When was the last time you planned a backpacking trip without a computer, phone, or GPS unit? Think hard. Unless you're a dedicated old-schooler, it probably wasn't recently. If your map skills are ...

Wilderness navigators and map lovers from all walks will revel in the U.S. Geological Survey’s entry into the digital era. New digital maps from U.S. Topo are designed to look, feel and perform like ...

In the second half of the 20th century, the foundation of the U.S. Geological Survey’s national map series was the handcrafted 7.5-minute topographic map. Times change, budgets get squeezed and ...

This material is taken from Chapter 6 - Wilderness Travel from The Backpackers Field Manual by Rick Curtis. For more details on this exciting book check out The Backpacker's Field Manual Page. This ...

Going for a hike this fall? The U.S. Geological Survey has free maps that might come in handy. The public topoBuilder app is now offering custom maps made free with their 25K Recreational Topo layer.