I really appreciated this quote:
One of the secrets of making a good, easy-to-read, map is what you leave off the map. A lot of maps have way too much stuff.
The single biggest problem I have with many maps is they try to cram too much stuff in, resulting in teeny tiny type and illegible features. Sometimes they add in useless stuff (“points of interest” to somebody, somewhere) at the expense of useful stuff (accurate trail junctions).
For example, USGS topo maps are great for many purposes, but they have way too many details for most well-trodden trails. (They have many other problems, too.) Don’t even get me started on Nat Geo Trails Illustrated maps.
Off-trail, cross-country travel is a whole different story. Still, if you can’t read the map, it doesn’t do you much good.
YMMV. HYOH.
— Rex
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