What Trail maps are you using?

I've used All Trails and google but It seems there may be something better, so what do you use and why?

 

I use All Trials and Caltopo. Caltopo has great detail. Seemed a little awkward to learn for me, but I'm not savvy to these things. You can download maps (a necessity when in the boonies and disconnected from phone/internet). I recently realized cell phones have GPS built and and you don't need a phone or internet connect to use these maps.

 

Is Caltopo reliable in locating ORV Trails?

 

I can't say with certainty because I've only actually used it a handful of times in the field. I have every reason to believe that it is accurate. There are many choices for map overlays from different governmental agencies, etc. I like it because it is very helpful in locating BLM land. You can login and use the free version. I paid for the ~$20 membership level. It has already paid for itself. I'm new to these maps and don't have a lot of experience with them. I reviewed the primary choices and landed with Caltop. I'm sure there are several good choices.

 

Do you have any links?

 

caltopo.com

 

www.gaiagps.com is what I use. Pretty user friendly IMO

 

You prefer mall maps

 

Shouldn't you be looking for side work?

 

No, I'm swamped. Had to turn some down lately

 

Paper maps FTMFW

 

Remember when!

 

Gaia is good. TrailsOffroad.com is the best. (Though, I might be biased. )

 

The Trails Unlimited maps are definitely my go to for paper maps. High quality, colorful, water proof: Good stuff.

For electronic maps I use the BC Nav USGS topo and Forrest Service (FS) maps that are included with BC Nav Pro.

I've also used the FS Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) maps on an app called Avenza. You can download a whole bunch of FREE maps from the Avenza website in geoPDF form. There are other ones you can buy, but I just go there for the free MVUMs.

The user interface for Avenza is a little clunky, but the MVUM maps are nice because they only show the trails/roads on a plain background. Makes route finding easier in some situations.

I just wish I could set custom geoPDFs (like the MVUMs, or other georeferenced map images) as the background for BC Navigator, that would be ideal.

Obviously, you download all these before going off-grid.

 

Have you figured out how to layer maps in Avenza? I like the MVUM maps because they seem up to date. Lots of times I just want to layer the MVUM map over the pdf map I've downloaded from Avenza.

Avenza is often klunky and I often have a hard time figuring out what map I need to download from Avenza. I try to stick with the free maps and it bugs me that if I pay for a map Avenza states it can only be used on Avenza.

 

I am pleased with ON X Offroad.

 

Yeah, that's the annoying part about Avenza, part of the reason I don't really use it that much anymore. But so far it's the only readily available app I've come across that can ingest the geoPDF MVUM's.

I remember a few areas where I was basically on the edge of two different MVUMs and had to keep switching which one was on top. Been so long I don't remember how I did that...

I use ArcGIS at work, so the technology obviously exists to be able to ingest a generic geoPDF or geoTiffs, but everyone wants their proprietary software and file formats so you're stuck using THEIR products. I believe there are mobile versions of ArcMap and other mapping softwares, but they aren't exactly user friendly for back country off-roading, and licensing is generally pretty expensive.

At least most mapping apps can easily ingest gpx files, and Google Earth can convert to and from shapefiles and gpx files, so there's that. But I'm not aware of such "generic" compatibility for basemaps/raster data.

Like I said, I wish gaia or BC Nav would make an option to have custom (i.e. generic format) basemaps. Maybe they do, but I'm not aware of it. I'd pay decent money for that!

 

I honestly wish these never lost popularity. A paper map doesn't evaporate when the battery dies.

 

What do you mean lost popularity? I see these things all over the place. There's a whole shelf of them at REI.

But I think I know what you're getting at. People have been relying on GPS and electronics way too much. There's the old wife's tale of the couple that drove off a cliff because their GPS told them too.

It's crazy to me that some people only rely on GPS. If you look at the dash of some of these broverlanders with 6 different screens, 3 different radios, and a roof full of patches, and I guess they just don't have room for a paper map.

But on the same token, you also need to know how to read the map. Give a map to one of those goobers who's never used a map before, and they'll probably be worse off, lol.

 

I booked marked it, but looking at it, some of the trails in Utah seem to be missing. maybe because I need to sign up??