Look after your maps and choose them carefully advises navigation expert Lyle Brotherton.
Lyle Brotherton is a search and rescue instructor and navigation professional. He trains search and rescue teams and special forces worldwide in the intricacies of finding their way in the wilderness and more. He's passionate about navigation and about helping to keep people safe in the outdoors.
And the good news is that Lyles going to be contributing regular tips to OM to help keep you on your chosen course. Lyle is the author of the new Ultimate Navigation Manual and has his own web site at www.micronavigation.com where you can find out more about him and check out some sample pages from the book.
Map Care And Selection
Often an overlooked navigational tool, thrown into the rucksack after a journey and left lying around at home, on an untidy desk for ages, if you are anything like me! Yet these are an essential piece of kit so proper care and storage pays dividends.
Waterproof maps are the ideal. Alternatively you can print out maps from your printer onto waterproof paper.
If your map is paper then always carry and use it inside a waterproof map bag.
Some folk like large bags, especially orienteers and adventure racers and these bags often have neck/waist straps to stop them flapping as they move.
Personally, if I am using a paper map I prefer a small waterproof bag, 15 x 25 cm, which holds an unfolded OS Explorer (1:25 000) map and I leave a clear working area 12 x 12 cm (equiv to 3 x 3 km on this map) under which I have a route note sheet. I find that in the typical Scottish weather and high upon mountains the large map holders cumbersome.
The majority of the time I use waterproof maps, not only do these negate the use for waterproof map bags but more importantly you can continually mark and update your current location on them using a grease pencil.
If weather conditions are poor, particularly in a strong wind, I use my grease pencil to mark the grid numbers on one easting and northing so that I do not have to completely unfold the map to check the grid reference and I keep my map folded to the desired area with a rubber band.
After a trip I clean my plastic maps with a damp cloth and remove the grease pencils marks.
With paper maps I always leave them unfolded for a day to air, even a small amount of moisture can degrade the paper, then carefully fold and store in a large plastic box with a lid in my garage.
