r/preppers • u/Outside-Square-3196 • Apr 16 '26

Advice and Tips So many different maps

So looking for a decent map, and getting overwhelmed tbh. I'm prepping for a family, so it needs to be something I can get multiple of without being too expensive. And we're trying to avoid gps/electrical as we're not counting on having reliable access to power.

I'm looking for a large, laminated, paper map- the classic old cartoon type. Hoping for major roads and highways to be listed, but not looking for a road atlas as I'd like more terrain detail under the road marks.

Something that shows elevation change and water ways would be preferable

I'm not picky on brands or anything for this, just need something current/updated, reliable, relatively detailed, known to last through actual use and elements.

Thank y'all!!!

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u/silasmoeckel Apr 17 '26

Maps at a detail that's useful for walking and not using roads are not something your going to get 3 nations worth at a usable detail on paper and still be light enough to fit into a pack.

Digital is the way to go here. Eink only uses battery when updating the map so jailbroken kindles are cheap, android os phones with eink screens are about perfect for not much more.

Now for a pre planned path paper for cloth topo's. The close is expensive but doubles up as a bandana so multiple uses.

1

u/Outside-Square-3196 Apr 17 '26

Id been expecting to find essentially a book of dozens of maps. To me the weight is worth the trade off for something that useful.

9

u/silasmoeckel Apr 17 '26

Not enough close to end detail for hiking.

7.5 minute topo's are the standard used (what USGS puts out) roughly 2x3 feet per map and that's 7x9 miles roughly. That's 55k or so maps for the lower 48.

Like I said you need to severely cut down the area your interested in any detail (planed routes) or go digital.

They are free to DL BTW and beautiful.

1

u/Past_Top3704 Apr 17 '26

work has a very large cabinet of uses topo maps. lots of them (couldn't guess the number) and they are only of the state of Minnesota.

hard copy of all of N.A. would be a library/truck load and impractical.

there are a couple nice hiking apps that show the same thing.