I want to get some topo map software for my computer so I can make maps at home for the trail.I always go down to the local outdoor store and print some off there but they charge astronomical prices. I like to have my own custom maps I can fit in a one gallon ziplock bag and fold up in my pocket for the trail. Any advice on different brands of software would be appreciated.
Find your state, then subregion and download whichever quads you need. Marking them up requires software, but you can simply crop and print the base maps you need without anything fancy.
If you have Windows, there are a number of offerings, some of which come with the purchase of a GPS and then there's National Geographic...
If you have a Mac, there's Mac GPS Pro, which I am now using. I got all the USGS and Forest Service topos for my state as well. It takes getting used to as it's not so point and click as others but it's pretty snazzy and quite powerful. And of course, since you can also run Windows on a Mac, you can also get any of the Windows packages and run them that way.
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