Does Anyone Still Use Paper Maps?

I have a set of these motorcycle touring maps for the UK and Germany.
They are waterproof, won't tear and you can write all over them and then wipe it off. They even highlight well known biker meeting points and list them in the key.

Seem to have lost a couple of the UK ones though!

 

Forgot to add the pictures

 

I like that Steve, where did you pick that up from? At the end of a long ride it’s really nice to share and sit down to a map with a beer

 

Not sure if they're still available mate.
The German ones I bought in Germany back in 2016 at a big store - Globus I think.

The UK ones I found at a bike jumble, probably Kempton Park when I lived down south.

Maybe worth a check online?

 

I use a satnav only if I'm in a city with the van, but on bike rides It's paper maps every time. 1:50,000 scale O.S. maps have so much information about topography, buildings and other features that you can easily identify interesting areas and places to go. Plus a smaller scale map for longer distance navigation.

 

Here is a photo of a some paper maps that I keep at hand that I use frequently, my other maps are in the loft in a plastic case, these cover all the Alpine regions, and some from further afield, also I do have a large selection of climbing guides covering the same locations. I personally like looking at paper maps as these give a true reflection of the terrain, if for instance you are touring the Alps, then a sat nav doesn't show contour lines to indicate the steepness of the route or other vital information. GPS navigation systems do have a part to play, and phones do have a very accurate compass facility, that said to rely on this alone especially in remote areas may not necessarily be the best choice. I sometimes despair of how many people get lost on the fells and mountains in the UK who have relied on just a phone to get them to and from a summit, sadly many don't get that far. On a brighter note for touring a sat nav is usually ok as you would be hard pressed to get lost, by that I mean not knowing exactly were you are. Ride safe all from an ageing Rocker.

 

Iceman....I used to have a collection like that......I use google earth now.

Still have my Paper atlas as well.....still have all my old ordinance Survey maps.

 

If you use Bing maps there is a dropdown which gives you free access to OS maps. Once selected, zoom in and 1:50 and 1:25 will show up.
Printing is a bit of an issue where you need to be savvy but not impossible.

 

I sail a lot as well as ride. GPS is a godsend. No more peering into the murk hoping you are on the right side of the sand bank. But electronics and water dont mix. You always need the paper charts on standby. Same with the bike. We are not cozied up in the tin box. Things get damp or run out of juice. You don't want to be at that fork in the road with only 20 miles left in the tank, getting dark and wondering which way the petrol station that closes at 6 is. So yeah, i carry a map.

 

In times of conflict when they need to turn off GPS or if it fails for whatever reason......there are going to be lots of people wondering around lost.

I used to be a boat owner and a aircraft owner....got to have a back up.

Never had a GPS on my bike.....on a strange route I will look at Google Earth before leaving home.....and sometimes draw my own map.

I drive with people who only know GPS.....en route if I ask them where they are most of the time they wont have a clue.....and a GPS in your car or truck must be very very distracting.

I know my thoughts wont go down well will many but there you go.

 

Yep technology is great whilst it works..... but then what when it doesn't?

 

With a map you get a better perspective of where you are and where you want to go and personally I’ve never known a map to be wrong. Sat nav’s on the other hand……. Very useful for big cities though.

 

Whilst I do have and use sat nav’s on the bike and the motorhome I certainly don’t have any form of device to be able to hear it in either vehicle.
I’ve only once tried a comms device over the years. Not for me thanks. I don’t want to listen to anyone else talking whilst I’m riding, I don’t want to listen to music whilst riding and I certainly don’t want to listen to the sat nav whinging at me whilst riding. I don’t have the rev counter talking to me or the Speedo.

 

Sat Navs are very useful if you want to get to a specific place quickly, especially if they have live traffic updates but for exploring and just hooning around, a good OS map wins hands down IMO. When you're exploring here in the overcrowded UK, sometimes it's fun to just take the, "let's try this road" approach and see where you end up, I mean, it's not as if you're in somewhere like the Yukon etc where you could get stranded and die!

 

After being made redundant from my printing job after 36 years,I did 10 years as a van driver for a records management company driving all round the Midlands with runs also to London and Lytham St Annes, in all those years I never failed to find my destination once, mainly through using satnav as I had never been to these places before, but also using logic and asking people. I still have my satnav, a TomTom for long runs, ie holidays, but also use Google maps or waze however I would never use either of those on my bike and use maps if needed.

 

It has been interesting to read all the comments, some of them very negative about satnavs. I have mentioned previously I use a satnav both in my car and on my bike. On the bike I use a Cardo so can listen to the satnav instructions, take phone calls and listen to music. I don’t find this distracting at all. I setup the satnav before I set off and don’t need to touch it once I’m on the move. I do the same for the music and I only receive phone calls when on the move, I stop if I want to make a call. The key benefit about making phone calls via the satnav/phone is I don’t need to take my gloves or helmet off. Over all I find the technology a real benefit. Yes I do carry maps, but in all the years I have had a satnav I have never needed to use them.

 

The problem is all this map reading and bearings etc takes practice and the younger generation often choose the easy way out.

True story..... I once, whilst out on my own walking, met x2 firemen on Kinder Scout who were also walking. It was a real proper pea soup day with visibility down to 50m. We got chatting as we were walking and then I commented on the fog but they'd done a navigation course only a few months before so no problem
Anyway I suddenly say right I've walked about 500m so need to head off on a bearing to meet Jacobs Ladder.
Oh, ok they said, well we're going to Edale.
Ok enjoy.
I walked to the top of Jacobs Ladder and sat with a bottle of water and a chocolate bar. The view was zero but after 10 minutes or so I heard voices.
It was the x2 firemen.
Err I thought you were going to Edale?
Yes well we were frightened of getting lost so followed your footsteps ......then at least we had a point on our map



Once got lost in the Yorkshire Dales on a farm I knew well, so no map or compass. Mentioned it to the farmer and he said he'd done it himself a few times

 

Sat-nav in the car, Google maps to plan a bike ride, with notes written on a bit of paper for the actual ride!

The only paper map I have is the usual spiral bound book of UK maps with all my rides and routes marked with an orange highlighter.....

 

Hey, @sprintdave, I liked your post about paper maps vs. satnav, especially this particular point.

"...also using logic and asking people"

I do believe that's the first time in my 60+ years that I've heard a MALE say something like that! And I do assume from your forum name that you are one of those.

My hubby and I are big fans of paper maps. We like that "big picture" perspective that a paper map provides. And we typically map out our route for the day before we mount up and head down the road. I do agree with others who mentioned how helpful GPS / satnav can be once in an unfamiliar city or town. It is nice that we don't have to choose between the two and can use both. I do feel the need to mention on the few occasions that we've gotten lost (or "turned around" as some in our group call it), it has been the leader who's using his GPS.

 

Well I can confirm I am male, though my partner says I can be a girl at times. Lol
I guess your lead rider should have gone to specsavers then (UK advert joke) or learned how to use the tech properly.