I ordered a Fisher map for my upcoming trip and this is what they sent...



No detail or contours whatsoever. I know that lake contours aren't common, but this is the type of map I'm used to getting from them...



Do they just do different maps differently? Did I unknowingly order some different type of map altogether?

I think the "E" Series Maps are different in that respect from the "F" Series Maps.

I think it is because it is the E-Series as well. The scale is slighly different. Also the E-Series set covers more than just the BWCA and Quetico.

treehorn: "I ordered a Fisher map for my upcoming trip and this is what they sent...



No detail or contours whatsoever. I know that lake contours aren't common, but this is the type of map I'm used to getting from them...



Do they just do different maps differently? Did I unknowingly order some different type of map altogether?"

don't worrry about that. your orienteering lines aren't even straight, to take a bearing

Luckily I've never had to use the grid lines but I did notice one of our Fisher maps had horrible grids. More like diamonds in some places

The "grid" on the Fisher maps is Township and Range lines from the old Public Land Survey System based on surveys that began in the 1830s in Minnesota. They have nothing to do with the UTM grid that many modern maps use. The Township and Range lines in northern MN are a might weird for sure. Probably due to the difficulty of surveying in that landscape, remnants of both French and British surveys and presence of magnetic anomalies due to the iron content in the bedrock.

The edge of the maps(geographic north) work just fine for orienting with a compass. Current difference (declination) between Magnetic north and geographic north varies from zero to only two degrees( east and west) in the BWCA and Quetico. Not even enough to bother setting the declination on your compass if you have one that is adjustable.

Agree, it is an E series, you need an F series.

I would like to complain about Fisher maps for a moment.
They have been around a long time. They sell a high percentage of BWCA/Quetico maps.

Why do they having knowingly bad information that has been on maps for decades without changing them. I will give but one simple example. In Quetico, they have many portages with a straight line between two lakes and no distance marking. They also fail to mark many known, established, and maintained portages in Quetico.

I know I should be asking this but if I was the owner of the company, would I not want to provide an accurate map to by customers?

Tom

tumblehome: "I would like to complain about Fisher maps for a moment.
They have been around a long time. They sell a high percentage of BWCA/Quetico maps.


Why do they having knowingly bad information that has been on maps for decades without changing them. I will give but one simple example. In Quetico, they have many portages with a straight line between two lakes and no distance marking. They also fail to mark many known, established, and maintained portages in Quetico.


I know I should be asking this but if I was the owner of the company, would I not want to provide an accurate map to by customers?


Tom"

This nonsense (in addition to cloth maps being awesome) is why I'm only buying maps from the guys at True North so long as they continue to welcome feedback and make corrections as necessary. Not only do they want to make sure their maps are correct, but they even sent me a free corrected map that I didn't even ask for. I recently saw that they are encouraging anyone who bought maps prior to corrections who haven't received a new map to contact them so that they can receive a new, corrected map. This is how you do maps, not reprinting errors that are well-known among your customers year after year after year. Heck, they're not just printing known errors, they're SELLING them, and that really gets me.

mschi772: "

tumblehome: "I would like to complain about Fisher maps for a moment.
They have been around a long time. They sell a high percentage of BWCA/Quetico maps.



Why do they having knowingly bad information that has been on maps for decades without changing them. I will give but one simple example. In Quetico, they have many portages with a straight line between two lakes and no distance marking. They also fail to mark many known, established, and maintained portages in Quetico.



I know I should be asking this but if I was the owner of the company, would I not want to provide an accurate map to by customers?



Tom"

This nonsense (in addition to cloth maps being awesome) is why I'm only buying maps from the guys at True North so long as they continue to welcome feedback and make corrections as necessary. Not only do they want to make sure their maps are correct, but they even sent me a free corrected map that I didn't even ask for. I recently saw that they are encouraging anyone who bought maps prior to corrections who haven't received a new map to contact them so that they can receive a new, corrected map. This is how you do maps, not reprinting errors that are well-known among your customers year after year after year. Heck, they're not just printing known errors, they're SELLING them, and that really gets me."

I got a True North one for this trip as well...and McKenzie...I like to bring them all I guess.

I find the cloth True North one to be kind of hard to read, so wanted backups. I guess I screwed up getting an E-series - had no idea there was any difference.

That's cool about True North sending updated maps out when they find errors!

In some cases it may come down to the method used to produce the maps. Old maps made by engraving plates are hard to update. For instance, the USGS used to update topos by putting another layer onto the maps (generally in purple) to show changes. Newer companies that are doing everything digitally may have an edge in updating their maps and if they are printing in smaller quantities they can move even faster.

mgraber: "Agree, it is an E series, you need an F series."

I got this same crappy type of map. Says "F Series" right on it. Being new to the BW, I wanted to take 2 maps so I bought a voyageur and a fisher. I will check out other maps when I get to Ely because I was sorely disappointed with the fisher maps.

You can get good contour maps here. they print small and aren't waterproof but they can help you plan your strategy pre-trip.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html

Does anyone know if True North will begin covering Quetico?

I have been using Fisher maps in BWCA and Quetico since 1968 and later MacKenzie maps for Quetico. Never been lost or unable to find a portage. Maybe sometimes the exact route of the portage is not well represented, but that has never been a big issue. I am very happy with the F-series maps. I don't know if they ever added contours to the Canadian side of the F-series. I wouldn't bother with the MacKenzies if they have.