These are the traditional tools for map-reading and navigation. Ireland is covered by a good selection of hardcopy mapping products. An all-Ireland series of ninety-three 1:50,000 scale map sheets is published by OSi and OSNI. The seventy-five of these sheets published by OSi comprise the Discovery series, and the eighteen published by OSNI comprise the Discoverer series. OSi and OSNI also publish a selection of 1:25,000 scale maps covering certain outdoor recreation hotspots. These include OSi’s MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, and OSNI’s Mourne Activity Map. Harvey Maps also publish a number of quality 1:30,000 Irish maps in its Superwalker series including MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, Connemara, and Wicklow Mountains. EastWest Mapping, with their ever-growing series of 1:25,000 scale maps, is by far the most active producer of high-quality Irish maps for outdoor enthusiasts. They usually publish one or two new titles each year.
In poor visibility, a map needs to be used in conjunction with a compass. It is, therefore, recommended that you keep a compass in your rucksack at all times. However, having a compass will not save your life if you do not have the necessary skills to use it properly. For this reason, we encourage you to attend a skills course or buy a skills book. When buying a compass, we recommend that you don't just settle for the cheapest and most basic model you can find. In order to take the most accurate bearing from a map, the longest edges on your compass should be at least 10cm. This will allow you to align your compass between points on a map more easily. Romers are very useful features on compasses. These mini built-in scale rulers help you to measure short distances on your map with out having to do scale conversions. 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 romers are often included on compasses. A magnifying glass within the baseplate is also useful if you need to see finer details more clearly on a map. A declination scale helps when making adjustments for magnetic variation, and an inclination needle is handy for measuring slope angles. Some compasses have marks which glow in the dark, which can be useful when navigatiing at night.
A hardcopy map and compass are the preferred navigational tools used by all competent self-navigators in the mountains and hills. Relying exclusively on a GPS device or phone for navigation is strongly discouraged. The person who follows a dot, crosshairs or a GPX route on a tiny screen is not navigating. They are effectively being led by their device. This involves no skill whatsoever and will only increase that person's reliance on technology. We recommend using hardcopy maps and traditional magnetic compass because:
Never rely solely on guidebook maps as your primary navigational tool. Walking guidebook authors only intend that such maps be used as an indicative visual aid to compliment a route description. These are useful for planning purposes, and it is worth having a relevant guidebook in your rucksack in case on-site reference is required. Before setting off on walks described in guidebooks, you are strongly encouraged to purchase the relevant published maps and use these – with a compass – as your primary navigation tools.
In poor visibility, a map needs to be used in conjunction with a compass. It is, therefore, recommended that you keep a compass in your rucksack at all times. However, having a compass will not save your life if you do not have the necessary skills to use it properly. For this reason, we encourage you to attend a skills course or buy a skills book. When buying a compass, we recommend that you don't just settle for the cheapest and most basic model you can find. In order to take the most accurate bearing from a map, the longest edges on your compass should be at least 10cm. This will allow you to align your compass between points on a map more easily. Romers are very useful features on compasses. These mini built-in scale rulers help you to measure short distances on your map with out having to do scale conversions. 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 romers are often included on compasses. A magnifying glass within the baseplate is also useful if you need to see finer details more clearly on a map. A declination scale helps when making adjustments for magnetic variation, and an inclination needle is handy for measuring slope angles. Some compasses have marks which glow in the dark, which can be useful when navigatiing at night.
A hardcopy map and compass are the preferred navigational tools used by all competent self-navigators in the mountains and hills. Relying exclusively on a GPS device or phone for navigation is strongly discouraged. The person who follows a dot, crosshairs or a GPX route on a tiny screen is not navigating. They are effectively being led by their device. This involves no skill whatsoever and will only increase that person's reliance on technology. We recommend using hardcopy maps and traditional magnetic compass because:
- their use requires and reinforces an elementary outdoor skill.
- the user is the navigator (this is not the case when using a GPS device, especially one with the day's route loaded in).
- they do not require energy, therefore have less impact on the environment.
- hillwalking and mountaineering should be about having a a digital detox in nature, not squinting at yet another screen.
- satellites, phones, GPS devices and their associated networks and systems are vulnerable to potential outages caused by external factors (e.g. hacking, ransomware, terrorism, solar fluctuations, space junk, etc).
Never rely solely on guidebook maps as your primary navigational tool. Walking guidebook authors only intend that such maps be used as an indicative visual aid to compliment a route description. These are useful for planning purposes, and it is worth having a relevant guidebook in your rucksack in case on-site reference is required. Before setting off on walks described in guidebooks, you are strongly encouraged to purchase the relevant published maps and use these – with a compass – as your primary navigation tools.