Mountaineering maps (Part 3)
Finally, here is Part 3 of preparing your handy mountain map.
In Part 1, we mercilessly cut down an enormous OS map sheet into an A4 sized extract of the most relevant area. Or, if you subscribe to OS Maps online, then you can print your own A4 sheets on demand.
In Part 2, we stuck on little tables of timing and pacing data, and perhaps useful bearings, in little panels around the edges of the map.
The final part is to laminate the handy map sheet, using a simple home laminator and lamination pocket sheets available from places like WH Smith. There is likely to be some excess plastic around the edges, so trim these down with sharp scissors to leave just a millimetre or two around the edge of the map, and round of the razor-sharp corners by cutting them into a nice curve rather than a right-angle.
If you now fold the map in quarters, it’s a perfect size to fit into most jacket chest pockets or trouser thigh pockets. When you need to use it, it fits nicely in the palm of the hand with a compass perched neatly on top.