Friday, 02 May 2014 10:17

A - Z Adventure Series

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A-Z Adventure Series map in a book tested and reviewed

The idea of putting a map into a book has been with us for decades and A-Z are probably the best known name in the business for city street maps. With the Adventure Series they've taken the idea to the outdoor market by combining Ordnance Survey 1:25000 mapping with A-Z's familiar page navigation syatem and place name index in a map sized book.
The dimensions of the A-Z Adventure Series have obviously been carefully selected to match the size of the OS Explorer series maps and with double sided printing the resulting book is generally both thinner and slightly lighter (20-30g lighter on average). Not only does this mean there's no size diferential when compared to a folded map but also ensures that the book, open to display 2 pages, will fit a standard map case. Of course it doesn't have the map continuation instantly available by turning the map case over as with a well organised traditional map, but where a map may need opening up in less than favorable conditions the book pages can be turned within the safety of the map case.

Where the Adventure Series really comes into its own is where theres restrictions on the space to fully open a map, particularly inside a tent or sat around a pub table. Being paper the book isn't weather proof but then not all OS Explorer maps are any more water resistant and as with most outdoor kit the durability will depend on how well looked after the product is. Turning a page is less destructive than constant folding of a map and a thin white line between pages means even prolonged use shouldn't see any loss of clarity.

When using a book format rather than a large map you have to adjust to going from one pair of pages to another using the numbered arrows to identify the continuation of a map. A-Z have put flaps on both the front and back covers that can be used to mark pages where the map continues for easy navigation, using the space to add both Access and Navigation information. At the back of each book A-Z have listed a few points on safety and security when walking along with both the Country Codse and the Off Road Code and a few QR Codes for iformation on everything from National Parks to Mountain Rescue.

One of the beauties of a big OS map is you get the big picture and no matter how well laid out it is you're never going to replicate this in a book, well certainly not at 1:25000, but for planning a trip with friends in the pub or previewing the day's wak in the confines of a tent the Adventure Series books are unbeatable. With care there's no reason why they can't be used on the hill and at £7.95 they're also affordable enough to keep up to date with new issues.

 

Pros:

  • Easy to use format
  • Familiar A to Z navigation
  • Full OS mapping
  • Useful additional information
  • Price

 

Cons:

  • Not weather resistant
  • Narrow overlap margins


Note: This article was restored from the archives. It's published creation date is inaccurate.

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