Map making tools

Going PrepHole for the first time since my military service. I'll have my gf and her bro with me who are both hardened country folk but useless when it comes to navigation so I want to prepare a map. I want to put markers on the map on where things like geocaches, little huts, creeks and our camps are. What tools do you guys use, preferably I would like to work on open street map data

> inb4 "Just use pen and paper bro"
I suck at drawing

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  1. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    maps.me is pretty decent, has offline maps and the ability to mark spots.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Seconded for maps.me app

      I would venture to say replacing a Garmin Edge device with a phone and that app will give you a suitable alternative for mapping out cycling routes for bikepackers

  2. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    CalTopo.com

    It’s sort of like Google Maps but with maps you’d use for hiking (US Forest Service and a few others). It utilizes Open Street Maps as well. There’s a website and an app, but I’ve never used the app. And there’s a free version and a paid subscription.

  3. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    OsmAnd+ (Open source, free, iOS and Android, doesn't spy on you, uses offline maps from Open Street Maps along with optional contour line and hill shading overlays, but also supports Microsoft, Google, Mapillary, and some other sources including satellite images, can import gpx tracks and record your tracks, and shows hiking, bike, 4x4 trails, streams and creeks including dry ones. It also does offline navigation including options to avoid toll roads and ferrys, but it isn't as good as Google or Apple maps.)

    The only downside is it tends to crash if your phone doesn't have at least 4GB of memory and the navigation.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >specifically wants to use a paper map
      >just use a cellphone bro
      Jfc you morons are insufferable. The military makes its own maps and nobody relies on gps as a primary. When you're doing a fire mission on a target 5k away a handheld is useless. If you're actually good at land navigation a paper map is better in every way.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        No, he specifically wants to use open street maps
        >nobody relies on gps as a primary
        Hikers on established hiking trails do.

  4. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Go to the local outdoor store and if they don't have waterproof maps just get it laminated at a stationary store.
    Usually huts, creeks and camps are already on most maps. Just get a fine tip sharpie and a straight edge and put little pluses with a number where geocashes are then add a key for what is at each location so you don't clutter up your map.
    The nps.gov has park maps you can order as well.
    t. FSO

  5. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >I want to put markers on the map on where things like geocaches, little huts, creeks and our camps are.
    > inb4 "Just use pen and paper bro"
    >I suck at drawing

    What? You don't need to draw a portrait on a map, just add symbols and a key. Every first grader learns to do this in social studies. Black box for huts and buildings, earth-tone triangle for camp, or whatever your heart desires. Bring a pad and paper for writing notes and keeping your key handy if you don't want it on your map.

  6. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >I want to put markers on the map on where things like geocaches, little huts, creeks and our camps are.
    I do exactly that, I make my own offline maps with the best available topographic maps from the countries I visit (usually that's the official government ones).
    I'm too lazy to go into great details, but you're gonna want to do some research on Mobile Atlas Creator which will create the offline map, and OruxMaps where you will import this now created map and display it, add markers, routes on it etc...

    This is a niche thing and I'm probably the only one on PrepHole that does it but it gives me the absolute best navigation I can get.
    OruxMaps is absolutely insane in terms of functionalities it proposes. And you can even download it for free to try it out, the paid version is just more up to date. Best 4€ I ever spent. I'm a poorgay but the app could have been 20 or even 30€ I would have paid them. If I were a richgay I would make a big donation to the crazy autists coding this thing, they deserve it.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      You are not alone mate. I used OruxMaps during my military service, still using it for trail running.
      It is hard to use if you come from Google Maps, but it's the best map application for smartphones I have ever seen.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Lie more remf. DoD uses Falconview and
        the s2 makes custom maps.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          I was a grunt and my recon platoon had almost nonexistant funds for fancy stuff. We relied on physical maps and OruxMaps for navigation. It was not the best, but we made it work.
          Thanks for paying your taxes.

  7. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Learn QGIS

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      My favorite answer in this thread. Definitely a higher learning curve, but the biggest reward.

  8. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Caltopo
    Default sat imagery, plus contour lines, plus mapbuilder overlay works wonders and I find preferable to stock USFS/NPS maps since you get better info from sat imagery than from their "green area, white area durr".

    You can hit the print to PDF button and you can set it to 1:24k for detail maps and higher for area maps.

    Go to a kinkos and print it out on rite-in-rain type paper on A4. They'll do 12x18", but that requires either a pro account of personal tech ability to make your own maps in photoshop/gimp.
    I usually spend an hour or so dialing it in via gimp and printing to 12x18, but that's more involved.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Here's a piece of a map I made through more dialing-in of random campground in Michigan.
      Lighter sat colors print better, and I hand-drew the public/private (pink) boundaries using a separate layer as a guide, then painted the structures bright red since that shows up easier than their default yellow. More work, but helpful in the field for sure.

      This requires more effort than asking PrepHole what to do, but get different layers from caltopo, copy-paste them to gimp/etc as layers, then alter opacity values and doodle to your heart's content. Then print.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        And if you want to include the scale/declination but don't want white space, cut it out, remove white space, paste over part of the map you won't likely need.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Here's the layer opacities I recommend:
          33% TF Outdoors
          67% global imagery

          Take that output for your base layer in pshop/gimp.
          Then add that+contours+mapbuilder overlay as a higher layer at 60% opacity on top.
          Then add an extra layer you can doodle on.
          That gives a very balanced print job, where contours and paths are clearly visible but not overpowering the sat imagery or getting blown out by the printer.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      This is the right answer, even though I just use USFS layers. It’s super simple.

      Also the PDF’s you export from Cal Topo are Geospatial PDF’s. So any phone app or gps device that supports them can have the exact same image as your paper map, but will show your location on it.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >exact same as a topic map
        No. Way smaller and harder to use as a map.
        >show your location
        You celltards are insufferable

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          >way smaller
          Zoom in.

          It’s the exact same as the paper map that you could create but uploaded onto a phone you already have. Are you really not familiar with CalTopo?

          You come to a trail junction, and want to confirm where you are. You can look on your phone and it’s quicker than unfolding a paper map. Everyone who’s actually been hiking knows how quick and easy this is. The dissenting opinion (that you shouldn’t use a phone; “phone bad!”) is just noise at this point because it’s baseless and larpy.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >use USFS layers
        Not always an option though. They don't cover state or private lands, but otherwise yes they're the easiest solution by far, and if I'm lazy I'll just use them.
        But then I do miss having sat imagery, and have found it fairly invaluable for selecting offtrail campsites or figuring out where I am in otherwise hard-to-navigate terrain where clearcuts or oddly shaped meadows are the easiest form of landmark to spot.
        USFS maps' green/white distinctions aren't always very accurate or detailed. A <24mo old sat image is usually far superior, plus they can show different stands by coloration (deciduous/evergreen) whereas USFS never does.
        You can mess with the sat layer's colors/saturation/etc in the image editor and make the vegetation distinctions very apparent picrel
        But it's a lot more work and it's hard to dial in the path layer and contour layer like the USFS has, I gets it.

        >exact same as a topic map
        No. Way smaller and harder to use as a map.
        >show your location
        You celltards are insufferable

        >smaller and harder to use as a map.
        I don't know where to being with this level of cluelessness. Make a map with a different scale, but 1:24k (not 25k lol) suffices for detail in most cases. 1:16k might be necessary in deep woods without many clear terrain features. You do not need to go lower than that.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Looking at this pic, I see I merged USFS with my other approaches (using "multiply" for a few layers). Another issue I have with USFS is all the random delineations (the maroon R18W type lines) that just clutter things up and aren't useful in any other way beyond the bureaucratic (not consistent in distance).
          I'm constantly tweaking my approach.

          Also total side note that Michigan's map-marked trails are completely whimsical, and entirely fantasy half the time. I've gotten turned around and had to jump to GPS on a few occasions because of that.
          I'm seeing such a memory in this map.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          3/3
          Also, how I got that specific coloration:
          Use NAIP IR imagery (gives clearer distinction)
          Alter Hue value back to green
          Reduce saturation a bit
          Mess with Levels so it's brighter without strong darks (necessary for printing)
          Apply a gentle Gaussian (otherwise the contrast can confuse the trail/contour data)

          Take in the shaded relief layer and apply over this using multiply, while applying this layer over the blank white USFS topo with multiply as well (topo->sat->relief)

          Pro: water features are way more visible as bright pink (I hue switched the map back to blue here for aesthetics)

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Caltopo is great. I also cross-reference with satellite imagery. Both are very good, but you see detail that wouldn't be spotted by just topo maps.

  9. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Google maps works for me can download for offline use and save all the locations you want
    Picrel hut locations and camping spots near home

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >doesn't know how to land navigate
      >gives navigation advice
      every time

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        T. Written by quill and ink
        Technology bad

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          >Doesn't know how to read a map
          >Tells people digital maps are better
          Indeed.

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Grew up using maps, 75 model. Moved on with technology, but you keep pretending you're uncle Ted

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              I'm not interested in fulfilling the role of whoever molested you, coconut. You never learned how to navigate, that much is obvious. I would ask you to point on the map where uncle Ted touched you but I really don't care.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Oh but you do care or you wouldn't keep posting shit, have you tried getting a life instead of larping on here 24/7.
                I can give you some good campsite GPS coordinates if you know someone who can explain them to you

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                I clearly said I don't care about how you were molested as a child.
                You don't know how to plot coordinates on a map, so it's pure irony you'd hand them out like candy to people that do.
                Continue midwit. Tell us more about your iPhone.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                I mention Google maps, moron spergs about iPhones you really are special ain't ya bahahahaha

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Probably the same guy who insisted 1:25,000 scale maps in the US outside of Alaska are the norm.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Just an attention seeking brainless individual aka a woman

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                >I don't know how to plot grids on a map
                Obviously

                Probably the same guy who insisted 1:25,000 scale maps in the US outside of Alaska are the norm.

                1:25k maps are common, subhuman. They are metric scalars you absolute moron.

                Just an attention seeking brainless individual aka a woman

                Samegay.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Wrong yet again, how does she keep doing it folks?

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                >metric
                Yes, but that’s not what this gay was talking about. And he was recommending them for hiking, not some kind of official surveying or anything.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                >I can't use a 1:25k for hiking
                >but they weren't talking about surveying
                Learn to read a map before giving land navigation advice.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                1:24k is the standard. If you didn’t know that then your opinion is just noise.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                What kind of idiocy is this? If someone’s recommending 1:25,000 maps they’re either European or it’s the first thing they saw in Google search results.

  10. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    both of these apps use openstreetmap data and allow you to put down markers either at places you select or by putting in coordinates.
    >easier to use, full version exists on ios, allows markers exist in groups, fewer customization options
    https://organicmaps.app/
    >free on android via the f-droid store, limitef version on ios, more complicated, higher learning curve, more powerful and customizable, but you cant group map markers
    https://osmand.net/

  11. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Can you get a topographic map of the area that you're going/out/?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      A physical (photocopy or something alike) topographic map.

  12. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Since this thread is about to die, anything like that but not specifically for hiking?
    I go foraging a lot and would love to start mapping out my surroundings better, so each time I have a trip I start noting where good foraging spots and plants are.
    So I'd like a digital map that I can make markers on that will be permanent ( so not temporary markers for a trip or something), so I can build up a sort of database for myself. If it's for plants/foraging, great, if not, that's still okay.
    I'd prefer if I could edit stuff both on my phone while PrepHole and on my pc once home.
    Is there something like this?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      IIRC Google maps already has an option for marking X places as a point of interest. It is crappy tho.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Sure that's better than nothing, but I'd want to create a sort of database of foraging spots and plants, possibly with filter options.
        I looked a bit more and didn't find anything that fit it well, considering to just code my own tool, shouldn't be too hard, depending on if and where I get the map data from.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Sure there must be some OpenSource program with interactive maps. Nothing stops you from adding a text editor that makes CRUDs and also edit with some png icon with hyperlink on the maps or something.

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Yeah something like that. Hardest part will probably be making it cross platform from the very beginning and syncing, the basic functionality that I want should be manageable

  13. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >the answer you don't want to hear
    QGIS or Python

    >the answer you want to hear
    Gmaps > .gpx > Inkatlas

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