
An automotive-based GPS does not always have the necessary data for non-city driving and relying on a cell phone is never a good idea. Not the Rand McNally atlas for highways and city roads (which I also make use of), but rather a road atlas with more detail needed for the backcountry areas. Something that shows not only the fabled blue highways, but also the brown (dirt) ones, local landmarks and other geographical information. If I am going to an obscure pueblo in Utah or even a trail head, I need this type of detail.Ī Rand McNally will not have the right detail and a topo or a typical commercial hiking map will not necessarily give the broader overview I need for this “in-between” navigation. The answer for many years was, and still is, a Delorme Gazetteer and Atlas. This Maine-based company is nearly 40 yrs old and is very much a part of many outdoor enthusiasts gear kit. Countless Delorme atlases are stashed under seats, have wrinkled edges, some slight dirt stains and fine grains of sand from countless trips done or planned on the fly for the backcountry. Backpackers plot out the best place to start their hike of a canyon, hunters pick out the best dirt road access to set up an elk camp, mountain bikers plan out their route on obscure jeep roads and many ATVers consider these atlases as much part of their kit as a good helmet. Outdoor enthusiasts can sometimes be a divided lot. But the need for good maps is a constant. And the Delorme atlases has filled that niche for many years.įor-not-quite 20 years, a new company has steadily become a competitor and alternative to the Delorme series: the Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlas series.
