The Greeks are credited to be the first ones to ever draw a map. Anaximander, back in the 6th century BC, drew a map of what the world was thought to look like: a cylinder. Since then, millions of maps have been created to navigate the seas, study the skies and, of course, to camp, hike and live. So today we’re talking about “Understanding Your Map” and how to take great advantage of one.
We’ll go over the several details you find in one and how carrying a physical map can be a smart idea, besides bringing your digital ones with you.
- Have you found any hidden gems thanks to your maps?
- What kind of map is your favorite to use?
Let us hear from you in our Facebook Forum!
Episode Highlights:
- Exploring the different kinds of maps you can get
- Things you find inside the “legend” and how to interpret them
- Terrain references and special landmarks
- The “Compass Rose” and its utility
- Learning about grid squares, black lines and scales
- Similarities in trail names and what you see on the map
- Great tool to discover new trails and places
- Terrain features: ridges, saddles, hollers, cliffs
- Special question for North Carolinians: “What is your definition of hollers?”
- Physical maps vs Digital maps and Apps
Links and Resources:
Quotes from the episode
“Where I use maps the most in my world is canoe trips” Christopher
“Kids love reading a map and running a compass” Nate
“If you don’t have a compass, the landmarks that you can identify in the map are a good reference point” Christopher
“How can we plan our trip? A map is so useful there and often times I find more use even before you leave” Nate