| Hello and welcome. I hope all is well with you. Ups and
downs here - I suppose it's the natural course of life.
Tomasino mentioned that a part of emergency preparedness are
maps [1]. This was followed by slugmax's [2] point that
paper maps are underappreciated. I concur with both these
points. Paper is a fantastic medium that is reliable and
doesn't require electricity to use. This is great in times
when electricity is a scarce resource.
That being said, electronic maps can be useful too. Much
like an ebook reader vs. paperbacks, digital maps can be
stored far more compactly than detailed paper maps for a
large area or areas. For example, my current and former
personal devices (phones/tablets) have APRSdroid [3] on
them, particularly the offline OSM version. KS9N created a
map of the USA [4] that is loaded onto each of these
devices. This provides me a general lay of the land and
paper maps obtained from the local ranger station renders a
detailed view. Now that I know about the availability of
USGS maps, I will add those too.
It's also important to stress familiarity with the area too.
The best map is the one that can't be separated from you or
destroyed.
On another note, it's cyclocross season! I went to a local
cyclocross race with a friend and we had a great time. The
community is friendly and inviting, so I can't wait to start
racing this weekend. There was also a rodeocross event on
Wednesdays that looks fantastic too. They light up the
course at night using generators and string lights for the
remote, dark areas and the course looks really fun! I've
convinced a friend to race with me and we'll bring up the
rear and have a good time. As kvothe noted [5], just get out
there and have fun!
Tags: #maps #aprs #osm #bicycling #cyclocross
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