What to do with old torn paper maps?

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Jason Berard

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N. Thetford, VT Avatar: Cabot, winter 2011
I had a bunch of old paper AMC maps that I couldn't just throw out.:rolleyes:

So I made a map box!

Just what every hiker needs, right?:rolleyes::confused:;)

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I love this. I was going to answer that surely mine will become some sort of art when they reach the age of ultra-flimsiness.
Before your maps reach this stage, give them a good brush soaking with Thompson's Water Seal. It completely waterproofs them and increases tear resistance and life without becoming flimsy. Plus it's a very inexpensive treatment. I even coat maps printed on regular computer paper. I did that with 96 home printed map pages for the Yukon River 1000 mile race. Constantly out, they survived a week of silty water splashing and rough treatment in the bottom of the canoe and could even be used again.
 
Right on! When I saw the headline my first thought was ModPoge. That is very cool. One of my friends had a den wallpapered in nautical charts; it was hard to leave that room. I think I'll try a table top.

Also thanks Nessmuk for the tip on Thompson's I'll give that a try.
Bob
 
Right on! When I saw the headline my first thought was ModPoge. That is very cool. One of my friends had a den wallpapered in nautical charts; it was hard to leave that room. I think I'll try a table top.

Also thanks Nessmuk for the tip on Thompson's I'll give that a try.
Bob
There is a restaurant in the ADKs that has maps lacquered on to all their tables.
 
Excellent suggestion! I was wishing just yesterday that I could have my own map library, with walls covered with maps, swinging frames of maps for viewing, map drawers, etc.

I once saw a wall covered with almost all the pages from the Delorme atlas for Alaska. As I recall, the Aleutians had to get dropped because of the massive wall space it would have required. Because of the proximity to 90 degrees north, the page boundaries could not match perfectly. But it was an awesome sight seeing the topography of the state all at once.
 
The store in the ADK HQ in Lake George has all of the national geographic adirondack maps cut and aligned on one of their walls. It is roughly 10' tall by 8' wide and is an awesome sight.
 
Other ideas would be to use them as cabinet and drawer liners (like a "contact paper" or like in the little diner in Long Lake, NY, use them underneath a clear glass tabletop placement.

Jay "Marttha Stewart" H
 
There used to be a company that bought USGS surplus maps and converted them to envelopes (AKA mapalopes)probably a dying business these days with the rapid decline in snailmail.

The Gorham papermill used to produce the paper for USGS maps (and AMC guides).
 
I saw a room that was wall papered in topo maps. it was just one big map. Pretty cool that you could see their house on the wall and mine also even though I lived 40 miles away.
 
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