Aqua 3 Evolution Map Tested
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Price: £19.99
(introductory rate, normally £24.99)
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Weight: 107 grammes (1:50,000
Landranger version)
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Features: Plastic
paper OS map with user-selectable boundaries and
customisable title panel.
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What's It For?
There are two problems with standard OS maps, one is that they're
made of paper and have a limited lifetime if you use them regularly
in the outdoors, even with a map case. The second is that sheets have
arbitrary borders so you may need more than one map for a single
walk.
The Aqua 3 Evolution aims to sidestep this by using a unique
plastic paper along with an online ordering process which allows you
to centre the map in either 1:50,000 or 1:25,000 customisable form,
then adjust the centre of the map until it covers the exact area you
want.
It's basically an OS Select map printed on plastic paper for the
first time in the UK.
The Techy Bits
Apart from the OS Select map's customisable borders, which is all
about computery stuff, it's mostly about the plastic paper which is a
very thin paper laminated to a super-thin plastic layer front and
back. At 107 grammes it weighs only marginally more than a standard
97-gramme paper Landranger, but is completely waterproof and claimed
to be tough and durable.
It's also a lot lighter than a laminated map - a laminated OS
Explorer tips the scales at 195 grammes and is much bulkier and more
awkward to handle.
How It Performs
We bought the map in quesion - 'Jon's Peak Map' ourselves. The
actual ordering process is straightforward. You choose a scale and a
point or town or post code to centre the map around then preview the
map.
Once the 1:200,000 preview is up, you can move the borders around
until you're happy you have the area you want. Once you're happy,
just click on 'Buy Map'. You then get the option to add a
16-character title and to choose whether the map is delivered folded
or flat. Then you pay.
Our map arrived about a week later and has been on the go ever
since. We chose it because it covers all the areas we walk in locally
across the Peak and that's saved us having to use an additional map
at least once, so that's a definite plus.
The plasticised paper is light, easy to use and seems generally
tough. We had a go at tearing it, and nothing happened and it seems
to be okay with repeated folding. Very like a paper map in fact, but
far more durable and weather resistant. It's also much less awkward
to use than any of the laminated maps we've tried, even Aqua 3's own
lighter version.
Generally it's been near ideal, however we've just noticed slight
delamination on the cover page of the map, the bit that gets the most
rubbing when stuffed in packs and pockets. The outer plastic film is
coming away from the paper underneath.
In classic scab-picking style, we nicked it with a sharp knife and
exposed the printed paper underneath which is quite fragile. We don't
know if it's a weakness of the process or a one-off problem but we'll
be contacting Aqua 3 and letting you know. We're assuming that
they'll replace the map.
Apart from the delamination on the cover section of the map,
the Aqua 3 Evolution has been excellent, it's light, waterproof and
easy to fold to suit and use, just like a paper map.
Until we spotted the delamination, we'd have said it was durable
as well, but we're reluctant to endorse the map until we've got to
the bottom of the issue.
Laminates are always at risk of delamination if there's a problem
with the bond between different layers and from that point of view,
maps which use paper impregnated with polyethylene - which we think
the award-winning BMC mountain maps utlilise - might be a more
reliable long term bet. [Update: having said that, if you scrape
a thumbnail over the BMC map it scuffs almost like a laddered
stocking].
The Ordnance Survey themselves also sell customisable OS Select
maps printed on water-resistant paper which they say is 'superior to
that used in the OS Explorer and OS Landranger mapping, to ensure
durability in the absence of a hard cover'.
Update
We've now heard from Alen at Aqua3. He tells us that our map was
one of the first ones produced and the production methods have been
changed and improved to 'increase the bonding and durability
substantially without adding any weight to the product'.
Aqua3 are supplying a replacement map and will replace any other
early plastic maps with the same issues. Alen's also asked us to keep
using the original map as a way to independently assess what happens
to a damaged map when used.
We don't think you can say fairer than that and once we've had a
chance to use the replacement map for a while, we'll revise the test
accordingly and add some marks. If the replacement does everything
the original did but is tougher as well, we reckon it could be a
perfect five out of five. Watch this space.
We'll also try some back to back toughness tests with the BMC map,
the Aqua3 plastic map and a laminated map.
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Waterproof, light and customisable.
Not cheap and we had a delamination issue with our
original map.
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Know more or want to?
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product check out our user review system and post your opinions to
the world. If you have questions you can mail
us direct, ask
Richard Gear or try a posting to our
gear
forum.
Jon Doran
