Detailed Maps?
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Joined: Oct 2009
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Google or Bing are about as good a source for maps as there is. They have a lot of money and resources to accumulate the most detail that is commercially available and augment that information with their own research. They really are the most convenient and probably most reliable map sources in the world; and... it is all free.
I have been a map freak for 20+ years and while I love paper maps, it is really hard to beat the convenience and ease of use of a solid GPS loaded with current maps from a reputable source. I never use paper maps any more despite having an extensive library of paper topological maps of Arizona that I have accumulated over the years. A huge problem with paper maps is that odds are... it is outdated the day it gets printed. BTW, I bought the entire state of AZ library of topo maps from Mapsource and downloaded them to my Garmin; and they are the exact same thing as my paper maps. So, I haven't used a paper topo map in more than 10 years now.
P.S.
You might want to check with the USGS. A quick Google shows that they sell maps. My experience with them has been limited to survey information though.
P.P.S.
If you are like me and prefer a larger display than your average GPS unit or cell phone, while I haven't tried it yet, I am sure you can get the same maps that are on your GPS on a tablet, which is a good size for handling/reading and I actually like it quite a bit. It can be hard to read in bright sunlight, but the zoom ability eliminates the need for one of these...
You know you are a map nerd when you own one of the above ;-)
I have been a map freak for 20+ years and while I love paper maps, it is really hard to beat the convenience and ease of use of a solid GPS loaded with current maps from a reputable source. I never use paper maps any more despite having an extensive library of paper topological maps of Arizona that I have accumulated over the years. A huge problem with paper maps is that odds are... it is outdated the day it gets printed. BTW, I bought the entire state of AZ library of topo maps from Mapsource and downloaded them to my Garmin; and they are the exact same thing as my paper maps. So, I haven't used a paper topo map in more than 10 years now.
P.S.
You might want to check with the USGS. A quick Google shows that they sell maps. My experience with them has been limited to survey information though.
P.P.S.
If you are like me and prefer a larger display than your average GPS unit or cell phone, while I haven't tried it yet, I am sure you can get the same maps that are on your GPS on a tablet, which is a good size for handling/reading and I actually like it quite a bit. It can be hard to read in bright sunlight, but the zoom ability eliminates the need for one of these...
You know you are a map nerd when you own one of the above ;-)
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