If your map skills are rusty, it’s time to brush up. Maps and compasses are the best backups to your navigation system (no battery or cell service required), and will give you an understanding of the ground you’re hiking on that you just can’t get following a gadget. More importan...
Knowing how to read a topographic map is the foundation of any backcountry adventure. Through the use of contour lines, topo maps bring a 3-dimensional element to a 2-dimensional paper map. Topo maps allow you to visualize the rise and fall of the land and “see” the depths of canyons...
Where to Get Topo Maps USGS Maps The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) used to be the gold standard for topo maps. Covering the entire country, its maps consisted of rectangular areas of land called quadrangles ("quads" for short). Once available in most REI stores and other outdoor shops,...
A simple guide on how to read a topographic map and feel confident using it outside, with a 3d video demonstration.
map is essential to successfully finding a ghost town. USGS topographical maps are useful because they show the terrain and lay of the land as well as feature like roads, structures and mines. As you read this, it would be helpful if you also had your own topographical map to refer to....
Using the maps contour lines can tell you a lot about the terrain, including steepness, ruggedness, and ground cover. The most important thing to remember when reading a TOPO Map is that CLOSE contour lines indicate VERY STEEP SLOPES, while FARTHER SPACED contour lines indicate a more LEVEL te...
Get proper training.Using maps is a supplement to education, not a replacement. Visitavalanche.orgto find anavalanche education course. Start with the free avalanche awareness and education series “Know Before You Go.” Read theavalanche forecast.From Colorado to Utah, Montana to Alaska, avalanche...
Carefully scout your intended line for terrain traps with topo and satellite layers. Cliffs may be visible on satellite layers, and will show up on topo maps as contour lines stacked very close together. Section divider Avalanche Paths Use satellite layers to identify known avalanches paths that ...
As the years go by, the earth’s magnetic changes due to variations in the earth’s chemical composition at depth. If you’re using old maps, find your location on this site, and it will tell you your current declination. How to Read a Topographical Map The first thing you’re going ...
You don’t need an ArcGIS Online account to download any of the topographic maps. Simply, click the “Download” button in the left panel and you will be able to obtain a copy of the topographic map. Here’s the latest version of theTopo Map Explorercourtesy of Esri’s Living Atlas of...