Laminated maps.

[TrickLidz]

http://lidzduc.blogspot.com/

Let me know what you think.

[Mike]

Nicely done! I often lament my shift from maps to mostly gps navigation; there's something special about using your brain to translate what's printed on paper into a trip plan.

[Bologna]

My Dad was an Eagle Scout and we had to read a map and use a compass.Glad to see a map idea, nice!

[Nice n Easy Rider]

Well, if my wife rode with me I'd probably have to do something similar and I think you've done a great job with this. For now, though, I'm comfortable with the GPS. Even when I get lost (either due to my incompetence or the GPS' intrinsic faults)I enjoy the inevitable exploration of new roads that often ensues. Of course someday when I'm in the middle of a good thunderstorm (or worse) those words will come back to haunt me.

[David13]

That's what I use. Maps. I have quite a few, and continue to get more. And give away or throw away the old ones.

Butler maps are good.

I have a gps. I don't even take it with me. When I did take it, I never used it. I do use the laptop daily to plan where I'm going, where to get gas, etc.

I had a another gps; I gave it away.

I like to stop, drink water, and look at the map. Maybe coffee.

dc

[dirtrider]

I like maps also, only my maps are in a little electronic box right in front of me as I ride along. Mysteriously the correct map for where I’m at keeps appearing in front of me as I ride. If I pick a place on the map that I want to go & touch “go there” it will guide me right to that spot. If I get stuck in a traffic jam I just touch “detour” & that same little box of maps will plot me a new course around the problem area. If I don’t want the box to guide me I just put in the destination & wander around all the while having the box keep pointing out the destination, direction, & distance. It even puts a compass on the screen to help me wander about.

 

If I don’t want to ride on dirt or gravel roads it keeps me off of those, if I want to take my time it can be set to take very minor back roads or if I’m in a hurry it can be set to fastest time.

 

I don’t have to keep looking for road names on every corner as that same little box of maps will tell me in plain English how far the next turn is & will even tell me if I messed up & missed it.

 

Then if I get hungry while riding along I can just put in the type of food I feel like & that little box will tell what’s available, tell me how far is from me, & tell me what direction to get there.

 

Same with gasoline, just ask the box & it will tell where the nearest known gas station is, tell me the direction, & guide me right to it if I ask (I can even pick my brand).

 

When I get home that same little electronic box will transfer to my computer every place I have been (in detail) as well as give me the speeds & time I used to get there.

 

OH! And it’s also waterproof.

 

Yes! I like maps, preferably electronic & updated every few months to stay very current.

 

[TrickLidz]

dirtrider, as I stated, I too have the mysterious box right in front of me. But, like I said, Mary is a map person and my navigator, so if she insists (always a good idea) on bringing a map or two, I might as well make it easier. We find maps are easier to see where you are in relation to the other states and these maps also show the scenic (twisty) routes with a dotted line.

[tallman]

Before GPS I would copy pages of areas from Delorme Atlas which had a fair amount of detail.

Cut to tank bag window size w a little extra to fold at edge.

Then tape edge leaving slot.

Cut cardboard that size slide map over cardboard and place in window.

Replace when entering new areas.

Some I waterproofed w/sealer.

Now, GPS.

And I usually have a commercial map in the window just in case but I don't create all the route portions as before.

If she's a map reader I can see your need.

Some jackets even had/have a rear area of riders jacket that is a window for pillion to put map for nav purposes.

Best wishes.

[NCStephen]

I am a map person a well. I enjoy looking over maps and planning and wondering what might be in store on a road. I used to put sections of maps up top on the tank bag, or just a roll sheet affair of the road names I would be taking.

 

HOWEVER, my eyes, and bifocals > progressive lenses, and tank bag reading don't work so well now. For me to really glance and glean some information takes a lot longer and either I stop to read it or my eyes are really off the road for a long time.

 

So I still do a lot of wondering and planning and memorizing things I want to check out. BUT, I bought a used BMW Nav II, have mounted it high over the speedo and tach and use it to help with the routing. I really don't put routes into it but use it very much like I would a map in the tank bag. I almost always vary off the initial route because something looks interesting, or I have a little more time than planned or a little less.

 

STILL, I think the time you did to put your map together is great. It would be the type of thing then to pull out while eating to plan the next part of the trip or reflect on where you had been. GREAT JOB!

 

NCS

[thencamebronson]

I also like maps, mostly because I can see the big picture, so to speak. As an Army LT I learned to read topographic maps, and your solution reminds me of a method we learned from aviators and used in Germany in preparation for REFORGER every year. You would get the set of 1:50000 TOPO maps for the entire maneuver area. This would often be 20-30 separate map sheets. The normal method would be to cut the margins off and then tape them all together making one huge map which would be unwieldy at best. The method we used was to make a book out of the sheets. The nothwest corner map sheet would be A1, folded in half N-S and pasted to A2 etc. Once you got to the northeast corner you would start with B1, B2... The resulting book was easy to use in the hatch of your tank or 113 as well as easy to carry and store. Copying operation overlays took some attention but sice we covered the maps with "combat acetate" you could mark them up with alcohol pens and erase when necessary. I still have my book from REFORGER 81. I have often thought about doing something like that with road maps.

[markgoodrich]

Tricklidz, very nice, but I personally would never have the patience to do all that. I bought a gps a number of years ago (still have the same one, never have updated software, it all still works fine) when, once again I asked my wife, at a T-intersection, "are you holding the map upside down?" and had to endure a lengthy Period of Stony Silence. She said 'turn left' and I was certain we needed to go the opposite direction...I was right. Nowadays, the gps gets all the blame.

 

I always also carry paper maps as an aid to planning and as someone else said getting the big picture...the main failing of gps systems.

[TrickLidz]

Bronson, my system works similar to that. I use the lower right map marked SE (south east) as 1 of 10 for example and then continue CW for 2 of 10, etc ending with 10 being NE---easier to do than explain.

Now another question for everyone here- someone on another forum commented on my idea that they print maps from Google Maps of an area and laminate them, but I'm having a hard time printing a good copy, they come out light!!! Any help would be great.

[TrickLidz]

I figured out the Google Maps thing. http://lidzduc.blogspot.com/2011/10/ole-laminator.html