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I haven't actually navigated with a paper map in a decade. I still like to look at them though. I was given a road map of Mexico for Christmas. I hope to drive there someday.
How many people still use paper maps?
- Thread starter slo town
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Totally comfortable with all that fancy technology, but I still prefer a paper map.
I often just Google Map where I need to go and write it down on a piece of paper.
Now, in an aircraft, I like having a moving aircraft display showing where we are while taxing versus the old paper taxi charts.
I often just Google Map where I need to go and write it down on a piece of paper.
Now, in an aircraft, I like having a moving aircraft display showing where we are while taxing versus the old paper taxi charts.
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Every once in awhile I pull out the old road map.
In rural areas they share the same towers. Parts of the west you won't get a signal for two hours or more in the middle of no where regardless of which carriers you have.Then yes-GPS is your best bet.
On a side note, back before the iphone, I had a BlackBerry that could do navigation. It required an external GPS brick that communicated with the phone via Bluetooth. Not exactly elegant but it worked.
I usually carry a paper atlas with us when we travel, but I don't go overboard with extra maps. And I try to pre-load as much of my trip into Google Maps offline that I can possibly can, to keep me from having to use said road atlas.
I usually carry a paper atlas with us when we travel, but I don't go overboard with extra maps. And I try to pre-load as much of my trip into Google Maps offline that I can possibly can, to keep me from having to use said road atlas.
I do occasionally. I carry a 2005-era Rand McNally Road Atlas in a vehicle or two, it's usually stuck between the center console and passenger seat...
I'll generally always pull up Google Maps and study the route and areas around where I'm going if I haven't been there. Pre-planning, if you will.
I hardly ever use "GPS" and I cannot stand listening to it. I despise riding with someone who uses it to literally drive across the road. I hate the distraction it is to most people on the roads today. They simply can't and won't drive anywhere without it. It causes a lot of issues- 1. It's not always up to the second with you. And these people are in the far left lane and they need to turn right....they basically stop in a lane of travel until they can make their way to the right to keep on going. They tell people to "stay left" .... and they do. For 36 miles. They don't teach anyone HOW TO GET AROUND. Nobody knows how to get anywhere, nobody knows alternate routes/paths. Nobody knows where a road goes to. They just drive on it until Siri or some other imbecile on their phone tells'em where to turn.
I'll say this - your friends sound like real winners. I'd be distancing myself from them if they laughed at me, my experience and time invested into making their trip a better experience. I hope they use your wisdom and materials. If they come home and try to thank you, I'd be making myself scarce.
My wife and I went to Ohau for the first (and only so far) time in 2008. A co-worker of both us at the time grew up in Hawaii and still knew all about Ohau. He HAND SKETCHED a perfect, scaled map of the Island and major roads with all the sights, restaurants and other "to do" and "must do" places/things/items. It was on an 8-1/2 x 11 piece of copy paper. We took it with us, brought it home and still to this day marvel over how accurate the map was and everything he managed to note on there. He is an Architect with 40+ years of experience, tho....
Anyway, the country isn't smarter for all the technology we have today. We have too large of a population that grew up with it and don't have a clue how to get along without it. Nor understand how to appreciate it or use it.
I'll generally always pull up Google Maps and study the route and areas around where I'm going if I haven't been there. Pre-planning, if you will.
I hardly ever use "GPS" and I cannot stand listening to it. I despise riding with someone who uses it to literally drive across the road. I hate the distraction it is to most people on the roads today. They simply can't and won't drive anywhere without it. It causes a lot of issues- 1. It's not always up to the second with you. And these people are in the far left lane and they need to turn right....they basically stop in a lane of travel until they can make their way to the right to keep on going. They tell people to "stay left" .... and they do. For 36 miles. They don't teach anyone HOW TO GET AROUND. Nobody knows how to get anywhere, nobody knows alternate routes/paths. Nobody knows where a road goes to. They just drive on it until Siri or some other imbecile on their phone tells'em where to turn.
I'll say this - your friends sound like real winners. I'd be distancing myself from them if they laughed at me, my experience and time invested into making their trip a better experience. I hope they use your wisdom and materials. If they come home and try to thank you, I'd be making myself scarce.
My wife and I went to Ohau for the first (and only so far) time in 2008. A co-worker of both us at the time grew up in Hawaii and still knew all about Ohau. He HAND SKETCHED a perfect, scaled map of the Island and major roads with all the sights, restaurants and other "to do" and "must do" places/things/items. It was on an 8-1/2 x 11 piece of copy paper. We took it with us, brought it home and still to this day marvel over how accurate the map was and everything he managed to note on there. He is an Architect with 40+ years of experience, tho....
Anyway, the country isn't smarter for all the technology we have today. We have too large of a population that grew up with it and don't have a clue how to get along without it. Nor understand how to appreciate it or use it.
Probably the same number that read a newspaper. We know you're out there. 
This wouldn't have all the roads now in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah to name a few.
I do not use paper maps but I'll keep the NatPark maps. If I go out on a roadtrip, I'll memorize highways, roads, surrounding notable locations, etc. IMO, it's not that hard to remember maps or how to get back on a major roadway. To be fair, the highway system is setup to be pretty idiot proof once people understand how the odd/even numbers correlate to highway.
Anecdote, my LG G6 started it's dreaded bootloop in the middle my drive to Pictured Rocks in Michigan some 6-7 years ago. However, I already memorized my route and the major 'landmarks' and stuff so it wasn't a big deal. I've lost GPS signal for 4 hours in the middle of North Dakota on the way to the Portal crossing and got there no problem.
Aaaand, it seems like this thread has already turned into a "holier than thou" topic because people think reading a piece of paper makes them special.
Anecdote, my LG G6 started it's dreaded bootloop in the middle my drive to Pictured Rocks in Michigan some 6-7 years ago. However, I already memorized my route and the major 'landmarks' and stuff so it wasn't a big deal. I've lost GPS signal for 4 hours in the middle of North Dakota on the way to the Portal crossing and got there no problem.
Aaaand, it seems like this thread has already turned into a "holier than thou" topic because people think reading a piece of paper makes them special.
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That's everyone I work with. I need to send a crew to a jobsite at "southwest corner of 71st Street & Pulaski" (just to make up an example) and they can't even fathom how to get there. Which direction to go, which highway to take, where to exit.... And of course they need an address to put into their GPS, or they won't be able to find it at all. Google maps is notoriously bad with new construction, so usually I'll just make up an address; say for example 7100 South Pulaski. It'll get them there, albeit they might wind up on the wrong side of the street.
I do use maps. However, on my trips to and from Atlantic City along Rt40 in New Jersey it's easier to just follow the signs to either "Atlantic City" or "Delaware Memorial Bridge".
Yes, we just used my State Farm Road Atlas on a 2 week trip through New England while "leaf peeping" last October. I don't have a US data plan and although I can download maps to use offline on my cell, I don't bother I just use old school maps while in America (and Europe when traveling there). Successfully got from Montreal to Connecticut via non-Interstate roads (i.e. the incredibly scenic Route 100 through Vermont etc.). Returned to Quebec City in Canada on paper, again, all less used country roads. No glitches at all.
I keep regional maps where we travel frequently in both cars (Tacoma and the Impala) and I have city maps for all the major cities in our motoring life (Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Calgary etc.). Google can't be beat for the voiced navigation in unfamiliar situations in a dense city or if I am by myself but paper can't be beat when you don't have offline downloads and no coverage / data.
I keep regional maps where we travel frequently in both cars (Tacoma and the Impala) and I have city maps for all the major cities in our motoring life (Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Calgary etc.). Google can't be beat for the voiced navigation in unfamiliar situations in a dense city or if I am by myself but paper can't be beat when you don't have offline downloads and no coverage / data.
Probably the same number that read a newspaper. We know you're out there.
I doubt it. That's two groups of people.
One doesn't know where to get accurate, legitimate information and the other knows exactly where to get real, accurate information.
When I was truck driving I had a stack of Hagstrom maps on the dash. I used them until they were threadbare. What a treat it was to occasionally buy a new updated one every once in a while. I was never lost.
^^I actually worked at Hagstrom Maps in NYC for a while. Geographia was the competition.
I loved breaking out the 'red pencil' and updating the master copies. ...a feeling of...power!
I took a coworker, a female, out to a pier on the Hudson and pointed out Bayonne, Hoboken and a few other specifics and she said she had never looked at the 'real thing'. Too bad she was talking about Jersey.
I loved breaking out the 'red pencil' and updating the master copies. ...a feeling of...power!
I took a coworker, a female, out to a pier on the Hudson and pointed out Bayonne, Hoboken and a few other specifics and she said she had never looked at the 'real thing'. Too bad she was talking about Jersey.
I'd say I used one when I'm driving in Yellowstone. The nav on my head unit couldn't get the zoom I wanted. Needless to say for our digital generation it is a eye-opening experience. And it is a fun experience for me to practice this skill.
I have one or two. I just keep them around in case my wife ever decides she wants to know how to read one.
no,
no, 
I used to love the Esso/Exxon road maps.
Every couple of years I buy a Rand McNally 50 state Atlas, large type. It helps to see "the big picture" when planning a casual road trip in unfamiliar territory.
Every couple of years I buy a Rand McNally 50 state Atlas, large type. It helps to see "the big picture" when planning a casual road trip in unfamiliar territory.
I apologize for having posted two fair-use screenshots from '1941' in which John Belushi is handling a paper map in the most unsafe manner imaginable while flying a P-40. I apologize to the sensitive person who was offended and reported this inappropriate post and/or the most diligent moderator who was forced to take drastic moderating action. I feel so much better now. Hugs?
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