Backroad Mapbook

[bmynbr]

I was going to grab a br mapbook from Canadian tire yesterday, and was super disappointed with the lack of back roads shown in it. The maps where 1/250,000 scale and didn't really show back roads with any detail. I found the showed more about activities to do in the locations more than being a Mapbook. Does anyone have a better Mapbook that they like to use or am I just better off printing a google map for the area I plan on going to.
Thanks, Dave

[Linksman313]

Google earth on your phone/comp and take a screen shot, blow it up or just leave it in pics to take with you. Also utilize the past/present function in google earth, you can roll back time on the area you want to hunt, the roads and cut blocks are easier to locate/follow. What area are you looking for maps for?

[Quince]

Backroad map books are ok for general area info but some of the roads on it are way off. Info is also a bit outdated as well.

[dustybeat]

For the price you pay for each book you only getting 20-30 pages of maps the rest is all bs. You would be better off picking up an actual map.

[BRvalley]

even google maps can be outdated in areas, but if you find google maps works well enough for you then just cache the area you want and use your phone

I've found the hunt buddy app to be well worth the money

[MichelD]

I love them. They are a great starter reference to get you into an area. Then you have to do a certain amount of route finding on your own. Some of the roads indicated do not exist any more.

When I first moved to the mainland in 1986 I had no maps to refer to at all. Then I discovered the BCFS regional maps that had main roads and Forest Service roads on them and used them for years until the map books came out.

I don't have any of that cell phone App/Google/GPS stuff.

I'll consult Google earth on the computer before heading out to a new area, mark it out on my map book and away I go.

Topos are great if you're on foot but if you hope to use it in conjunction with roads you better have a GPs because some of them are from very old surveys. Mountains and rivers don't move but there are many more roads now than when those maps were printed.

For example. A random grab for a topo map out of my book shelf got me 92 H/10 Tulameen. Updated from aerial photos taken in 1975, updated in 1976 and 1978. I admit, I've had it for quite a while, but they are expensive and you don't want to be buying too many of those every year.

[markathome]

Hunt Buddy! Download maps - upload maps. It's the bomb.

[RadHimself]

if you go to backroadsmapbook.com

you can order each individual page blown up in topo map form.... a bit handier

x2 for using google earth, you can import waypoints from it and garmin basecamp and put them right on your gps so you know where to turn etc... atleast i can with my rhino 530's... and they're OLD

x2 for huntbuddy bc

[Maggiemaebe]

I'm in area 7 and find that most FSRs shown in BRMB have signs that read "Logged in 1993", etc. Other than the main roads they are often way overgrown, etc. Tempting to email in my GPS tracks so they can update the books but can't say I want to give away all my spots either :-).

[sparkymacker]

I was going to buy an updated one for the Okanagan and found that it was mostly advertising and fluff, not worth the money in my opinion.

[mike31154]

The waterproof maps by the same outfit are more suitable & useful than the "books" for outdoor use such as hunting. I have a number of them including one for the Okanagan. I find them a useful supplement to online resources, Google maps, Google Earth etc.. If you're browsing the rack with the books, the waterproof maps are usually not far away.

http://www.backroadmapbooks.com/waterproof-maps

[Langleybushcrafter]

You can print sections of 1:50,000 topo maps on plain old printer paper and simply write or draw in any additional info you wish. I wrote a piece for my blog about this and may do a follow up on how to transfer info from google earth to a paper map.

http://ratherbebushcrafting.blogspot.com/2016/10/print-your-own-maps-at-home.html

[bmynbr]

I was going to buy an updated one for the Okanagan and found that it was mostly advertising and fluff, not worth the money in my opinion.

Thats the one I was looking at. Complete waste. Gonna get hunt buddy