RE: topomaps
Just a couple of points for you to consider, No digital map can be more accurate than the original it was copied from. Topo maps produced by NOAA or USGS are accurate to within +/- 1 arc second or about 80 to 100 feet depending on your location and distance from the equator.
Most Topo maps have been "Photo" revised within the past 20 years but the landscape on a 50 year old map will be very similar to one produced last week. Urban areas are subject to the greatest change and areas where new development has occured. Wild areas rarely change significantly unless some catastrophic event has occured to change them and I include manmade activities in that categorie such as dams and road projects.
Digital maps are fun to play with at home and in conjunction with a GPS, you can do a lot of neat things with them, the problems begin when you want to go outside of your office or living room. How long is your longest extension cord? How much battery does your laptop have available? How big and how fine is your printer? A brand new off the shelf 7.5 min topo from NOAA or the USFS will cost you about $5 to $7 and is on good quality paper which will last for years. I am not putting down the digital mapping programs, I own several and have been using them for my job and for personal use since they were first made available , that's nearly ten years now. I also have a large collection of Topo maps that are used in the field and for research. Get the best tools available and learn how to use them, but don't think that any of them are a guarantee.