - unless you need to light a fire!
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I love maps, the library idea is good if you only want them occasionally but I like looking at maps. Like others I've got a drawer full. Mountain rescue teams will advise that battery power and signals can vanish so a paper map is vital for serious walking.
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We love to get a map out, and read it. Almost as good as a book!
Agree, much better to look at the wider picture with a 'metre' square paper map than a tiddly phone app, or a slightly better tablet screen that may go on the blink unexpectedly even if offline.
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I have quite a collection built up before digital maps became available but rarely use them. I have the whole set on my desktop, tablet and netbook, the latter two I take on my travels. I can zoom out to have just a motoring map or zoom in to the tinyest
detail with no need of a magnifing glass. It is crazy buying a paper map for £6 plus when the
whole set is availbale for just £50. If you want the paper version of an area, and I can see why you might, just print it off.peedee
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We love to get a map out, and read it. Almost as good as a book!
Agree, much better to look at the wider picture with a 'metre' square paper map than a tiddly phone app, or a slightly better tablet screen that may go on the blink unexpectedly even if offline.
I often get hauled off on long walks by my OH, I have learned to check things out carefully when he suggests something! Those thousands of wavy gradient lines have saved me from many an enforced route march! Lovely to trace things like sources of rivers,
all the letter boxes on Dartmoor, how ancient buildings and monuments interact with the local landscape etc.... Getting from A to B via C is the easy bit. It is all the rest that is the most interesting!0 -
No offence but I prefer a hand held geo navigation system-sorry to all you mapophiles
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I've been borrowing OS maps for my perambulations with the caravan for the past five years. Can be tricky if you are moving around a lot as you can only get four at a time.
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When we go out on the mountains we always take the OS map for the area and at least one compass. Knowing how to use those items and navigate properly could save your life some day.
I have a hand held GPS but would never trust it completely. They can be temperamental, can be dropped or damaged against rocks and fail at an inopertune time leaving the user with no means of navigating.
Cheers.................K
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I've been borrowing OS maps for my perambulations with the caravan for the past five years. Can be tricky if you are moving around a lot as you can only get four at a time.
I like maps of all kinds, ancient ones, historical ones. Are maritime charts similar? They look quite complicated to me, although to be honest, I have never had cause to look at one properly. Is there a simple way of explaining how you pinpoint your location
when off shore?0 -
I like a map but I always find it difficult to fold my map to put into my waterproof sleeve
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When we go out on the mountains we always take the OS map for the area and at least one compass. Knowing how to use those items and navigate properly could save your life some day.
I have a hand held GPS but would never trust it completely. They can be temperamental, can be dropped or damaged against rocks and fail at an inopertune time leaving the user with no means of navigating.
Cheers.................K
K, tip-if the GPS fails up a mountain just go back down it, preferably the way you got up. No thanks needed-my pleasure
PS-with paper
maps the wind could blow them away, so always be prepared.0 -
At the public library that I use you can get O/S maps for a 6 week loan by asking for a "holiday loan". Maybe your library will do the same?
That has been useful to me on many accasions when I am away for a longer spell.
Squip
Great service.
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At the public library that I use you can get O/S maps for a 6 week loan by asking for a "holiday loan". Maybe your library will do the same?
That has been useful to me on many accasions when I am away for a longer spell.
Squip
That's a good tip. I'll have to ask at our library. We have an excellent provision of OS maps but the normal loan period is 3 weeks, although they are often renewable.
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3 weeks, or even 6 wk loans are not a lot of good to us as we're generally away for longer period than that. Like tda we've a huge pile of maps for all over the country, but seem to find that on each trip that there's still one needed for part of the area
we're visiting. I also have the bad habit of either forgetting at least one or we change plans and head off to an area where I've not brought the map in the van.
We too order ours through Dash4it.0 -
Although I have a lot of paper OS maps, these days we go digital. I have the full country on 1:25,000 and 1:50,000. You can print them out onto A4 at any scale you want and also plot your route. These days a route on a sheet of A4 is generally far enough.
I have a totally transparent A4 waterproof map holder, which means you can have two A4 sheets back to back.0 -
Although I have a lot of paper OS maps, these days we go digital. I have the full country on 1:25,000 and 1:50,000.
You can print them out onto A4 at any scale you want and also plot your route. These days a route on a sheet of A4 is generally far enough. I have a totally transparent A4 waterproof map holder, which means you can have two A4 sheets back to
back.That's fine if you're at home and know where you're going when you set off. But I use the maps when we're away in the van, for weeks at a time, and I'm not going to carry a printer and reams of paper along with all the other stuff I've in the van.
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Although I have a lot of paper OS maps, these days we go digital. I have the full country on 1:25,000 and 1:50,000.
You can print them out onto A4 at any scale you want and also plot your route. These days a route on a sheet of A4 is generally far enough. I have a totally transparent A4 waterproof map holder, which means you can have two A4 sheets back to
back.That's fine if you're at home and know where you're going when you set off. But I use the maps when we're away in the van, for weeks at a time, and I'm not going to carry a printer and reams of paper along with all the other stuff I've in the van.
Just individual choice I suppose N. We don't carry some of the things that others consider essential, preferring the printer instead. One of the main uses on our longer tours, is to print of pictures of where we are visiting to
send to my Mum. As we are not able to visit her and she is not very good with the phone, it maintains a link.0 -
We have got a couple of very interesting maps produced by OS, that show Roman remains and Ancient Monuments. Being huge fans of historical sites, they have led us on some interesting walks and visits. I think they may have been re issued recently.
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I like maps of all kinds, ancient ones, historical ones. Are maritime charts similar? They look quite complicated to me, although to be honest, I have never had cause to look at one properly. Is there a simple way of explaining how you pinpoint your location
when off shore?If within sight of land you take a compass bearing of a couple of landmarks, a headland or prominent chimney/spire. Draw the lines in pencil on a chart and where they cross is your position. There are other techniques which would be rather lengthy to explain.
When out of sight of land, traditionally a sextant is used, a basic explanation can be found
here. Nowadays people use GPS to obtain Lat. & Long. which is great until the kit fails. Always good to know how to do it the old-fashioned way.0 -
I like maps of all kinds, ancient ones, historical ones. Are maritime charts similar? They look quite complicated to me, although to be honest, I have never had cause to look at one properly. Is there a simple way of explaining how you pinpoint your location
when off shore?If within sight of land you take a compass bearing of a couple of landmarks, a headland or prominent chimney/spire. Draw the lines in pencil on a chart and where they cross is your position. There are other techniques which would be rather lengthy to explain.
When out of sight of land, traditionally a sextant is used, a basic explanation can be found
here. Nowadays people use GPS to obtain Lat. & Long. which is great until the kit fails. Always good to know how to do it the old-fashioned way.Same as on land then, triangulation would give a better positioning mind! Not so easy out at sea though! Still enjoy using these skills although the sat nav is good for reassurance, particularly in mist!
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