[pct-l] Maps

[Ellen Shopes]

I agree with Carl.  I like the USFS maps, because they give a good overview. 
You never know when you might need to detour, either for health reasons, bad 
weather, failing equipment, fire closures, etc.  Although they cover too 
much topography to be good in orienteering, they provide alot of good info. 
I've gone thru and marked the water sources for the desert sections, and put 
a bit of other stuff on 'em as well (ie, tick country, look out for poisen 
oak, etc).
The maps in the guide books are too small for my aging eyes to make out much 
detail!
Elderly Ellen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carl Siechert" <carlito at gmail.com>
To: "Nick Parr" <adanedhel21 at gmail.com>
Cc: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 3:08 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Maps


> It's true: With few exceptions, the PCT can now be followed without a map.
> Maps remain an essential item in your pack, however, for those times when
> you are *not* on the trail. Sometimes that's by design--a peak climb, a 
> town
> visit, or an off-trail water source, for example--but if you manage to get
> off-trail unintentionally (and everybody does at one time or another) a 
> map
> can be a literal lifesaver.
>
> I find that the USFS maps of the PCT provide good value for the weight and
> money. Cut them out of the cardboard folder and carry just the strip you
> need--less than three ounces and six bucks for ~130 miles of trail. It's
> waterproof, fairly current, has decent resolution, and it covers a
> reasonable amount of area around the trail (including various exit routes)
> without including stuff that's many miles away. They're easier to read 
> than
> the guidebook or PCT Atlas maps. Twelve bucks for each of the ten maps 
> that
> cover the entire trail (although I think only seven of the ten have been
> completed to date). Get 'em from the PCTA store:
> http://pcta.org/shop/productdetail.asp?cat=154
>
> Cheers,
> Carl
> PCT '77
>
> On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 6:47 PM, Nick Parr <adanedhel21 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> >From what I've read, here and elsewhere, a lot of people feel its
>> unnecessary to have maps for the whole length of the trail, but most 
>> agree
>>
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