Reddit mentions: The best atlases

Fantastic question u/ardnassac115, and I'm glad you asked it. For some background on me, I'm 25 and used to work full-time in a pretty serious career before deciding to return to graduate school full-time. This lined up for me, and is probably one of the few times in my life I'll be able to do something this long and live-changing. When in my life will I have the holy trinity of time, energy, and money again? I had budgeted through grad school to 1.) make sure I could go through grad school without working, and 2.) make sure I had enough leftover to do something like this before returning to work. I still live at home and my major monthly expenses are student loans, car payment/insurance, and a cell phone bill. I budgeted to make sure the cost of this trip, in addition to those expenses, could be covered while I was gone before returning to work. I hope that answers your question regarding saving up.

Planning the trip was difficult at first, but became easier over time. I've never done anything like this in my life and I had no idea what I was doing. The most important thing is to first decide how long you want the trip to be. Everything else comes afterwards. I decided 6 weeks because it'd be enough to see a lot while not killing me financially. Next, I knew I wanted to see national parks, but had no idea how. This helped me immensely. It's an "optimal route" to see all the national parks in the lower 48 states (note there have been two new NP additions since: Gateway Arch NP and Indiana Dunes NP). In what I'm sure is a cardinal sin of this sub, I took the fastest, most direct routes in the interest of time rather than looking for scenic routes most of the time. I cared more about time in the parks than pretty views from my car (although there were many). If you look at the order of my route and the route through that link, you'll notice it's very similar. After, I just started researching parks and seeing which ones I want to see the most, and which ones I could skip for now or save for the future. Once I had that down, I opened up an excel sheet and google maps and started actually mapping each day, how long the drives would be between destinations, what I wanted to do, where I'd sleep each night, and how long I'd spend at each destination. How long was decided during the research part on the parks I decided to see on this trip. For example, parks like Rocky Mountan, Zion, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon all got 2 essentially full days because they were so big that I didn't think I could do all the things I wanted to do in a single day. Parks like Badlands, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Carlsbad Caverns, Gateway Arch, and Cuyahoga Valley I knew could be done in a single, very packed day. To preface that, I'm in shape and did a lot of hiking at a pretty unhealthy (read: fast) pace, allowing me to do a multitude of trails each day to get everything. I'm not going to lie, it took me a ton of effort to route my trip and make sure it was within the time frame. I essentially made an itinerary for myself. It's not as rigid as I'm making it sound, as the only thing really holding me to schedule was reserving campsites or AirBnBs. Otherwise I'd be able to do that research a few nights prior and alter as I needed. On the flip side, when it's 7PM and you don't know where you're sleeping that night, that can be a scary thing if you're not used to it.

I want to emphasize my planning of each day at parks too. I touched on that above, but this blog, where the authors spent 52 weeks doing all 59 (at the time) national parks for the centennial in 2016, was extremely helpful. The pictures, descriptions, and other info were so valuable. My friend's dad caught wind I was doing this trip and lent me three national park guides: Fodors, National Geographic, and Lonely Planet. These were the most important for actually planning my days in parks, with Fodors being by far the most useful, National Geographic also being good, and honestly not much help from Lonely Planet. Just an FYI, the links are for the exact copies I used, but there are newer versions available that you should get if you look into it. A note on this - it saved me a tremendous amount of valuable time when I got to parks to already know exactly what I wanted to do. If I had extra time and could do stuff I didn't know about, that was great! But on packed days it helps to know where things are in each park and how reasonable your "want to do" adventures are for the time frame.

For road trip prep I had to buy or borrow some things I didn't have and got the rest from my house: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, bed comforter, tarp, tent, knife, bear spray, pepper spray, a road atlas, a lantern, an abundance of snacks (clif bars, larabars, peanut butter crackers, etc), national park passport, a good cooler for water/food, camp stove and bowls, matches, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and some other things that I'm surely not remembering. A good, solid backpack and some good water bottles are necessary. Multi-tools are useful. Don't forget some engine coolant and wiper fluid just in case. Don't forget to stop for an oil change if your trip is long enough. For clothing I put a suitcase in the back seat of my car and lived out of that between laundry. Also had a box with some of the above items in it along with toiletries and other essentials like baby wipes, phone charger, electric razor and charger, nail clippers, sandwich baggies, and a few other things.

Woooo, that was a long winded post! There is so much to think about and plan when doing something like this, and I'd be lying if I said a great deal of work didn't go into my plan. If this trip had been shorter, a lot of this wouldn't be necessary. Six weeks though, that's a long time away from home, completely on my own. Having never done something even close to this, I felt I needed to do a lot of this prep work to make sure this went as smoothly as possible. It did go very smoothly too, but I attribute a lot of that to planning. I hope that this essay response helps you understand the pre-trip process I went through a bit better. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have!

Moving there in January will be interesting. Winter in Paris is grey. And rainy. Mostly grey. Super grey. It was really hard for me because I was from the countryside of Ohio, and not accustomed to living in a city where each street was bordered by two grey 6-story buildings and a grey sky. I felt claustrophobic sometimes, and the lack of sunshine got to me. And it gets to everyone else, and you can feel everyone around you become sluggish and brooding in the winter. You're just surrounded by grey people dressed in black, it's... depressing. But when the weather springs back, the whole city gets a breath of fresh air.

You need to figure out where you want to live, and preferably it's close to your place of employment, although that may not be best, depending. For instance, if you're working in the 6th or 7th arrondissements, you will have one hell of a time finding affordable housing. If you're working in la Défense, you don't want to live way out there. But the métro system is great, and you don't necessarily have to live down the street from your work place, but you don't want to have to switch lines 3 times just to get there.

I personally recommend the 10th, 11th, 19th, and 20th arrondissements. That is simply my favorite part of Paris, it is cheaper (but all of Paris is expensive), there are less tourists (except at Cimètière Père Lachaise maybe), tons of great cafés and bars, restaurants, and it has a lot of character. You're close to things like Parc des Buttes Chaumont, métro hub République, the bar strip of rue Saint-Maur, Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord, super delicious and cheap Asian restaurants and shops in Belleville, Canal Saint Martin, and more. I lived in the 10th and 11th arrondissements at métro Chateau d'Eau and métro Goncourt. I am a petite woman and I walked home from bars at all hours of the night or morning on quite a few occasions, but I never ran into any trouble. That doesn't mean it's a harassment-free neighborhood, Paris is a big city and anything can happen, it's important to be careful. I wouldn't whip out my iPhone while walking late at night, for instance. Instead, I always carried around my favorite little map book. Granted, if I got lost and had to use a map, I looked like a freaking tourist, but it's better than using an eye-catching, glowing money machine.

Oh, speaking of getting lost, you're gonna get lost. This is the greatest mapguide ever made. I have never, ever seen a better mapguide. I bought one the first time I visited Paris, and it was so freaking awesomely wonderful that I bought another one before I moved there. It's small, super thin, much more inconspicuous than a big, cumbersome fold-able paper map, doesn't fall apart with time, and is super easy to read and navigate. It has every site of importance in it. I can't even count how many awesome little gems I discovered just by looking at this map book. Sometimes when I was bored, I would take a FriXion erasable pen, draw out a zig-zag path to walk through the streets of a random neighborhood, and that would be my day. I would send you mine, but it has a ton of notes and stuff in it, and it's very special to me. It is sort of like my journal of experiences and favorite places in Paris. After some time, you won't need it on a daily basis, and you'll find yourself traversing familiar streets without hesitation, but it's super handy and I used it til I moved away, albeit sparingly.

The whole shopping experience is totally different. There is no big department store that has absolutely everything like Walmart or Target in America. Except BHV, I guess. But BHV is expensive and you can find anything you need for a cheaper price in other shops, and BHV is on rue de Rivoli, so going there can be utterly frustrating depending on tourist season.

If you have difficulty making friends because of your poor French skills, SEEK OUT social groups that speak English. Book clubs, theatre classes, cooking classes, go to polyglots, couchsurfing meetups, Reddit meetups, go to events at Shakespeare & Co. or Abbey Bookshop, whatever. Just make friends and have a support system, because culture shock can be hard. It is not necessarily recommended to make English-speaking friends because it can hinder your ability to learn French, but you need friends, and if you don't speak French, then you can't connect with people who don't speak English, and having friends, going out, that's going to make your life 100% better and it will really ease the transition. I did not have friends for a long time, and I was really depressed. Making muffins and having a spur-of-the-moment Reddit meet-up was the best thing I ever did in Paris, and I wish I'd done it sooner.

That's all I've got for now. Enjoy that wall of text.

TL;DR: Paris.

Edit: I only mispelled "métro" like, 5 times. Tricky accents.

edit: I realized I answered questions you didn't ask. These are things I wish I had known when I started riding.

Other people have answered your gear/bike questions well enough that I won't get into it. I can help with resources for finding places to ride. During the winter I like to do research for the rest of the year so I don't waste time in good weather. Having DS friends is extremely important as well. You really don't want to break yourself or your bike while you're all alone and possibly hundreds of miles from home. Cell phones tend not to work in the best riding areas.

I'm originally from Iowa where finding interesting scenery and roads is difficult so I honed my research skills in the right area. When I moved to Oregon the first thing I did was go to the office for the Forestry Service of my county and asked questions. I was given dozens of free maps and brochures for various parks in the area. There was a very large map with color coded sections that indicated public areas and detailed legal usage of the land. They also have detailed topos of smaller sections of land that show some really cool features. They charge a small fee for printing though. It gave me loads of ideas of where to go. Information on a lot of the government websites are not up to date so it's probably the best to go in or call. For example, the Patterson Mountain ATV Trail System is now closed.

A map (pdf) of a park somewheres in Virginia that might be worth checking out if it's close to where you live.

Watch out for all the regulations. It's ridiculous.
>In any forest, no games or athletic contests shall be allowed except in such places as may be designated thereof.

That's a state forest regulation in Virginia.

I'm curious about places to ride in Virginia because I used to live there so I've done some research for you.

A nice [table of parks in Virginia](http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stforest/recreation.htm
). Includes number of miles of various trails and roads. Two of the parks have links to trail maps. ALWAYS look for roads that are black/white dashes on a map. These are usually good roads to ride. You know they're public and they probably are in horrible condition.

In Iowa I found this map book that's designed for hunters so they can find out about all the lesser known parks, get contact information and see what amenities are available. It is the best map book I have ever owned, lost twice and repurchased once. It is now worth a lot of money. :( Each page contained one county. I highlighted all the black/white lines within 100 miles of my home. These books are highly rated by rider as well but I really preffered the black and white, spiral-bound, Sportsmans Atlas. Link goes to the Virginia version. Wait a minute I take it back. The DeLorme maps are the friggin' excellent and I regret losing the Oregon one my friend gave me.

Register on advrider.com and visit the South East regional forum. Look for topics that are relevant to your area and find meetups, rallies and parties located within distance. This will be the best way to get the secrets for your area. I went to my first ADVrider meetup two weeks ago and had a friggin' blast.. actually I have a video of it on youtube if you're interested. A lot of those guys won't post the information about where they love to ride but if you talk to them in person and you're not going to go out and ruin their favorite places they'll probably share some really good info with you. You can start by going to this party and listening and talking to every one. Keep an open mind because people from the internet can be weird :)

Good luck! I hope this information helps you get started.

Bradbury Mountain is a decent day trip from Portland, plus you could stop in Freeport and shop and eat lunch at the (supposedly) haunted Jameson's Tavern. The staff there will show you a book about the haunting if you ask about it. The hike at Bradbury Mountain is easy, they have one easy trail and one more difficult, but it's not really that hard, either way.

The wildlife refuge in Gray is also nice. Only open in the warmer months, of course:

http://www.state.me.us/ifw/education/wildlifepark/

Wolfe's Neck State Park:

http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/details.pl?park_id=31

And Wolfe's Neck Farm:

http://wolfesneckfarm.org/

If you look on this page, there are several places listed, and Tidebrook is not to be missed:

http://freeportconservationtrust.org/areas/freeport-center-trails/

Gilsland Farm, closer to Portland:

http://maineaudubon.org/find-us/gilsland-farm/

Scarborough Marsh, where we have rented canoes and drifted along, seeing birds and such, very peaceful:

http://maineaudubon.org/find-us/scarborough-marsh/

We have also taken day trips to Boothbay, Bailey's Island, Popham Beach, George Reid State Park, and a lot of places in and around Ellsworth along the coast. Deer Island/Stonington is also a great place, if you go up to Ellsworth and then take the road down to there, the views are fantastic.

I agree Western Maine is fantastic, the drive thru Rangeley and Height of Land, while first visiting Smalls Falls is lovely. You can climb up along the falls, as well as dip into the pool at the bottom.

There is also a place just above Paris, where you can sort and sift for tourmalines, Maine's gemstone, on Route 26:

http://digmainegems.com/

If you go a bit South of them, there is a gas station that serves hot and cold sandwiches, which you could then take a couple miles down the road to Snow Falls Gorge:

http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/eastern-us-snow-falls.html

Other places to consider are The Forks, and Moxie Falls, and there are people who rent and do guides for white water rafting, and perhaps renting a cabin in Belgrade lakes area. We stayed at this place last year, to get away, and it was very quiet, dog friendly, and campfires every night, supper is BYOB:

http://www.whisperwoodlodge.com/

Get you a Maine Gazetteer and just go out and drive around and explore! So much to do and see, especially in the warmer months.

https://www.amazon.com/Maine-Atlas-Gazetteer-Delorme/dp/089933282X

You might need it because cell service is sketchy in a lot of Maine, and well, the GPS always wants you to get on the highway or go the most direct route, but that's not always the most fun, is it? :-)

Went for the first time last Aug 2017 and had a blast. The weather was rain/cloudy though so my experience may be unique in that it wasn't too crowded (forecasts of thunder for the weekend). The difference being that I understand it can be a madhouse in the summer months with good forecasts. I also had all the equipment and truck for transport. No rentals or help from local stores.

http://www.sacobound.com/images/maps/SacoMap.pdf (I refer to #s on this map).

We put in at Saco Bound 2nd site (saco bound landing) cause I couldn't find a free site to park up river. The Saco bound landing parking was like $20 for the weekend. You buy it at their main building. We got off at the Hiram spot (bottom right of the map) which is free parking. This route allows you maximum time on the river while not encountering any portages if your glamping like I do and don't want to carry a ton past the swan falls dam.

The Sand Bar stories are true with a ton of them along the Saco banks - moreso in drier weather. Our wet weather reduced a few. If its super wet out with a lot of preceding rain I would check with the local rental places. It could surge enough to cover all the bars. In the beginning and end there are plenty of sand bars. Near 15 on the map they start disappearing and only appearing again towards the end when it starts getting curvy again. I would camp before 15 your first night - probably a little before. Don't want near 15 to be your last resort just in case its full. Again our weekend had bad weather so there were plenty to go around. If you go on a beautiful weekend i would get an EARLY start to claim a plot before others fill in. Can't guarantee you will get a bar to yourself, but people are generally friendly if not a tad roudy. Aim for a small bar if you want isolation.

Putting in where I did and getting out at Hiram was a solid 3 day trip, starting a late morning Friday and finishing up Sunday afternoon.

If you camp near one of the connecting lake/ponds/swamps MOSQUITOES are everywhere. ENEMY NUMBER ONE. Eaten alive our first night when parked near 15 on the map. Next time I am glamping with a mosquito gazebo so we can get some peace. Second night down the river was much more sane. I also recommend one of these for #2 trips in the woods for mosquito defense:
https://www.amazon.com/WolfWise-Portable-Changing-Dressing-Backpack/dp/B071RHQP6V/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1520992497&sr=8-7&keywords=pop+up+changing+tent

Bring a lot of firewood - has to be Maine sourced. I would see if you can buy some a little further away from the Saco to reduce tourist traps $$$. We were lucky due to the weather that we were able to find some driftwood to add to ours. However, if its a row of popular weekends I expect the river will be picked bone-dry for driftwood and you can't cut fresh wood.

I didn't fish, so can't really help you there. I didn't see too many fish in the water while travelling through, but I don't know if that is an accurate measurement.

Also, I got this after the fact but know it will be useful next time:
https://www.amazon.com/Saco-River-Map-Guide-Amc/dp/1929173199

Let me know if you have any other questions - I found information so sparse when researching it myself that its a joy to be able to share.

A whole new area, seems like a good time to try new things. I understand the comfort zone stuff, though.

Ok, Silverwood theme park outside of Coeur d'Alene. Small, but quite worthy. Keep in mind, the panhandle is 21,000 sq miles. It's quite a few hours from one end to the other, so it really depends on where exactly you'll be at and how mobile. Also, Cd'A has some nice spas and a beautiful lake.

Drive. Absolutely fantastic drives. Grab an Idaho Atlas and Gazetteer and do some exploring. Find nature that would make John Denver's corpse regrow its androgynous hair. Check out the drives, in and around the Palouse Divide toward Clarkia. Also, fossils.

If you don't know what huckleberries are, then your life is incomplete. Go to Elk River and visit Huckleberry Heaven. Fresh made huckleberry treats like you wouldn't believe, and the huckleberry soft-serve is incredible. This berry should have been described on the Voyager plate.

If you're down toward Lewiston/Moscow, I highly recommend a jet boat tour.

There's more, but it's bedtime for me. I'll see if I have the wherewithal to revisit this in the morning.

Hi, great that you're taking an interest to get him a book on cartography. I've recently began doing the same, and books are definitely superior over wikipedia etc.

• 'Great Maps' by Jerry Brotton: Very accessible, kind of a coffee table book that you can look into when you have some minutes to spend.
  
  
• 'A history of the world in 12 maps' by Jerry Brotton: Bought this one together with 'Great Maps'. Gives a more academic point of view on maps and on their origins/purposes. Haven't finished it yet though. Kind of unaccessible because there aren't really maps included (some maps, but pictures are way too small). Definitely recommend it, in combo with 'Great Maps'.
  
  
• As /u/churizurd mentioned, Atlas of Remote Islands is pretty fun too. Pricing seems kind of strange on Amazon (1130$ for paperback lolwat)
  
  
• Transit maps of the world is on my wishlist, looks cool

It's been my experience that the off-roading opportunities close to town are hit or miss. You probably don't want to go tearing down powerline trails without 4wd or some rescue plans. There's a deer lease out HWY 10 that's sometimes open, but it may be frowned upon. There's no purple paint or signs that I've seen, but it's usually gated.

If you go keep following 10 all the way out to HWY 9, though, you can be reasonably sure you can handle most of the forest roads out in the Ouachitas, as long as you use your head and stick to the main roads. South on 9 from the intersection will take you to the turn-off for a designated "off-road" auto-tour. There are miles of tame forest service roads out there, and the Flatside Wilderness is truly spectacular. Here's a little inspiration from my recent adventures!

Head north and it's a similar story in the Ozark National Forest. Most of the Forest Service roads will be fine. Get yourself an Arkansas Gazeteer for those areas where cell service might be spotty. It does a pretty good job labeling roads, too (forest, unimproved, etc.). It's your adventure. You can make it as wild as you want, but there are lots of dirt and gravel back-roads all over the state. I imagine you could get from Lake Village to Bentonville with very limited asphalt, if you set your mind to it. If you're going alone, or even without another vehicle in your party, it's probably a good idea to tell somebody where you're heading and when you expect to be back. Be safe!

If you are interested in camping, hiking, or other outdoor activities, this book is a fantastic resource. The whole of Northern California in topographical maps that show roads, distances, hiking trails, camping, boating etc, the book includes lists of recreational facilities and campgrounds, with phone numbers and lists of amenities. I’m a big fan of paper maps, you can draw your path and keep track of your trip. This book is more than maps, if you do want to camp, it will help you find the different types of campgrounds - private, state run, federal, etc and their pricing. You may need reservations at certain places, so call ahead or check them out online.

Hope you have a great time! Love your itinerary! Keep us posted! :).

Congratulations OP!! JMT is something I will never forget, and I plan on doing it again for the last time in 2016 (I'm 40). This year I'm going to Grand Tetons.

Tips:

Take your time, it's beautiful country. Enjoy every second. Absorb it all in.

Tom Harrison John Muir Trail maps are excellent.

A good book to read is Guide to the John Muir Trail by Thomas Winnett. Use this to plan your trip and highlight areas on the topo.

I cached at Florence Lake.

http://www.amazon.com/John-Muir-Trail-Map-Pack-Harrison/dp/1877689343


http://www.amazon.com/Guide-John-Trail-Thomas-Winnett/dp/0899972217

For road trips I found the California/Oregon gazetteer maps are good.

https://www.amazon.com/DeLorme-Oregon-Atlas-Gazetteer-Delorme/dp/1946494062/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Another option for some forests that I've bought is the atlas, which is basically every topo map printed and bound

http://www.nationalforestmapstore.com/product-p/ca-69.htm


I hate folding stupid paper maps they never go together right and are annoying on the trail but I still often buy them from the USFS, there are also non-USFS maps on the store, like Steens mountain

http://www.nationalforestmapstore.com/product-p/or-54.htm

This seemed to have some unique data not on other maps.

I've bought some of the wilderness area maps but the overall forest maps are more useful and will have the roads.

Sadly, the store is often out of stock of certain maps.

As others have said, USFS 2016 layer on caltopo excellent. For some reason some of the private property boundaries seem more accurate on the older USFS maps and the often very old USGS topo maps are a bit better to get the actual land contours but often harder to read on your phone (worse scans/clarity).

If you are in popular areas the trails/features seem pretty up to date but in many more remote areas even in the updated 2016 USFS map they just took the data from the older map and re-rendered it and didn't actually update where the trails are.

OK, just for starters it is both interesting and Educational to visit The Eckley Miners Villeage. As preparation for the trip, it might heighten their interest to have them view The Molly Maguires which was shot in Eckley, I believe. Close by is the Mauch Chunk Opera House They have not booked their Entertainment for August yet but check closer to the trip. Also check out the website of the Pennsylvania Jazz Society closer to the trip. Many venues are in NE Pa. Teenagers interested in art and music might enjoy visits to the Crayola Factory and/or The Martin Guitar Factory both in Easton PA. After riding around a lot, the kids can work off some of that energy with a visit to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and Nature Center in Kempton PA.
To plan your route and destinations get a Delorme's Pennsylvania Atlas and Gazetteer Check out all the points of interest, museums etc. Also it may be helpful to call The NE Pa Welcome Centers. The really off the beaten path places in NE PA are too dangerous to take a group.

Late to this dance but I have two cents. The Madison is long, and the type of camping might help make suggestions. As mentioned Ennis or W. Yellowstone may be your bases of operation (groceries and what not). I personally recommend the Madison between Hebgen Lake and Ennis Lake. That is a long stretch of water with some super productive fishing lately, although it has been getting warmer and the fishing is getting slower in the afternoon. Below the damn on Hebgen all the way to Quake lake is quality there is a couple camp grounds right there near Beaver ck. Below Quake lake toward Ennis at Gold Butte there is a campground and again at Ruby Ck. these mentioned are all quality fishing accesses with camping facilities. There are many many more as you work down the maddy, most of the fishing access are at or near a campground. I would start high (Hebgen) and work your way down stream to Ennis camping at multiple spots. Buy a http://www.amazon.com/dp/0899333397/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=12503023067&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=973034872824961472&hvpone=17.05&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_1it1skj9ql_b

This is a handy map reference that will steer you around and let you leave the beaten path with some confidence. Hint: checkout Wade and Cliff lake right in the area I suggested. Happy hunting.

If you ask for GPS, rental car companies will give it to you, but expect them to charge you a ton of money ($5-20 per day). Use a smartphone and save the money. Also find a mount that makes your phone easy to use in any car and is easy to travel with (I like Tetrax).

Also, if for some reason google maps doesn't work out, don't be afraid to go analog.

The best way I've found to discover good National Forest areas is with a Delorme Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer

Even with all the great resources online it's easy to page through the maps and look for the "dark green areas" which are National Forest.

I believe REI still sells the Atlas as well.

We took long drives growing up too. Half of my dad's family lives in southern California and Arizona. Whenever we visited, we would pull an all night drive down from southern Oregon. There's something magical about waking up in Laughlin, NV at 8am to your dad blasting "Welcome to the Jungle" to wake everyone up and then asking which casino we should stop at to hit the buffet and blackjack tables. (Plenty of other great trips and stories all over the West too. But that one captures the unplanned, unconventional nature with which we travel pretty well.)

Is the book you received like this? I love those things. I found it really useful to have on when I lived on the east coast. Because there is so little public land compared to here, it was hard for me to find good places to explore without those maps. (And out here, I need them so I don't go and get us lost and killed up in the mountains on BLM roads).

Those are all good starter hikes. Depending on the shape you're in, I'd go with a progression of something like Devil's Backbone->Arthur's Rock->Horsetooth->Grey Rock. There's lots and lots after that, but those would be a great start.

Please make sure to look up the 10 essentials, and have a general awareness of where you are. Also, pick up the correct national geographic maps and learn how to use them.

You can pick this up at REI: http://www.amazon.com/Poudre-Thompson-National-Geographic-Illustrated/dp/1566953901

It was largely absorbed into the New England Trail (aka Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail). The website for it is here - http://www.newenglandtrail.org/ - and there are maps both online and purchasable, e.g. on Amazon here. If you want information on the Metacoment-Monadnock trail specifically I think the best resource might be the guidebook, also available on Amazon here. You can also try local stores, like the Toadstool bookstore in NH.

Get a copy of the maine atlas and gazetteer. It has a lot of points of interest and campgrounds of different types (developed, primitive, lean-to, etc.). It also has most of the larger trails in the state and info about where the gates are, impasses, etc. Camping locations are everywhere, though i usually find a nice secluded spot on the map away from any marked points of interest or developed camp grounds and drive in, find a spot and set up. More times than not, i'll end up in a great spot and not see another person the whole trip.

That's a great book. English link. I've enjoyed flipping through it but nearly all of the islands listed were inaccessible (except maybe with a yacht or special expedition). Good for daydreaming!

First, don't use the freecampsites website. It will take you place people already are at and many which have "become a problem" and are now illegal. I've checked some of the places I've had unexpected run ins with cops. Many are listed as great spots on that site.

Read this and go explore:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/fishlake/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5121831
The best place to camp is the one you found yourself. The West is full of an unbelievable amount of public lands.

I strongly recommend maps. These:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0929591208/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
Or these:
https://www.amazon.com/Montana-Atlas-Gazetteer-Delorme/dp/0899333397/ref=pd_sim_14_11?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RE0TC48TPVXWDQ1QPFC4
I think I prefer the Delorme.

Hard copy maps in this day and age! Land ownership from public to private doesn't change often. These maps lay out land ownership much better than digital sources I have used.

Other than getting out there (I learned firsthand that FS-601 is gawd awful this past summer on a camping trip to the Flattops -- had to turn tail at a creek crossing/mud pit), I study maps quite a bit. Pick a cool place you'd like to visit, and plan your route, rather than outsourcing your brain to Google :)

And buy a good road atlas! I recommend the DeLorme one.

Best Option

Second Best Option

I used the second one for a long time. I've gone through probably 5-6 of those. Picked up the first one a few years ago and I like it much better.

They're also wireless and don't need batteries.

Yes, the DeLorme challenges are based on the state map books DeLorme published (such as this one for California).

However, you don't really need a copy of the atlas to do the challenge - which is good, because Garmin (the GPSr maker) just purchased DeLorme, and said the atlases will no longer be published in print form.

The challenge is to find at least one cache for each "page" of the atlas. Specific details vary by state - in some cases, a page might be optional (because there aren't caches there). Sometimes, if a page has a smaller inset map, you'll be required to find a cache in the main area and in the inset; in other cases, finding something in either is sufficient.

The easiest way to check these is to use a challenge checker at Project-GC (search for "California Delorme" or similar), or use the statistics functions at mygeocachingprofile.com. Either one will generate a map showing what areas you have/haven't found.

I've been working on my state (Virginia) for about a year - along with the City and County challenges - and I'm finally at the point that 3 cache trips should finish it off. It takes a decent amount of trip pre-planning to pull these off... but some folks (myself included) find it fun to work towards.

Yup. It's overwhelming. Let me know if you want tips, but I'd really need to know:

How long you'll be there
What context (people, occasion) you're there in
What interests you

And buy one of these http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412357947&sr=8-1&keywords=tokyo+atlas if you don't want to be crazy lost all the time.

And, if you're so inclined, think about learning the japanese alphabets—being able to read is huge bc so many words are english loanwords, you'll be like hey, I know that word! If you have time to learn one of the three writing systems (two of which are alphabets and relatively easy to learn), learn katakana: http://www.realkana.com

I grew up in Colorado. The single biggest things I have seen people who move here struggle with are the altitude and sudden weather changes. Altitude sickness is covered in most basic first aid guides; water is key. Both CU and CSU have some online guides. Also, I have seen some cloud identification pamphlets that are useful.

I own this Gazetteer, and have used it a ton. Hope this helps and welcome to Colorado!

I took a class in undergrad about languages of the world. One of the textbooks we used was The Atlas of Languages. It had a lot of helpful overview information and the class was open to non-majors so the book was pretty easy to understand.
I couldn't find the newer version (it was updated in 2008), but amazon has an older edition for less than $15:
Here!

I realize this isn't the book you're looking for, but you might find the Atlas of Languages interesting as well.

You would like one of my favorite books:

Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will.

Glad to help. I also use the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer to get even more detail on rivers and small county roads that don't always show up on larger maps. It has helped me out when getting lost and I have no cell/gps service. If you have these two books, you're pretty much set for Colorado.

This is a great guide for CO.

https://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Gazetteer-DeLorme-Mapping-Company/dp/0899332889

I used to use the Tokyo City Atlas in the dark days before smart phones, and it worked quite well for me.

There's a beautiful little book about tiny random islands and their stories. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/014311820X

• What exactly is a JR Pass used for? Is it for any train/bus in Japan (except for 2 lines)? Would it be worth it if I'm only going to be in Tokyo for 4 days?
  
  The JR Pass is a 7 day or more pass that gives you access to most JR trains (JR is a train company in Japan). JR is the main company, but note that JR is not the only company, and the JR pass does not cover any other company's fares. Off the top of my head there's 7 or 8 train companies or public authorities aside from JR in the Tokyo area, although the vast majority of these are commuter lines -- 'spokes' out from central Tokyo. It's important to note that JR doesn't service most of central Tokyo (inside the JR Yamanote line) -- that's done by 2 subway operators.
  
  The other important note is that if you are coming to Japan on any real visa status (ie, not on a tourist visa or visa exception) you CANNOT use a JR Pass. They will let you buy it, but when you go to register it after landing in Japan, you'll be SOL.
  
  
• If so, would I hypothetically be able to use the JR Pass for just moving around Tokyo on the local trains for a few days or would that involve buying some other type of fare (same question for Fukuoka travel)?
  
  Only to a small extent, unless you wanted to stick to Yamanote and Chuo/Sobu line stops and walk/take a taxi the rest of the way. See above.
  
  
  
• If I only need a round-trip ride to Tokyo and back, would the 7 day JR Pass still be worth it for just getting to and from Tokyo for a few days?
  
  Probably not. You would practically committing a crime against tourism if you are going from Fukuoka to Tokyo and you don't stop in Kyoto and Nara, etc, however. There's timetables and prices out there- I don't have the URL handy at the moment.
  
  
• If not, what would I be better off doing? Buying tickets for the ride on my own or maybe just take a domestic flight?
  
  Domestic flights between Fukuoka and Tokyo are somewhat cheaper than the Shinkansen, and faster. If you only want to go to Tokyo that might be the way to go.
  
  
• Does anybody have any advice on the youth hostels in Tokyo or just general cheap accommodation advice (capsule hotel)?
  
  There's plenty of travel advice here, in /r/tokyo, and in /r/japantravel that covers this. Capsule hotels are a pain in the ass if you have luggage.
  
  
• If for some reason I don't have access to the internet on my phone, how do I avoid getting lost in Tokyo? Some of the maps I've seen are terrifyingly busy and confusing.
  
  There's some train/metro maps that are offline. Tokyo is a huge place, and their addressing system is totally different than the Western world. However, if you plan ahead, it's fairly easy to find what you want. There's area maps everywhere. You might want to consider learning some basic Japanese before you go.
  
  
• Should I buy a map or guidebook before coming so I can avoid getting lost?
  
  Sure. There's a great bilingual book of Tokyo maps. It's probably overkill for coming here for a week or so, but if you don't have a smartphone and are afraid of getting lost, it might be worth it.

I just read a lot.

Here are some examples.

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/holidays/editorial-feature/feature/20-islands-you-never-knew-existed

https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Remote-Islands-Fifty-Never/dp/014311820X
(some are accessible but this woman is too lazy to go to there. Others are off limits.)

There is this island in the Andamans which is deliberately kept off-limits, although I think if the need arises the natives will be wiped out within 24 hrs.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2015/09/28/will-the-worlds-most-dangerous-island-become-a-human-zoo-the-shocking-future-of-north-sentinel/#476117a46034

(the natives think they are keeping the outsiders off; in reality they will be human zoo animals to wealthy outsiders who feel like seeing them from the air)

OK, so the next step are the state-by-state books. That's kind of expensive and for a coast-to-coast tour, you'd probably need to carry a dozen to show all the detail you want. https://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Gazetteer-DeLorme-Mapping-Company/dp/0899332889

This is one of my favorites: http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Remote-Islands-Judith-Schalansky/dp/014311820X

I highly recommend Judith Schalansky's Atlas of Remote Islands: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/014311820X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491902409&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=atlas+of+remote+islands

In Maine, we have public reserved land where you can camp for a much lower rate. Take a peek at your state's official site as they'll probably list something similar.

We also have the Maine Atlas and Gazeteer that has primitive camp sites on it. (if you check some of the images, you'll see how the sites are shown.) I see Florida has one too by the same name, but I don't know if it's the same as Maine's.

The drawback is that you'll be competing with everyone else who's like you and trying to find a quick place to setup, but who knows, it may work or at least get you going in the right direction.

This map book of Tokyo was a god send to me even though I had taken one year of Japanese before I spent the summer there. It's bilingual so it'll help with trains and such for kanji you don't recognize.

http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370577812&sr=8-2&keywords=Tokyo+map

OnX is either phone or GPS based maps. You can get 1 time purchase GPS or a subscription. If that's too expensive now a Gazeteer is a brand of paper maps with ownership info.

Mossberg 500 series is the basic and cheap but good pump shotgun. Remington 870 is another decent one (I own one and no major issues) but quality control has been down lately.

Edit: California gazetteer: California Atlas & Gazetteer https://www.amazon.com/dp/0899333834/

just about any state you want ....

https://www.amazon.com/California-Road-Recreation-Atlas-Benchmark/dp/0929591496/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1486500907&sr=8-45&keywords=map+atlas+usa

https://www.amazon.com/California-Atlas-Gazetteer-Delorme/dp/0899333834/ref=pd_sim_14_60?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BZFWVQPP8M10HWEC13BK

have a mind to download or print? ....

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUUnNwTE00WXlLMkE/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUbUZ4WlBDNnpsc2c/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUZkZtX3d1aS1Ybjg/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUdGY0ZUtEbFY1MlpjS2JQWHU3Y0lsYWZqMHBJ/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUOFFSQVdhd0hiVm8/view

http://www.abandonedrails.com/

http://trains.rockycrater.org/pfmsig/atlas.php

What state are you in? Look on amazon for "atlas and gazetteer <your state>"

https://www.amazon.com/Virginia-Atlas-Gazetteer-Delorme/dp/0899333265

Also, purchase one of these immediately. Colorado has a ton of stash public water, this will help you find it, along with places to camp and hike and off-road.

This island is featured in the book "Atlas of Remote Islands" by Judith Schalansky

I had made a companion "book" to it via the Wikipedia service:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Xefer/Books/RemoteIsland

This is what you want...

You should all buy a copy of Atlas of Remote Islands.

Addresses: For an example of what the other poster wrote, I'll give a specific example. I used to live in Ninomiya 3-5-1. Meaning, I live in a neighborhood called Ninomiya, which itself is divided into several sections, and I live in the 3rd section of Ninomiya. My block is #5, and my building is #1 on the block. A lot of the numbering of blocks and buildings is based on when they were built up.


Directions: The modern version of turning left at the Johnson farm. "Take the expressway and then the exit for Mitsukaido. At the end of the ramp, take a left at the stoplight, then a right at the second 7-11. We live in the 3rd apartment building on the right, next to the ramen shop. At the E entrance, find our name on the list to ring and be let in."

Arrrgh: For those who want a more Western looking map, I recommend books like this one for Tokyo.

It depends on how much detail you need. I found the Tokyo City Atlas published by Kodansha essential when I lived there. It was the only way I found to make sense of the fact that there are no street names - just building, block and district (chome) numbers.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458

If you're visiting well known tourist spots its probably overkill though.