100acrehuphalump
Senior Member
I have a number of the Delorme Recreation Atlas' but I've seen some by Benchmark as well. What do you guys use as far as hard maps are concerned, and do you have a preference for one or the other and why? Thanks. Dan
Recreation Atlas' do you have a preference?
- Thread starter 100acrehuphalump
- Start date
I'm a huge fan of the Benchmark series of state atlases.
I don't use Delorme anymore except for states not covered by Benchmark.
I don't use Delorme anymore except for states not covered by Benchmark.
x2MarkBC said:
Delorme had bad information on a road - showed it as improved dirt - one trip. We were not happy.
MANXMAN
Senior Member
Another Benchmark fan. Much better for detailed backroad information than Delorme.
100acrehuphalump
Senior Member
Where was it?ski3pin said:
ETAV8R
Senior Member
Benchmark
I've got 7 states right in front of me here on my desk. They have not all been used sadly.
Got a Delorme recently and it misrepresented Saline Valley Road and a couple other roads. I returned it.
I've got 7 states right in front of me here on my desk. They have not all been used sadly.
Got a Delorme recently and it misrepresented Saline Valley Road and a couple other roads. I returned it.
Western Nevada off of SR 359100acrehuphalump said:
100acrehuphalump
Senior Member
I went ahead and called Benchmark directly at 888-797-9377 and ordered the atlases for California, Nevada, and Washington. If your order is more than $50, then shipping is free. California is the only one that sells for $24.95. The rest sell for $22. Dan
100acrehuphalump
Senior Member
You sound like you've past the age of 40. When I did, I started needing reading glasses. Heck I need them for all reading...Cayuse said:
PaulT
Need gumbo
Relax. From personal experience, pulling 50 is much easier than pushing 50. 
Paul
Paul
100acrehuphalump
Senior Member
Minus one...Cayuse said:
Some friends of mine, years ago, used a Delorme atlas of WA to plan a bicycle ride (skinny-tire road bikes).
They were surprised when they reached one road, one leg of their loop route, that was gravel, though it was represented as paved on the Delorme. Trusting the atlas, they were sure that the gravel section would be very short, so they decided to tough it out. Well...10 miles of gravel later (or maybe it was 15) on their skinny-tire bikes they were cursing the inaccuracy of the Delorme road representation.
I haven't had such a traumatic experience myself, but I have seen roads on Delorme atlases (back when I still bought them) that I know are not the type of road indicated. It's the possibility of inaccurate road-quality representation on the Delorme state atlases that turned me into a Benchmark man. Unfortunately, Benchmark's aren't available for all states, though they are for all "Western" states.
They were surprised when they reached one road, one leg of their loop route, that was gravel, though it was represented as paved on the Delorme. Trusting the atlas, they were sure that the gravel section would be very short, so they decided to tough it out. Well...10 miles of gravel later (or maybe it was 15) on their skinny-tire bikes they were cursing the inaccuracy of the Delorme road representation.
I haven't had such a traumatic experience myself, but I have seen roads on Delorme atlases (back when I still bought them) that I know are not the type of road indicated. It's the possibility of inaccurate road-quality representation on the Delorme state atlases that turned me into a Benchmark man. Unfortunately, Benchmark's aren't available for all states, though they are for all "Western" states.
craig333
Riley's Human
Benchmark replied to my email letting them know of the powerline omission. I had a feeling they'd be responsive.
Hi Craig,
Thanks very much for your note, the edits, and the link to great reviews at Wander the West. We'll add that line to our edit reviews for the next edition. Let us know if we can help further.
Appreciatively,
Bridger DeVille
Sales & Marketing Director
Benchmark Maps
Hi Craig,
Thanks very much for your note, the edits, and the link to great reviews at Wander the West. We'll add that line to our edit reviews for the next edition. Let us know if we can help further.
Appreciatively,
Bridger DeVille
Sales & Marketing Director
Benchmark Maps
Foy
Resident Geologist
x "nth" to Benchmark where available, DeLorme where not.
Unfortunately for me, my weekend warrior-ing is in the Piedmont of NC and VA as well as the Blue Ridge of both states plus eastmost TN. All DeLorme country--no Benchmarks. Having been trained in land navigation on USGS 7.5' and 15' topos, I'm picky when it comes to topo maps. The DeLormes, IMHO, do some silly things with contour intervals on the Eastern map books. Silly things like applying a 150' contour interval to the entire state of NC. That's halfway decent for the Blue Ridge and the Foothills, but is absolutely useless in the Piedmont, where local relief may only be 50-100'. The Coastal Plain is, thus, a joke, where almost nowhere east of I-95 is the elevation even 100' above sea level to begin with, and the CP covers about 1/3 of the state. Well, maybe it doesn't matter much what the CI is, because the dang lines are printed so faintly you can't see them, and the elevation printed here and there along a contour line is, well, rarely within a few inches of where you're looking. Did I mention I don't care for DeLorme's contour lines?
The Benchmarks, oddly enough for this topo stickler, aren't topo maps. But they are shaded relief with a plethora of spot elevations at road junctions, creek crossings, peaks, passes, and towns. As long as I get a good feel for the topography and know what key elevations are, I am happy not having the contour lines.
Foy
Unfortunately for me, my weekend warrior-ing is in the Piedmont of NC and VA as well as the Blue Ridge of both states plus eastmost TN. All DeLorme country--no Benchmarks. Having been trained in land navigation on USGS 7.5' and 15' topos, I'm picky when it comes to topo maps. The DeLormes, IMHO, do some silly things with contour intervals on the Eastern map books. Silly things like applying a 150' contour interval to the entire state of NC. That's halfway decent for the Blue Ridge and the Foothills, but is absolutely useless in the Piedmont, where local relief may only be 50-100'. The Coastal Plain is, thus, a joke, where almost nowhere east of I-95 is the elevation even 100' above sea level to begin with, and the CP covers about 1/3 of the state. Well, maybe it doesn't matter much what the CI is, because the dang lines are printed so faintly you can't see them, and the elevation printed here and there along a contour line is, well, rarely within a few inches of where you're looking. Did I mention I don't care for DeLorme's contour lines?
The Benchmarks, oddly enough for this topo stickler, aren't topo maps. But they are shaded relief with a plethora of spot elevations at road junctions, creek crossings, peaks, passes, and towns. As long as I get a good feel for the topography and know what key elevations are, I am happy not having the contour lines.
Foy
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