Backroad Mapbooks for Tree Planters

A lot of tree planters like to use the Avenza GPS/mapping app for finding their way around in the bush.  The Avenza app is free to download and use (three simultaneous maps at a time maximum with the free version, unlimited maps with the annual subscription), and it is available for both Android and iOS devices.  It's also very easy to use.

Typically, planters get maps from foresters, or from their camp supervisor, or shared online for free.  The only maps that work in this app are ones that are set up as "georeferenced" maps.  The file format for these maps is generally a PDF or a TIFF, and if the map is georeferenced, that means that it has latitude and longitude info embedded into the file.  When combined with a device that contains a GPS (ie. all modern smart phones, and any modern cell-connected tablet), a user can load a georeferenced map into the Avenza app, and when the map is displayed on the screen, your location "on the map" is shown as a blue dot, similar to the blue dot that you see in Google Maps.  Of course, in order to see that blue dot, your device also needs to be physically located within the geographic area displayed on the map.

For the past few years, I've shared a collection of a few georeferenced forestry overview maps on my public dropbox account, so planters (in BC) can experiment with using the app.  I have about a dozen different maps there, and each can be downloaded and used by anyone who knows the link.  There are maps for Burns Lake, Fort St James, Kamloops, Lillooet, Mackenzie, Merritt, Prince George, Quesnel, Smithers, Valemont, and Williams Lake.  To find them, first go to my public dropbox at this link:

www.djbolivia.ca/dropbox

Once you're there, go into the Canadian Reforestation folder, then go into the BC Overview Maps folder, and help yourself to whatever you want.

The only problem with these maps is that each one was made by a different forester, using different layers and GIS data, and many of them don't even show publicly-maintained roads, let alone the forestry roads and back trails that many of us like to explore.  There's no consistency, and many of them are fairly poor when it comes to navigation, except in a very broad sense.  Well, look no further, there's an easy solution:

www.backroadmapbooks.com/avenza

On the Backroad Mapbooks site, you can find a number of commercial map packages (for Canada) that can be purchased, downloaded, and loaded into the Avenza maps application.

There are a number of different regions available for purchase.  Within BC, for example, there are approximately six different regions.  I guess this is a drawback if you are exploring all over the province, but since many of us tend to stick to one or two regions, it's not a real problem.  Also, each package is so cheap ($19.95 USD) that it doesn't hurt to have to buy a couple of regions.  There are additional packages which cover the rest of Canada.  Of course, some other regions are not as geographically diverse as BC, so for example, a single package covers all of New Brunswick and PEI, and another covers all of Nova Scotia and PEI.  PEI gets to be included in two different packages because it's so small.  "Hey bus driver, can this bus stop on a dime?  I hope so, because we're coming up to PEI!"  Ok, PEI is a wonderful province, and before I get off onto a rant about Greyhound, let's get back to the topic at hand.

These maps are great.  However, when you buy them to use with Avenza, make sure you select the digital version, not a print mapbook!  You can then pay for the download with a credit card or PayPal, and a few seconds later, the mapbook is available in your Avenza Map Store account.  Yes, you needed to create an account on the Avenza Map Store, if you didn't already have one.  This only takes a couple minutes, and as much as I hate creating new accounts everywhere, this is quite beneficial.  You see, you can log into your account from multiple devices.  So for example, you can buy the Northern BC mapbook package on your PC, then log into your account on both your phone and tablet, and the maps will be available for both devices.  This is really helpful.  When I go exploring, I usually have my tablet mounted on my windshield, for hands-free navigation.  But if I jump out of the truck to take a few photos, I like to do it with my phone, because the camera on my phone has better resolution and more storage.  When I'm about to take a photo, I can drop an Avenza pin on my Backroads Map to show where I took it, then take the photo within the pin for later reference.  Your purchases stay in your account permanently, so even if you drop your phone into a toilet three years from now and end up installing Avenza on the new Samsung Galaxy S14, you'll still be able to access your maps.

Here's a screenshot to show some of the Northern BC maps loaded up into my phone.  This particular package contains 112 separate maps (a 775MB download, so do it while you're still in WiFi coverage at home):

Here's a screenshot showing me sitting in Prince George (I'm the blue dot).  This map is zoomed in to its maximum extent at the moment, but even so, the resolution is still usable.

Here's another screenshot, zoomed out slightly more, but still showing a small fraction of the Prince George map.

As you can see, the detail is pretty good, and considering that some of the BCTS and MOF overview maps lack much attention to detail (ie. roads), it can be handy to flip back and forth from your government forestry overview maps to the Backroads Maps while navigating.  These Backroad Mapbook maps do have a fair number of logging roads and goat trails on them, even small side branches.

To be clear, you do NOT need to be in cell service for the location-finding on these maps to work.  The "blue dot" magic happens because your device reads GPS signals from GPS satellites even when you're in remote locations, far from cell coverage.

Good luck with your exploring!