UKC

Just wondering what maps people tend to use. I have always used OS maps and have done for years but there are a lot of other manufacturers on the market with different types of maps.

In reply to andyd1970:

I tend to use the BMC maps as they are waterproof so I can just stuff them into a pocket without worrying about them.

In reply to andyd1970: depends what routes I'm doing, if its scrambling I'll use os maps to give more depth but for wild camping and trekking i use BMC/Harveys waterproof maps.

You simply can't beat them

In reply to andyd1970:

I try to use a map of the area I intend to visit - usually works best

In reply to Route Adjuster: Beat me to it

In reply to andyd1970: i agree with the two above!

In reply to Route Adjuster: No wonder I keep getting lost. I take it you take a few maps with you on a day out with your user name

In reply to andyd1970:
Memory Map, I have the whole of Scotland (and north England) at 1:50 and print off what I need. I've a bunch already printed off sitting in the boot for ready use. I usually take two, one in a waterproof sleeve, one in the rucksack and if I've a Harveys/BMC map I take that as well for the better detail (I still don't like the 15m contours though).

In reply to andyd1970:
OS usually. I have the BMC map but I don't like the shading/contours on it. It's ok for seeing the lie of the land over a large area, but I'm used to OS, I even prefer the the 1:50000 to the BMC. (Plus the BMC one is nowt like as tough as claimed..)

In reply to andyd1970:


Good one...Alternatively I adjust my route to fit the map I happen to be looking at. You can make anything fit if you try hard enough.

To answer seriously, OS maps, can't beat them. Usually 1:50K but sometimes 1:25K Sometimes carry a GPS for backup to clarify position, phone does this now though.

In reply to Route Adjuster:
I try to use a map of the area I intend to visit - usually works best

Boring! Any idiot can match the terrain to the correct map, but it takes real skill to match them to the wrong map. Dull walks can be livened up by getting aggressively geographically inconvenienced through cartographical unsuitability. Next time you go for a walk in the hills try using a 1975 A-Z of London instead of an OS Landranger, or take a map of Snowdonia to the Peak district and you are much more likely to have an adventure.

In reply to Reach>Talent:

You can also find a reasonable degree of amusement in using old maps. I remember doing night navigation when at school with a 1950's OS map; the lack of big blue line for the M1 caused some head scratching.

Serious answer, OS 1:50,000 for most things. Never got on with Harveys. I have OS maps on my phone (using Viewranger) but find the small screen can be limiting when trying to get a more general view.

In reply to andyd1970:

Harveys, sometimes with OS sheets as back up.

I'm still using 1:40k Harvey maps from when they first appeared on the general market; they've been folded and got a soaking from wind, rain and snow countless times but are still going strong.

The BMC series cover larger areas per sheet but aren't quite so easy to use because they are bigger and so don't fold as well. In general though, the detail is excellent for mountain navigation and the maps of the Cuillin are a masterpiece.

Downsides? My 15 times table is always rusty, and they could sometimes have more named features on them - then the OS series would be pretty much redundant for me.