the million $ question!!! as a retired military guy, who used maps upon maps - this is the 1 thing that is a pain. love this video! another good idea u showed us! i am enjoying your videos, just found them about a month ago, and have not been disapointed. BTW, as a young LanceCpl, we trained with the British Royal Marines, in Scotland, and it was the 1st time, i ever got to put my true map reading to test.. long long clear hills.. rolling green.. and no real terrain features to use, i had to dig deep as a new guy into soo many of these things you teach..it has never left me..and that was in 1997.. thank you for bringing up some old memories!! keep doing these!! i teach hunter safety here in the USA - Maine Woods, and this is a skill that always needs to be sharpened.! love it! i get soo many of the kids, saying they use thier phone or GPS..lmao.. ijust laugh and laugh
I mark up my map with grid refs ect using a soft pencil. That way I can fold along the optimum existing folds rather than being dictated to by the placement of the printed grid references.
This is one advantage of the laminated maps. You can write on them with Staedtler Lumocolor permanent "OHP" pens and wipe it off with an alcohol wipe, or use the coloured "grease pencils" if you want it to be more easily removable. If you fold your map so it's a good fit in the case and can't move very much, you can also use the grease pencils to write on the outside of the map case, but you have to be a bit more careful not to wipe it off.
Exactly what I do with my maps, though I use zip sealing freezer bags to protect the map. I use selotape on the card cover to form a folder and put the map back in for storage at home. Also it is possible to fold the map so that it can be read on both sides. Using your map case, for example, fold the map to 29cm x 59cm for a two day trip N to S, or 58cm x 29cm W to E, fold in half and place in the case. Great videos thank you.
I have removed the card outer from most of my OS maps. I use The heat/steam from a boiling kettle or an iron on a low setting to soften the glue and the card comes away from the map a treat and without causing any damage. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in these videos, it is very much appreciated. Cheers.
If you're careful, you can use the steam from a kettle to help loosen the glue between the cardboard outer and the paper map and make it easier to separate them with less risk of tearing. You do have to take care not to scald yourself though! You can then use a strip of wide duct tape on the the front, back and flaps of the map to turn the cardboard into a pouch you can put the map back into when you've finished using it.
I’ve been perusing your videos for a few months now and I’ve enjoyed all I’ve seen. You’ve made every one interesting. Even map folding. I noticed something that may make your map folding a very, very, tiny bit easier. Turn your chair around. The table behind you has square edges. Your desk has rounded edges. If I ever make it to the UK, taking one of your courses will be on my list of things to do.
It is really great that your maps have the coordinates written across the entire map. Out Topological Maps in Germany (TK25) only provide the coordinates on the the rim of the map. They are also a lot smaller per area and less detailed. But they still work fine as long as you don't plan a longer trip at which point you'll likely need up to 4 maps😅
Glad I'm not the only one who removes the card cover! I am a laminated map fan and you're right - they can be a pain to fold but great for the areas I go (mainly Dartmoor). I also have the OS subscription which means I can download and print the exact part of any given map, then laminate it. I use those for multi day kayak trips so sometimes print multiple maps. Because they show the mean high water line, and the type of terrain, they are great for finding beaches to camp on (amongst many other uses of course!) Thanks for another fab vid!
I also have the OS subscription. As I don’t use it that much I think I’ll cancel this soon. The reason I buy maps, as opposed to downloading a certain bit: you can get up to A3, is that I think that if someone pays me for a Map reading course, I should at least supply them with a (real) Map. Mind you I do know of lots of other instructors who do use a laminated print-offs. Oh I don’t supply maps on the Gold Level course. As this is the highest Land-Nav course in the UK (SCQF 6 - NVQ 3) I expect candidates to arrive with multiple different scale maps of the area they’ll be operating in. e.g. Harvey 1:40k, OS 1:25k, etc.
@@TheMapReadingCompany that makes total sense. For you as an instructor a real map is the only way, and if I was a student I would expect nothing less! For me and the kayak trips I do, the ability to print off the exact areas is brilliant as I generally only want the coastline areas. However, when I'm larking about on Dartmoor, a real OS map (1:25 000 Explorer) is a definite. One can't beat the feel of a real map (especially folding one in the wind!)
I scan and then print off an A4 size area of my OS map for where I'm hiking, then coat it with some cheap clear self adhesive plastic. If you do a two-sided version you can cover a large area. It folds up to a size smaller than a pack of playing cards and is waterproof. My OS maps remain in perfect condition because they're not being constantly folded or used outdoors.
If you want to keep a map that looks as new as possible, buy two of them! Also works for most anything else that you think you need only one of but are afraid of damaging and/or don't want to unexpectedly break on you.
Thank you Wayne, You have got me all around the Australian outback without getting lost. Very difficult in the Desert area as all sand dunes look alike. If there are two of you the other person can walk ahead as you guide him and use him as the distance marker to head for, then do it again and again. Regards IGGIE
I use Memory Map on my PC to see a map of my route with the route overlay showing. Then I just print that area on waterproof paper. Alternatively, I'll print on ordinary paper and laminate it at A4.
Hey mate, this was a great video, but the map holder I've got is pretty small, and I cant really get or use a larger one. Would I be able to follow these steps to fold the map into the map case, or is there anything else I'd need to do.
All OS maps are designed to have the outer card cover trimmed to the size of the actual map to make it slightly less bulky. But Ive never known anyone do this.
I tend to go for the laminated OS maps and the first thing I do is remove the cardboard sleeve, but I still use it to store the map back in when I sit it on my shelf. Great channel BTW 👍🏽 all the best, Allan
I get most of mine direct from the UK Ordnance Survey. shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/maps/paper-maps/explorer-maps When I buy other country's maps I tend to get them from the official Gov sites. For example: USA: store.usgs.gov/maps Aus: www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/topographic-maps-data/topographic-maps Swiss: www.swisstopo.admin.ch/ etc.
As always awsome video with grate inputs. But one thing i always strugle with is writing on Maps. As an officer of the swiss armed forces I like to use red and blue permanent markers on a laminated maps. But as soon as i put it in my poket the friction rubes everything of. Even tough led pencil is waterproof and has relatively good readability I dont like using it on maps because it never really comes of again and if you dont have a good surface to write on you most likely breake trough the paper (not to mention that paper maps arent the most waterproof thing). I also have not found a good map pouch that allowes the permanent marker to be wiped of again. All this is a long way of saying do you have a bomb proof way on how to write on maps ?
I use a sharpie - not sure what they are called in Switzerland. To remove it I use Nail-Polish remover. This is what I use in this video: th-cam.com/video/61uMkv19Uyw/w-d-xo.html
@@TheMapReadingCompany Thanks a lot for your reply. We got something similar to sharpies here too and I gues my girlfriend won't mind if I "borrow" some Nailpolish from her. I have some exercises coming up where i will try your method hopefully not ending up with a smeared map again. Thx a lot and have a nice day.
@@KKoKoRR The maps that we get in Canada usually have the legend in the lower right corner. I suppose it could be cut off of the map an inserted into the case. I was hoping that there was some sort of origami way to keep from destroying the map
@@frankfaubert1927 you can start fold the map from it's center and then fold where the legend is placed at last. This couldn't be always possible but also you can cut the legend. It isn't destroying the map, you can just cut properly the legend. Also you don't always need to look the legend, just look at once, keep in your mind the shapes, marks, colors etc.
Yes OS map have legends. It's not possible to fold OS OL maps (which I tend to use most on my courses) so you can see the legend, as it goes all the way along the entire bottom of the map. Best bet is to look at the area you'll be walking in that day and if there are any symbols you don't understand, have a look on the legend, then refold the map. In this video I go through the best way to do this - th-cam.com/video/hJumt1y6JLs/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
If your map has a legend in a corner, then _in theory_ it should be possible. But I don't think there would be a method that works regardless of where the map section that you want folded to the front is on the map. I'd just cut off the legend and put it into the back side of the map pouch - muuuuch less hassle. Here's a method that works for something like less than half of the map. The stripes that you fold back in steps B and C are out, and of the remaining area, you can only use roughly the half further away from the legend corner. A: Put your map down with the legend facing the table surface. B: Fold the legend to the front along one of it's edges (*) and unfold. C: Repeat along the other edge of the legend (*) and unfold. Call the corner of the legend where these two folds meet the "inner" corner. D: Put the map with the face that has the legend facing up. Fold the corner with the legend down in a 45° fold through the "inner" legend corner (so that does not go through the legend). And unfold. E: Place the map with the legend facing the table; grab the two ends of the diagonal fold, and pull the folds together and onto the larger part of the map. (This is a pretty common fold in Origami.) F: Now, the first layer of that stack with the legend on top that you just created forms a pocket that you can tuck a piece of the map into. G? You just have to figure out how to fold the remaining size of the map down so that you can achieve that. (*) or along _some_ line that's perpendicular to that edge of the legend. Experimentation is required. Alternatively instead of step F, you can flip the map as it is folded so far so that the legend faces the table, and then fold the whole stack of paper in that corner diagonally to the front.
Grid references. I used to pick a map feature easily found on the map and write the major references on a small piece of paper and put it in the map case on top of the map. Tuck it in a corner out of the way from your intended course. Then add or subtract the major references from that point. Works well with smaller map cases.
the million $ question!!! as a retired military guy, who used maps upon maps - this is the 1 thing that is a pain. love this video! another good idea u showed us! i am enjoying your videos, just found them about a month ago, and have not been disapointed. BTW, as a young LanceCpl, we trained with the British Royal Marines, in Scotland, and it was the 1st time, i ever got to put my true map reading to test.. long long clear hills.. rolling green.. and no real terrain features to use, i had to dig deep as a new guy into soo many of these things you teach..it has never left me..and that was in 1997.. thank you for bringing up some old memories!! keep doing these!! i teach hunter safety here in the USA - Maine Woods, and this is a skill that always needs to be sharpened.! love it! i get soo many of the kids, saying they use thier phone or GPS..lmao.. ijust laugh and laugh
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question very much appreciated and very useful 👍
You’re like the favorite uncle who knows and shares all the ins and outs learned in their lifetime of interesting experiences. Thank you Uncle Wayne!
I mark up my map with grid refs ect using a soft pencil. That way I can fold along the optimum existing folds rather than being dictated to by the placement of the printed grid references.
This is one advantage of the laminated maps. You can write on them with Staedtler Lumocolor permanent "OHP" pens and wipe it off with an alcohol wipe, or use the coloured "grease pencils" if you want it to be more easily removable. If you fold your map so it's a good fit in the case and can't move very much, you can also use the grease pencils to write on the outside of the map case, but you have to be a bit more careful not to wipe it off.
Never thought to remove the cardboard piece...... Great tip, thanks.
Exactly what I do with my maps, though I use zip sealing freezer bags to protect the map. I use selotape on the card cover to form a folder and put the map back in for storage at home. Also it is possible to fold the map so that it can be read on both sides. Using your map case, for example, fold the map to 29cm x 59cm for a two day trip N to S, or 58cm x 29cm W to E, fold in half and place in the case. Great videos thank you.
I have removed the card outer from most of my OS maps. I use The heat/steam from a boiling kettle or an iron on a low setting to soften the glue and the card comes away from the map a treat and without causing any damage. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in these videos, it is very much appreciated. Cheers.
If you're careful, you can use the steam from a kettle to help loosen the glue between the cardboard outer and the paper map and make it easier to separate them with less risk of tearing. You do have to take care not to scald yourself though!
You can then use a strip of wide duct tape on the the front, back and flaps of the map to turn the cardboard into a pouch you can put the map back into when you've finished using it.
I’ve been perusing your videos for a few months now and I’ve enjoyed all I’ve seen. You’ve made every one interesting. Even map folding.
I noticed something that may make your map folding a very, very, tiny bit easier. Turn your chair around. The table behind you has square edges. Your desk has rounded edges.
If I ever make it to the UK, taking one of your courses will be on my list of things to do.
It is really great that your maps have the coordinates written across the entire map. Out Topological Maps in Germany (TK25) only provide the coordinates on the the rim of the map. They are also a lot smaller per area and less detailed. But they still work fine as long as you don't plan a longer trip at which point you'll likely need up to 4 maps😅
Glad I'm not the only one who removes the card cover! I am a laminated map fan and you're right - they can be a pain to fold but great for the areas I go (mainly Dartmoor). I also have the OS subscription which means I can download and print the exact part of any given map, then laminate it. I use those for multi day kayak trips so sometimes print multiple maps. Because they show the mean high water line, and the type of terrain, they are great for finding beaches to camp on (amongst many other uses of course!) Thanks for another fab vid!
I also have the OS subscription. As I don’t use it that much I think I’ll cancel this soon.
The reason I buy maps, as opposed to downloading a certain bit: you can get up to A3, is that I think that if someone pays me for a Map reading course, I should at least supply them with a (real) Map.
Mind you I do know of lots of other instructors who do use a laminated print-offs.
Oh I don’t supply maps on the Gold Level course. As this is the highest Land-Nav course in the UK (SCQF 6 - NVQ 3) I expect candidates to arrive with multiple different scale maps of the area they’ll be operating in. e.g. Harvey 1:40k, OS 1:25k, etc.
@@TheMapReadingCompany that makes total sense. For you as an instructor a real map is the only way, and if I was a student I would expect nothing less! For me and the kayak trips I do, the ability to print off the exact areas is brilliant as I generally only want the coastline areas. However, when I'm larking about on Dartmoor, a real OS map (1:25 000 Explorer) is a definite. One can't beat the feel of a real map (especially folding one in the wind!)
I write the grid numbers on by hand before folding the map. Then fold the map and insert it into the case 🙂
I scan and then print off an A4 size area of my OS map for where I'm hiking, then coat it with some cheap clear self adhesive plastic. If you do a two-sided version you can cover a large area. It folds up to a size smaller than a pack of playing cards and is waterproof. My OS maps remain in perfect condition because they're not being constantly folded or used outdoors.
I chuck a small silica gel bag in there too, keeps condensation away should you get moisture in the case. Same with my phone case.
Always useful information in your videos.
I’ve ordered custom maps small 42x30cm from ordnance survey of an area that I would hike in then I’ll fold it and laminate it, works for me.
If you want to keep a map that looks as new as possible, buy two of them!
Also works for most anything else that you think you need only one of but are afraid of damaging and/or don't want to unexpectedly break on you.
Thank you Wayne, You have got me all around the Australian outback without getting lost. Very difficult in the Desert area as all sand dunes look alike. If there are two of you the other person can walk ahead as you guide him and use him as the distance marker to head for, then do it again and again. Regards IGGIE
Origami for Orienteers! You could start a book series. I'll wait for the movie.
What a superb channel. Thank you.
So often I find planned route to be on near the edge and on two maps
Yeah I hate when that happens
Utterly brilliant video that yet again taught my many things. Thank you so much
I use Memory Map on my PC to see a map of my route with the route overlay showing. Then I just print that area on waterproof paper. Alternatively, I'll print on ordinary paper and laminate it at A4.
How do you mark your destination locations on your map when you laminate it? Do you use a permanent marker? I was thinking of laminating also.
Q: What’s the easiest way to refold a map?
A: Differently
I completely agree with removing the cover and folding it not following the original creases👍
I can already hear a don't fold the maps I didn't fold the maps well Kansas is a mess and there's a big crease right thru witchita roll the maps
Love your channel and MAPS! Would you please do a show on the history of Cartography? We all stand on the shoulders of those who went before. Thanks.
I think the history of Cartography would need a TH-cam channel on it's own just for that subject
Hey mate, this was a great video, but the map holder I've got is pretty small, and I cant really get or use a larger one. Would I be able to follow these steps to fold the map into the map case, or is there anything else I'd need to do.
All OS maps are designed to have the outer card cover trimmed to the size of the actual map to make it slightly less bulky. But Ive never known anyone do this.
I have question that is completely off topic. Is it possible to find a handheld stadimeter for sale?
I think (may be wrong) that many modern rifle sights will do the job which stadimeters were used for.
Thank you for an interesting video
I tend to go for the laminated OS maps and the first thing I do is remove the cardboard sleeve, but I still use it to store the map back in when I sit it on my shelf.
Great channel BTW 👍🏽
all the best,
Allan
Cheers Allan
It could be a useful idea if the plastic sleeve had a grid or something printed on the plastic, giving it double use when placed over the map.
I use to mark the grid coordinates with a pencil (2B) on the map.
What Map case do you use? I think about to buy such greater model than mine.
silvasweden.uk/collections/waterproof-case/products/minimalist-map-case-medium
@@TheMapReadingCompany
Thanks for the answer and the link.
Use an iron to soften the glue on the cover and remove the cover without ripping the paper
If i fold my map will Kansas be a mess?
Next video.... Where to get your maps (stores & websites) Thank you sir.
I get most of mine direct from the UK Ordnance Survey.
shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/maps/paper-maps/explorer-maps
When I buy other country's maps I tend to get them from the official Gov sites. For example:
USA: store.usgs.gov/maps
Aus: www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/topographic-maps-data/topographic-maps
Swiss: www.swisstopo.admin.ch/
etc.
As always awsome video with grate inputs. But one thing i always strugle with is writing on Maps. As an officer of the swiss armed forces I like to use red and blue permanent markers on a laminated maps. But as soon as i put it in my poket the friction rubes everything of. Even tough led pencil is waterproof and has relatively good readability I dont like using it on maps because it never really comes of again and if you dont have a good surface to write on you most likely breake trough the paper (not to mention that paper maps arent the most waterproof thing). I also have not found a good map pouch that allowes the permanent marker to be wiped of again.
All this is a long way of saying do you have a bomb proof way on how to write on maps ?
I use a sharpie - not sure what they are called in Switzerland. To remove it I use Nail-Polish remover.
This is what I use in this video: th-cam.com/video/61uMkv19Uyw/w-d-xo.html
@@TheMapReadingCompany
Thanks a lot for your reply.
We got something similar to sharpies here too and I gues my girlfriend won't mind if I "borrow" some Nailpolish from her.
I have some exercises coming up where i will try your method hopefully not ending up with a smeared map again.
Thx a lot and have a nice day.
Best bi on folding maps
Rabbit the Wise (Twister) will tell you never to fold the map, but to roll the map.
Do your maps have legends on them? If so, how do you fold it so the legend is visible?
You can place it back of the case also.
@@KKoKoRR The maps that we get in Canada usually have the legend in the lower right corner. I suppose it could be cut off of the map an inserted into the case. I was hoping that there was some sort of origami way to keep from destroying the map
@@frankfaubert1927 you can start fold the map from it's center and then fold where the legend is placed at last. This couldn't be always possible but also you can cut the legend. It isn't destroying the map, you can just cut properly the legend. Also you don't always need to look the legend, just look at once, keep in your mind the shapes, marks, colors etc.
Yes OS map have legends. It's not possible to fold OS OL maps (which I tend to use most on my courses) so you can see the legend, as it goes all the way along the entire bottom of the map. Best bet is to look at the area you'll be walking in that day and if there are any symbols you don't understand, have a look on the legend, then refold the map.
In this video I go through the best way to do this - th-cam.com/video/hJumt1y6JLs/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
If your map has a legend in a corner, then _in theory_ it should be possible. But I don't think there would be a method that works regardless of where the map section that you want folded to the front is on the map. I'd just cut off the legend and put it into the back side of the map pouch - muuuuch less hassle.
Here's a method that works for something like less than half of the map. The stripes that you fold back in steps B and C are out, and of the remaining area, you can only use roughly the half further away from the legend corner.
A: Put your map down with the legend facing the table surface.
B: Fold the legend to the front along one of it's edges (*) and unfold.
C: Repeat along the other edge of the legend (*) and unfold. Call the corner of the legend where these two folds meet the "inner" corner.
D: Put the map with the face that has the legend facing up. Fold the corner with the legend down in a 45° fold through the "inner" legend corner (so that does not go through the legend). And unfold.
E: Place the map with the legend facing the table; grab the two ends of the diagonal fold, and pull the folds together and onto the larger part of the map.
(This is a pretty common fold in Origami.)
F: Now, the first layer of that stack with the legend on top that you just created forms a pocket that you can tuck a piece of the map into.
G? You just have to figure out how to fold the remaining size of the map down so that you can achieve that.
(*) or along _some_ line that's perpendicular to that edge of the legend. Experimentation is required.
Alternatively instead of step F, you can flip the map as it is folded so far so that the legend faces the table, and then fold the whole stack of paper in that corner diagonally to the front.
My map case always looks like an unmade bed!
Grid references. I used to pick a map feature easily found on the map and write the major references on a small piece of paper and put it in the map case on top of the map. Tuck it in a corner out of the way from your intended course. Then add or subtract the major references from that point. Works well with smaller map cases.
My biggest wish for OS maps: Make them in atlas format!
First thing I do is remove the card every time
👍👍
👍
Dont fold the maps