Just out of curiosity, are you full digital do you still buy map often ?.
I like the infinite battery life, massive fold out screen size, and great daytime contrast ratio and glare filter.
regularly for hiking.
I'm such a screen addict that I once pinched-to-zoom a paper map.
If you move your head forward at the same time, it works !
The last summer before the "brexit" I went to scotland, one of the classic hike there is going atop the Ben nevis mountain. Even though in summer it's not a complicated hike, I still bought a paper map to not be yet another tourist lost in the mist, I have a limited trust in mobile phone map in outdoor activity, especially when the weather isn't optimal.
Question was triggered as I stumbled open that map when sorting some stuff on my bookshelves.
False dichotomy: I'll still happily grab a paper map to this day if given the option, but I've never paid for one.
Every paper map I've ever used has been either a state highway map given for free at the state welcome center on the side of the freeway, or a state/national park hiking trail map given for free at the visitor center or ranger station.
Maps were always free. My family even had AAA so we could get those fancy Trip-Tiks.
That's a good point. I'll use paper maps for, say, park trails all the time.
Do decorative video games maps count?
Hiking.
I use digital when my life doesn't depend on it.
Edit: bought it last month.
Literally just bought a map book for most of Australia a few weeks ago.
Planning a three week trip through the Outback. Seems crazy to try and rely on technology out there for that long without a safety net of some sort.
I bought a topo map a few weeks ago for a backpacking trip. Electronics are heavier and less suitable for that purpose in my opinion.
I buy some roadmaps probably every 10 years or so to make sure mine are up to date and not too beat up, I keep them in my car and do use them occasionally. I usually have 3 maps, a local maps of my nearest city and surrounding area, one of my state, and then one of the surrounding region.
I also tend to pick up free maps wherever I can, lots of state parks and such, tourist maps, etc. but I'm not buying them so not exactly relevant.
I also tend to pick up free maps from AAA since I'm a member whenever I'm going on a road trip, I'm paying for the membership so I guess in a sense I'm buying them, but also not really
I love paper maps, I have never had one run out of battery, or direct me onto a dead end.
It's more than that though. It's an adventure whenever you look at one.
I never use GPS or location services, show me a map and I know where I am and how to get to the next place.
My most recent paper map is of Tobago.
I have had a paper map direct me through a gated community. Thankfully the tools in the truck unfastened the hinges. Still bugs me. It was a county road!
Bought? I don't remember, but I got free maps of Michigan when I moved here about 5 years ago. They were very useful when Google made me turn into a back road in the upper peninsula and then stopped working when I lost signal (when tho I had offline maps of the area downloaded)
I have a road atlas in my car. Other than that, I will print out trail maps when backpacking.
Probably 2022? My wife like maps, especially older ones, as decoration.
I bought a road map a few years ago for the car in case of emergencies.
Last time I moved. Went to the mass transit agency and got maps of every neighbourghood I need it go or pass through. I was lucky to find one with my neighbourghood as well as my office. I keep it this me always in my pocket.
It works offline, never bugs or slows down and the interface never have a glitch. And if I want to, I can still use the GPS that's in my phone. It's not like I lost the option bc I have a paper map.
They are free though...
In our neck of the woods, membership in the Automobile Association comes with free maps. You have to go into their offices and request them, and they're very helpful about which maps may come handy.
I usually get them before a long roadtrip into areas where they may be weak cell service. To be safe, I also download digital maps, but a paper map gives better broad context on where we are and what is nearby.
Problem is, we're terrible at getting rid of them after the trips...
Corsica trip with my wife, 2019. A paper map doesn't need batteries, it's big, you can annotate it easily. Plus it has that fresh-off-the-press scent 👌
Also IGN (Institut géographique national) maps are amazing
Are these anything special ? I mean, are they road maps with elevation, or something else ?
They are very precise, cover the whole french territory, are all in the same format, follow the same standards and the paper maps are not too expensive. There are topographical maps at a 1:25000 scale, and roadmaps at a 1:250000 scale. And these paper maps are as sturdy as they can be, my dad has been rocking some of them for almost his entire life.
I guess I just get too excited about state funded institutions that provide good service to the public and still exist in 2024. Them paper maps can really be a lifesaver when you're hiking in the more remote parts of France though
There is no such thing as being too excited about a public service/institution ! I'll havetoo look oit for these IGN maps, thanks for the recommendation
I used to buy the laminated ones so I could mark routes for my mom with a dry erase marker, but that's been ~10 years ago. I but a lot of travel guides and I use the maps in those for trip planning. I think their still very useful when you need a larger overview of an unfamiliar area. Always pick up the free ones at parks.
They always gave them away for free, so I guess never?
Backroads Map Book a couple years ago, because logging/mining roads aren't marked well online, and then you have to figure out how to download it offline when you're in the ass end of nowhere. Best I've found is OSMAnd and even that doesn't have everything.
Pilot here. I'm (supposed to) use only current VFR sectional charts, and they are only considered "current" for a 4-month window.
I haven't bought a paper map once in my 30 years of life. My parents still used them in the 90s and early 2000s when we went on vacation.
GPS Navigation didn't become widely available at a decent size until the mid 2000s I would say. I remember for sure I had GPS navigation on a laptop which was just as ridiculous as it sounds in around 2002-2003.
The GPS was a PCMCIA card with an aerial you put near the windscreen. The software would just stop showing a map when you went faster than 50mph or so, and only provide basic instructions and your speed. Buying a laptop charger that plugged into the cigarette lighter socket wasn't as cheap as it is now either.
Needless to say, it was a novelty thing. The main problem with paper map navigation when driving is, you really need to compress the instructions down to something you can remember if driving on your own. Since you need to stop if you lose track of your route. I don't miss that to be honest.
I don't typically ever have to Buy maps. But whenever I'm touring a new place paper maps are awesome. Especially for cities. I learned basically all of Paris and Barcelona that way. Granted I also had to walk everywhere.
I moved to a new town and I wanted to get an overall view without zooming in and out and scrolling, just a more natural overview.
road trip
Where ? Any cool stories ? I'm a sucker for road trip stories
Bought - it's been 15 years at least.
Got one for free and used it actively - last month. Tourist organizations in many cities still give away simple paper maps of city center with major sights (and some advertising).
somewhere around 2012. I wanted to have something on my wall as a teen.
My mom used to work for the local school district, and another teacher was going to get rid of one of the old pull-down maps so she took it for me.
I still have to find a place to put it up though lol.
I've used plenty of free ones, but don't think I ever paid for a physical map.
I bought a whole set of map books a couple years ago because they list all the spots and trails for snowmobiling, off-roading, mtb, hiking, swimming, fishing, camping, etc.
This year. We did camping trip to Patagonia and didn’t want to rely on OSM entirely.
never bought a paper map. Have picked up one at a park or something, but haven't done that in a decade.
I've kept a 6-county atlas (Chicagoland) in my car since the 90s. Highly recommended. We had a hell of a time explaining to my I've cousin's oldest kid why learning how to use a paper map was a critical skill. Sometimes the Internet don't work kids; keep a map in the car.
Dnd sessions, always fun to have props
Forgot that simple trick to get maps :). But actually when I use rpg maps, it's digital and printed and in general not bought (either found online or done)
Aviation maps for drone licenses theory exam. This was before they updated the legislation and you had to actually study aviation.
Other than that I've bought OS maps for hiking purposes. Also tried to buy some custom areas to create a custom map poster but it was basically impossible so I ended up building it myself from screenshots.
Pennsylvania over a decade ago. Somehow I had managed to get on the wrong side of the freeway and when i realized (very little directional signage and no GPS), I took the next exit to find there was no corresponding on-ramp to get back on the otherside.
After some wandering I found a gas station, bought a map, and took side streets until I could get back on the main road.
NY 2014. I bought one of those books with paper maps because I was going to visit and my phone would not work. It was great because it explained their subway system but my phone did work at the end lol
Never bought one, but I printed one in ~2018
Not me per se but rather my father. For our third (and up to this day latest) roadtrip to Las Vegas in 2014. My parents were still not very smartphone-savy and I wouldn't have my first until a year later. That time we really did a lot of roaming around the city beyond just the Boulevard and surroundings.
It would have been the 1990s by ADC, a street map company local to this area (and possibly other cities).
I didn't buy it, but I was at Cooter's Garage near Luray VA this spring and on the wall was a big cool detailed map with a bunch of motorcycle routes and bars, restaurants, and attractions to see all over WV, VA, and OH. I asked if they had it for sale and the lady said, no, but there was a little smaller version available with the brochures. So I got a folded-up one that's still neat.
Couple years ago i downloaded a geomap of texas showing the various geological ages of the different areas in the state. Then found a service online that will enlarge it poster size. Now hangs on my wall next to the front entrance
Maybe 20 years ago visiting Croatia, or even before
In 2010 i bought one before embarking on a road trip across Europe. I don't think I used it though, but i kept it just in case.
I use CalTopo, and can make PDFs of the exact area I want and then print custom maps as backups for hiking.
Bought a copy of The MilePost for a road trip up the Alcan last year.
Very specific, relevant information along with maps in a paper format is ideal when you're driving through remote areas with little to no cell signal.
Back in the before times, when gps wasn’t a thing. I think i still have it in the trunk of the car or something.
Do maps of shopping centres or festivals count? These are often only on paper with no digital analogue.
Bought? Never. I have a 2024 Western Europe road atlas in the pocket behind the driver's seat, but I don't know who bought it. I like to look at the pretty lines and funny names from time to time, but really OSM and it's various client apps are what I actually use.
I remember the last time, I almost bought a map. Back in 2006 I had just moved to one of the largest metropolitan areas in the US. I went to Walmart to get one of those local atlas books, and saw it was like $75. They had Garmins on sale for around $100. Bought a Garmin and haven't purchased a non-decorative map since.
Never, I always use OSM
I buy maps as art pieces, I would never use a map for navigating but I guess I rarely go somewhere remote enough that power is a concern.
Last summer. We have a lot for camping. We make sure to have one for each are we go to. I also have charts for nautical navigation.
The last time I bought a map was around the early 2000's. I drove to another city and bought a city plan along with a newspaper. I used both to search for appartements to visit and rent while being there for the whole day.
The last time a physical map got handed to me was when I registered as a citizen in yet another city I went to study for. Students who moved there were handed a shoulder bag filled with some brochures along with a map of the city and a book with the timetables for all public transport routes as a welcoming gift. That was in 2007.
I bought a couple maps when I was in Europe when I was 16. My grandpa made me "the navigator" because I'm decent with maps and directions and such.
That was in like 2013.
a few years ago when i updated my emergency evacuation bag i bought a road atlas of my country
Ireland, 2005.
Because I had never been to Ireland, and it was 2005.
Around 2008/09 when i'm in college and moving around in a foreign place. Videogame helps me a lot with physical map navigation.
Bought one about two weeks ago. Usually i like having a paper map on my cycling trips, but on long ones it's getting too many maps, so i didn't bring any. Then i met some italians with a map and next day i bought one myself. I think it's much better to see where you are at and how you move than on a phone.
Also kinda like the "scenic routes" marker in the michelin maps (although that's also on their online maps). It was a midi pyrenees map, but i have already ridden out of it, going to send it home.
I like the infinite battery life, massive fold out screen size, and great daytime contrast ratio and glare filter. regularly for hiking.
I'm such a screen addict that I once pinched-to-zoom a paper map.
If you move your head forward at the same time, it works !
The last summer before the "brexit" I went to scotland, one of the classic hike there is going atop the Ben nevis mountain. Even though in summer it's not a complicated hike, I still bought a paper map to not be yet another tourist lost in the mist, I have a limited trust in mobile phone map in outdoor activity, especially when the weather isn't optimal.
Question was triggered as I stumbled open that map when sorting some stuff on my bookshelves.
False dichotomy: I'll still happily grab a paper map to this day if given the option, but I've never paid for one.
Every paper map I've ever used has been either a state highway map given for free at the state welcome center on the side of the freeway, or a state/national park hiking trail map given for free at the visitor center or ranger station.
Maps were always free. My family even had AAA so we could get those fancy Trip-Tiks.
That's a good point. I'll use paper maps for, say, park trails all the time.
Do decorative video games maps count?
Hiking.
I use digital when my life doesn't depend on it.
Edit: bought it last month.
Literally just bought a map book for most of Australia a few weeks ago.
Planning a three week trip through the Outback. Seems crazy to try and rely on technology out there for that long without a safety net of some sort.
I bought a topo map a few weeks ago for a backpacking trip. Electronics are heavier and less suitable for that purpose in my opinion.
I buy some roadmaps probably every 10 years or so to make sure mine are up to date and not too beat up, I keep them in my car and do use them occasionally. I usually have 3 maps, a local maps of my nearest city and surrounding area, one of my state, and then one of the surrounding region.
I also tend to pick up free maps wherever I can, lots of state parks and such, tourist maps, etc. but I'm not buying them so not exactly relevant.
I also tend to pick up free maps from AAA since I'm a member whenever I'm going on a road trip, I'm paying for the membership so I guess in a sense I'm buying them, but also not really
I love paper maps, I have never had one run out of battery, or direct me onto a dead end.
It's more than that though. It's an adventure whenever you look at one.
I never use GPS or location services, show me a map and I know where I am and how to get to the next place.
My most recent paper map is of Tobago.
I have had a paper map direct me through a gated community. Thankfully the tools in the truck unfastened the hinges. Still bugs me. It was a county road!
Bought? I don't remember, but I got free maps of Michigan when I moved here about 5 years ago. They were very useful when Google made me turn into a back road in the upper peninsula and then stopped working when I lost signal (when tho I had offline maps of the area downloaded)
I have a road atlas in my car. Other than that, I will print out trail maps when backpacking.
Probably 2022? My wife like maps, especially older ones, as decoration.
I bought a road map a few years ago for the car in case of emergencies.
Last time I moved. Went to the mass transit agency and got maps of every neighbourghood I need it go or pass through. I was lucky to find one with my neighbourghood as well as my office. I keep it this me always in my pocket.
It works offline, never bugs or slows down and the interface never have a glitch. And if I want to, I can still use the GPS that's in my phone. It's not like I lost the option bc I have a paper map.
They are free though...
In our neck of the woods, membership in the Automobile Association comes with free maps. You have to go into their offices and request them, and they're very helpful about which maps may come handy.
I usually get them before a long roadtrip into areas where they may be weak cell service. To be safe, I also download digital maps, but a paper map gives better broad context on where we are and what is nearby.
Problem is, we're terrible at getting rid of them after the trips...
Corsica trip with my wife, 2019. A paper map doesn't need batteries, it's big, you can annotate it easily. Plus it has that fresh-off-the-press scent 👌
Also IGN (Institut géographique national) maps are amazing
Are these anything special ? I mean, are they road maps with elevation, or something else ?
They are very precise, cover the whole french territory, are all in the same format, follow the same standards and the paper maps are not too expensive. There are topographical maps at a 1:25000 scale, and roadmaps at a 1:250000 scale. And these paper maps are as sturdy as they can be, my dad has been rocking some of them for almost his entire life.
I guess I just get too excited about state funded institutions that provide good service to the public and still exist in 2024. Them paper maps can really be a lifesaver when you're hiking in the more remote parts of France though
There is no such thing as being too excited about a public service/institution ! I'll havetoo look oit for these IGN maps, thanks for the recommendation
I used to buy the laminated ones so I could mark routes for my mom with a dry erase marker, but that's been ~10 years ago. I but a lot of travel guides and I use the maps in those for trip planning. I think their still very useful when you need a larger overview of an unfamiliar area. Always pick up the free ones at parks.
They always gave them away for free, so I guess never?
Backroads Map Book a couple years ago, because logging/mining roads aren't marked well online, and then you have to figure out how to download it offline when you're in the ass end of nowhere. Best I've found is OSMAnd and even that doesn't have everything.
Pilot here. I'm (supposed to) use only current VFR sectional charts, and they are only considered "current" for a 4-month window.
I haven't bought a paper map once in my 30 years of life. My parents still used them in the 90s and early 2000s when we went on vacation.
GPS Navigation didn't become widely available at a decent size until the mid 2000s I would say. I remember for sure I had GPS navigation on a laptop which was just as ridiculous as it sounds in around 2002-2003.
The GPS was a PCMCIA card with an aerial you put near the windscreen. The software would just stop showing a map when you went faster than 50mph or so, and only provide basic instructions and your speed. Buying a laptop charger that plugged into the cigarette lighter socket wasn't as cheap as it is now either.
Needless to say, it was a novelty thing. The main problem with paper map navigation when driving is, you really need to compress the instructions down to something you can remember if driving on your own. Since you need to stop if you lose track of your route. I don't miss that to be honest.
I don't typically ever have to Buy maps. But whenever I'm touring a new place paper maps are awesome. Especially for cities. I learned basically all of Paris and Barcelona that way. Granted I also had to walk everywhere.
I moved to a new town and I wanted to get an overall view without zooming in and out and scrolling, just a more natural overview.
Where ? Any cool stories ? I'm a sucker for road trip stories
Bought - it's been 15 years at least.
Got one for free and used it actively - last month. Tourist organizations in many cities still give away simple paper maps of city center with major sights (and some advertising).
somewhere around 2012. I wanted to have something on my wall as a teen.
My mom used to work for the local school district, and another teacher was going to get rid of one of the old pull-down maps so she took it for me.
I still have to find a place to put it up though lol.
I've used plenty of free ones, but don't think I ever paid for a physical map.
I bought a whole set of map books a couple years ago because they list all the spots and trails for snowmobiling, off-roading, mtb, hiking, swimming, fishing, camping, etc.
This year. We did camping trip to Patagonia and didn’t want to rely on OSM entirely.
never bought a paper map. Have picked up one at a park or something, but haven't done that in a decade.
I've kept a 6-county atlas (Chicagoland) in my car since the 90s. Highly recommended. We had a hell of a time explaining to my I've cousin's oldest kid why learning how to use a paper map was a critical skill. Sometimes the Internet don't work kids; keep a map in the car.
Dnd sessions, always fun to have props
Forgot that simple trick to get maps :). But actually when I use rpg maps, it's digital and printed and in general not bought (either found online or done)
Aviation maps for drone licenses theory exam. This was before they updated the legislation and you had to actually study aviation.
Other than that I've bought OS maps for hiking purposes. Also tried to buy some custom areas to create a custom map poster but it was basically impossible so I ended up building it myself from screenshots.
Pennsylvania over a decade ago. Somehow I had managed to get on the wrong side of the freeway and when i realized (very little directional signage and no GPS), I took the next exit to find there was no corresponding on-ramp to get back on the otherside.
After some wandering I found a gas station, bought a map, and took side streets until I could get back on the main road.
NY 2014. I bought one of those books with paper maps because I was going to visit and my phone would not work. It was great because it explained their subway system but my phone did work at the end lol
Never bought one, but I printed one in ~2018
Not me per se but rather my father. For our third (and up to this day latest) roadtrip to Las Vegas in 2014. My parents were still not very smartphone-savy and I wouldn't have my first until a year later. That time we really did a lot of roaming around the city beyond just the Boulevard and surroundings.
It would have been the 1990s by ADC, a street map company local to this area (and possibly other cities).
I didn't buy it, but I was at Cooter's Garage near Luray VA this spring and on the wall was a big cool detailed map with a bunch of motorcycle routes and bars, restaurants, and attractions to see all over WV, VA, and OH. I asked if they had it for sale and the lady said, no, but there was a little smaller version available with the brochures. So I got a folded-up one that's still neat.
Couple years ago i downloaded a geomap of texas showing the various geological ages of the different areas in the state. Then found a service online that will enlarge it poster size. Now hangs on my wall next to the front entrance
Maybe 20 years ago visiting Croatia, or even before
In 2010 i bought one before embarking on a road trip across Europe. I don't think I used it though, but i kept it just in case.
I use CalTopo, and can make PDFs of the exact area I want and then print custom maps as backups for hiking.
Bought a copy of The MilePost for a road trip up the Alcan last year.
Very specific, relevant information along with maps in a paper format is ideal when you're driving through remote areas with little to no cell signal.
Back in the before times, when gps wasn’t a thing. I think i still have it in the trunk of the car or something.
Do maps of shopping centres or festivals count? These are often only on paper with no digital analogue.
Bought? Never. I have a 2024 Western Europe road atlas in the pocket behind the driver's seat, but I don't know who bought it. I like to look at the pretty lines and funny names from time to time, but really OSM and it's various client apps are what I actually use.
I remember the last time, I almost bought a map. Back in 2006 I had just moved to one of the largest metropolitan areas in the US. I went to Walmart to get one of those local atlas books, and saw it was like $75. They had Garmins on sale for around $100. Bought a Garmin and haven't purchased a non-decorative map since.
Never, I always use OSM
I buy maps as art pieces, I would never use a map for navigating but I guess I rarely go somewhere remote enough that power is a concern.
Last summer. We have a lot for camping. We make sure to have one for each are we go to. I also have charts for nautical navigation.
The last time I bought a map was around the early 2000's. I drove to another city and bought a city plan along with a newspaper. I used both to search for appartements to visit and rent while being there for the whole day.
The last time a physical map got handed to me was when I registered as a citizen in yet another city I went to study for. Students who moved there were handed a shoulder bag filled with some brochures along with a map of the city and a book with the timetables for all public transport routes as a welcoming gift. That was in 2007.
I bought a couple maps when I was in Europe when I was 16. My grandpa made me "the navigator" because I'm decent with maps and directions and such.
That was in like 2013.
a few years ago when i updated my emergency evacuation bag i bought a road atlas of my country
Ireland, 2005.
Because I had never been to Ireland, and it was 2005.
Around 2008/09 when i'm in college and moving around in a foreign place. Videogame helps me a lot with physical map navigation.
Bought one about two weeks ago. Usually i like having a paper map on my cycling trips, but on long ones it's getting too many maps, so i didn't bring any. Then i met some italians with a map and next day i bought one myself. I think it's much better to see where you are at and how you move than on a phone.
Also kinda like the "scenic routes" marker in the michelin maps (although that's also on their online maps). It was a midi pyrenees map, but i have already ridden out of it, going to send it home.