i am going to be getting a map or two from mytopo.com and was wondering if there are any reasons to go with the 1:24,000 scale over the 1:15,000? i can get the whole area i want on the 1:15,000, but i heard that the 1:24,000 is more gps friendly. is this true and if so how? also is there any other tips you can give me about topo maps? oh yea this is for the black hills in wyoming if that helps. thanks a lot
-kyle
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go with the 1:24,00.00. if you are using a gps, and have it set to utm, the utm grids are all ready printed on the sides of the map. if you have never used a map, NORTH is always at the top. there is a ton of information contained on the maps, different colors mean different things, there are websites available to help you with this. contour lines on a map are normally in brown, the closer the lines, the steeper the terrain, blue is water, green vegetation, black is manmade objects, etc etc. always carry a compass with you along with your gps, learn to use the compass. hope this helps a litte.
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just wondering what difference it makes whether i have 1:24,000 or 1:15,000 with a gps. i thought that the only difference between the two was that the 1:15,000 is just "blown up" more. thanks again
-kyle
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HUNT WITH YOUR KIDS NOT FOR THEM!!
I'm not sure what difference it would make which scale you used. As an x-infantryman who lived with a map in my hand for 27 years, I find using the UTM grid system beneficial. the UTM (Universal Transmercator system) divides the map sheet up into 1000 meter (1 Kilometer) square grids. 1Km equals roughly 5/8s of a mile. 1000 meters equals roughly 1100 yards.
Most topo maps have the UTM grid ticks around the margin of the map. In most cases all you need to do is get a yard stick and draw in the lines. This aids greatly in determining distance, etc. If you use a GPS system, set it to read out in UTM coordinates. This will provide you with probably a 10 or 12 digit number. I won't go into all the associated detail here on how to read the digits on the map, but I much prefer having the GPS set to read UTM coordinates as opposed to LAT/LONG. I'm much more used to this system (UTM).
If you are not familiar with basic map reading skills, recommend finding a book on it. As Lee said above, there is a wealth of information in the margin of a topo map. Getting a compass and learning how to use it is also very important.
Regards.
If you use a GPS system, set it to read out in UTM coordinates. This will provide you with probably a 10 or 12 digit number.
Just to add a little to this bit of information, once you have your gps set up for UTM you will be only concerned with the last five numbers of the top and bottem number showing on your gps. the first two numbers of the top and bottem number will get you into the grid square, the last three of each number will get you exactly where you are standing.
Kyle, i use a program called maptech, you can buy your whole state for under 100 bucks, it allows me to pick out a section of a map and print it out, they are topo maps and i can put the utm grid lines on the map along with several other bits of information.
Oldrgr, i was stationed at Tripler Army Medical Center back in the mid 70's, nice place and great island, hope to visit it again one of these days.
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It is hard to kiss your lips at night, when they have chewed my rear all day.
Her heart was pure, but her teeth were stained.
Get Your Tongue Outta My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissing You Goodbye
a map scaled @ 1:24000 in laymans terms means that 1"=2000'. a map scaled @1:15000 means that 1"=1250'. 1"=2000' is alot more user friendly. good luck with learning to read them. if i can figure out how to scan the map symbol sheet and how to post it i will.
thanks for the info guys. youve been a lot of help. I did get a book and would deffinatly reccomend it to anyone who wants to learn how to read a topo map, use a topo with a gps or use a compass with a topo map. This book is Awesome! it has a ton of info yet its extremely easy to understand it. the book is: Dont Get Lost by Dave Hodges. Dave is on this forum so if you want to know anymore about it contact him. This book is great!
-kyle
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HUNT WITH YOUR KIDS NOT FOR THEM!!
topo map help
......before you get started!
a map scaled @ 1:24000 in laymans terms means that 1"=2000'. a map scaled @1:15000 means that 1"=1250'. 1"=2000' is alot more user friendly. 
good luck with learning to read them. if i can figure out how to scan the map symbol sheet and how to post it i will. 
