Paper maps, offline apps and tracks for remote driving
Finding your way without a signal
Backroad Map Notes explains how to keep track of where you are on remote driving trips. It covers paper maps, offline map apps, GPX files, GPS and the compass. Each page starts with a common problem and works through the fixes.
It's for drivers heading out of mobile coverage who want to understand their maps before they need them.
Fixes and explainers
Paper Maps vs Navigation Apps for Remote TripsYour phone shows a blue dot but no roads. Here's why that happens, what an app can't do offline, and what a paper map adds.
How to Read a Topographic MapContour lines look like a mess of squiggles. Here's what they, the symbols and the legend tell you about the road and land ahead.
Map Scale and Grid References ExplainedWork out how far it is between two points on a map, and learn the order used to read an MGRS grid reference.
How to Download Offline Maps Before You GoMap blank when you lose signal? Save the area first. Steps, limits and expiry dates for offline maps in Google Maps.
What Is a GPX File? Tracks, Routes and WaypointsA friend sends a .gpx file and your phone doesn't know what to do with it. Here's what's inside and how tracks, routes and waypoints differ.
How GPS Works Without Mobile SignalYour phone has no bars but still shows where you are. Here's why, why the first fix can be slow, and what can weaken a GPS signal.
Compass Basics for DriversYour compass points the wrong way or the map and ground disagree. Learn what a bearing is, what declination does, and what throws a needle off.