I recently saw a friend post on social media explaining to her kids about how she used maps before phones when driving through cities or across the country.
One of her kids said, “You mean like pirates?” With the coming of the smartphone and GPS navigation, and the word “map” describing any number of apps, the paper maps we used just a few years ago, have almost disappeared and with it, some key skills have been lost.
Unfortunately, we have lost more than the Rand McNally from the seat pocket, we have lost our sense of knowing our way, of learning a city we visit, the skill of having a natural sense of direction. If the phone loses functionality or battery charge, most are lost. Have you looked at a paper map lately, or at all?
The absolute skill of looking at a piece of paper and navigating to that exact spot in the world was expected from navigators for hundreds of years. When I describe it now, it seems like magic when, with a map, compass, and scale, teams in the Rebelle Rally can find checkpoints with no physical markers, within meters of the exact location, frequently more accurate than a phone GPS.
What to Know About Maps
As this is just an introduction to maps, I’ll not do a deep dive; however, there are a few things you need to know concerning maps.
1. They are not apps. You cannot simply look at a map after hours of aimless driving and know your position on it, or even if you are on the one you have. You need to have awareness of where you are on the map and the way you do this is by not getting lost in the first place.
2. Stop as soon as you think you are lost. It is not difficult to get “unlost” or reassure yourself of your location by using a compass or studying the topography or other features on the map and comparing them to your surroundings.
3. Always have a sense of direction, where is north? If your destination is northeast of your location, you need to be watching and catch wrong turns. Many roads in the desert look the same but you can quickly find yourself headed in the wrong direction.
4. Practice alongside your GPS or other app. Verify your location using the app as a backup while you are getting comfortable with how to navigate your map.
5. If you are using a regular compass to work with your map, realize that it is not accurate in or near your Bronco. You must get away from the metal and electronics in your vehicle as they can impact the magnetic needle. The same is true with some jewelry and watches. Double check your compass for accuracy before leaving home.
Using a Map in Off-Road Terrain
In off-road terrain, many apps do not have the technology to guide you to a spot reliably. Even if you have the best technology, it can fail, apps can crash as we discovered recently with a very popular off-road app that would freeze your location for several minutes or show your location as miles away. Luckily, the paper map remained reliable and was easily used for the rest of the day.
Now, back to that paper map. Even if it is something you never plan to use, a good map is like a work of art, rich in topography and so much information beyond what most apps provide. When I look at a map, I take in a few things that some may not have noticed. Let us cover a few of these and I’ll explain what they are.
Scale
This is a representation of how much distance on the map relates to how much distance is in the world.
Typically, this information is listed on the map, in this example, 1:100,000, meaning 1 unit of measure on the map equals 100,000 in nature, 1 inch=100,000 inches. Often there is also a distance marker on the map in miles or kilometers, having a ruler or even a scrap piece of paper, can help you understand the distance that will be needed to travel.
Latitude
On maps, latitude are the lines that run east to west on the map and are usually expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds or using the UTM grid system.
I use the analogy of ladders, climbing up the globe from 0 at the equator where the latitude lines are the ladder rungs. When running through the continental United States, these degrees run from about 25 degrees up to 49 degrees, finally reaching 90 at the north pole.
Longitude
These are the north to south lines on the map. Compared to latitude lines, longitude lines are not the same distance apart around the world because although the map is flat, the world is a globe and bulges out wider at the equator and is narrower as it travels towards the poles.
Compass Rose
This is the north, south, west, and east on a map and may be represented quite simply, just with an arrow towards the north, or more ornately. The information on the compass rose will help you orient the map using your compass so that it matches the world around you and helps you plan your route.
Declination
Most maps in the U.S. are oriented to true north, toward the north pole, but a compass will point towards magnetic north. The magnetic pole is not located directly under the top of the planet but is actually about 1,200 miles (about the distance from Florida to New York City) away from each other.
So, an adjustment must be made between the map and nature, depending on the difference between magnetic and true north based on your location. Many compasses allow for a declination adjustment so they can be “calibrated” to the area you are in. In the photo below, you can see that the black marking points at around 10 degrees East declination to align with the map. It is important to know the declination and that it is often located on the map, or you can find your magnetic declination here.
Date of Map
There are multiple reasons why the date of the map data is important. One, the older the map, the more likely there will be incorrect information such as new roads, closed roads, property ownership, etc. Also, the declination information could be incorrect since our magnetic north is wandering by over 30 miles per year.
Topography
All those little lines and shading on maps represent a three-dimensional world in a two-dimensional drawing. Often, maps will provide symbol keys or an explanation of the elevation of each line.
Even without this information, you can get an idea of where mountains or canyons are, rivers and lakes, and can follow tiny lines which may represent roads, powerlines, or railroad tracks.
This helps with your route planning because I can tell you that the shortest distance route, that also happens to go through mountains may be much longer time wise than the routes that go around them.
Map and compass navigation is a dying art but one that can really enhance your outdoor experience and possibly save you from a dangerous situation. By studying a map, you may find things you never knew existed like mines, lakes, and new routes to your favorite spots. I encourage you to explore and try the road less traveled.
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