Their series focuses on applications designed for professionals and hobbyists looking for a field workstation.  But I see the application extend to the expedition traveler - a lot of similar needs, along with a few others.  Let's talk about finding the right laptop - the core of the system.

The Specifications: What an Expedition Laptop Needs

While the field professional needs things like a durable computer, no cables, and long battery life, the overland traveler has a few other uses for an expedition laptop - email, blogging, costing spreadsheets, photo storage, video storage, and maybe even video editing.  It's something you want to mount in a car or at least have easily accessible when driving.  You want to take it to the internet cafe, update your emails at the campfire, transfer photos from your camera by bluetooth, drag it on a canoe with you up the Amazon river...it's got to be durable, and rugged, and reliable.

So combining the features of a GeoPad and an Expedition class laptop I get

• rugged, waterproof, dustproof, drop proof
• touchscreen (digitizer style - read this post on the difference)
• convertible tablet/clamshell style
• WIFI
• built-in GPS (no annoying cables)
• long battery life
• at least 120 GB hard drive (for you photos and videos)

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-18

The Panasonic Toughbook is listed as the first choice on the Free Geography Tools post, but quickly dismissed due to it's prohibitive cost (a new tablet Toughbook CF-19 starts around $3000, and then you add the options like integrated GPS).  But I disagree.  If you lowered your standards just a bit, you can find a the previous Toughbook tablet computer model, the CF-18 on eBay for around $600 USD.

It would come with a touchscreen and WIFI, and be in pretty decent condition.  Many of the models have upgraded hard drives (they came stock with 60 GB back in the day) and if you look hard enough you'll find one with Bluetooth and if you're really lucky, built-in GPS.

But don't spend too much time trying to find all of that in one computer.  Instead get a model in good condition with an upgraded hard drive.  There are lots of those available.  Then jump over to CustomToughbooks.com and buy one of their GPS/bluetooth upgrade kits for $175 USD and install it.  You'll get a modern GPS module, much better than the stock ones that came with the CF-18, and you'll get the bluetooth as well.  The downside is you'll need a bit of handywork to install the GPS module, but the installation documentation is available on the CustomToughbooks website and it looks fairly straight-forward.

The CF-18 is slow: Will it work?

It's a valid point.  The CF-18 came with a 900 to 1.2 Mhz Pentium M processor, quite slow by today's standards.  It will be happy running Windows XP, but don't try running Vista.  I'm not sure how well Windows 7 will work but my guess is it would be too much for it.  And you'll have to forget video editing.  Well, not forget it, but expect to take a long time waiting for your scenes to render.  Large photo editing would be  a problem too, but storing and viewing photos and basic tasks available in standard photo album software should be no problem.

For emailing, working with spreadsheets and blogging - no problem.  Mapping and GIS? Also a snap especially for field work.  Data collection, mapping, and navigation don't need much processor speed.

Other Ideas?

Feedback, experiences, questions - always welcome!  If you've got something to say, do so in the comments section below.  In the meantime, take a look at some current eBay auction listings fro CF-18 Toughbooks.  If you're keen on buying one, take a look at our article on Buying Used Panasonic Toughbooks.  It gives you some good pointers on what to look for, especially from eBay auctions.

Panasonic Toughbook CF 18 MAXIMUM 320HD WARRANTY DVD RW GPS Serial Port
895.00

INTERNAL GPS Panasonic Toughbook CF 18KCHZDVM 12GHz 15GB RAM 160GB HDD Backlit
500.00

36 MTHS WARRANTY XMAS SPECIAL PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK CF 18 TABLET GPS BLUETOOTH
940.52

Panasonic Toughbook CF 18 MAXIMUM 320HD WARRANTY DVD RW Serial Port GPS
895.00

Panasonic Toughbook CF 18 Oem Gps Custom Hydroprint
999.00

TOP OF THE RANGE PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK CF 18 INDUSTRIAL TABLET FACTORY GPRS
940.52

Hello. I have just purchased the South America Topographic Series 2 and I am having a few problems. I started to download what appears to be part 1 of 3. I had to stop part way through and when I tried to continue it went straight to part 2. I have now successfully downloaded part 2. Do I need to download part 1 and 3 as well or are they the same as I've already got? My second problem is that I don't have any index to the maps or any software with them. I've also tried opening the .MAP files but my computer doesn't recognize them. Please can you help with this?

What the Maps Cover and How to Use Them

The customer purchased Series 2 of the South America map series so there was no need to download the other Series 1 and 3.

• Series 1 covers latitudes 12 North to 4 South
• Series 2 covers latitudes 4 South to 22 South, (this is the one he purchased)
• Series 3 covers latitudes 22 South to 56 South.

To index the maps you need to have software such as OziExplorer (http://www.oziexplorer.com) or Fugawi (http://www.fugawi.com). But really, as I've noted in previous posts, download and get to know OziExplorer.  The .map files are created by and for OziExplorer.  They are really just text files that contain all of the information to place the images of the topo maps in the correct coordinate space.

This software will read the .map files and georeference them, index them, and make it easy to navigate, view, and zoom between the maps. It will also add GPS capability to them (only useful when you're actually in South America.)

Back to the Title: Who Needs Topo Maps of Brazil?

I received a final email, and here is what he said:

Thank you very much for the very quick response. I've been living in Brazil for the past 3 years, visiting here for 6 years altogether, and it's almost impossible to get a decent map. I'm trying to run a paragliding guiding business so I'm hoping these will be very useful.

According to Steve, it is hard to find good detailed maps of Brazil.  Hopefully the packages we sell are use to him.  I took a look at his paragliding website, and wow does it ever look like fun! So on a side note, if you're going to Brazil, check out his site and look him up.

Steve can be found running his paragliding business XCBrazil.com in Bairro de Lourdes, Brazil.

Here is a copy of the emails so that you can also benefit, edited for clarity:

G'day Robin,

One question I have is the maps I have looked at so far don't have the english translation in red as have the maps on the website. It would be very handy to have the translated version if possible.

The English translation only works within OziExplorer. OziExplorer has a names feature built into the software that will load a database of names and place them on the map at the correct coordiates. The coordinate and name information is all stored in the database. This database is included in the download.

Download OziExplorer

If you purchase one of our map sets, make sure you've got OziExplorer.  It will add huge value to the maps. You can download a trial/demo version here at the OziExplorer website.  After you install it you will have 2 options to run - either the shareware or the trial. Choose the TRIAL version. You should be able to use all the minimum features to view the maps with the names. For full functionality you will have to purchase the software from them. The email chain continues:

G'day Robin, I'm still having trouble with the english names coming up. I have the latest Oziexplorer ( 3.95.4s ) installed and get the maps up OK but then I'm not sure what to do next to bring up the english translation. Hope you can help. Kindest regards.

Using the Names Feature in OziExplorer

In OziExplorer on the menu bar on the top is an icon called "Name". Click it and a side pane opens up. Click the "load" button and navigate to the south american .names files that came with the download. It defaults to installing the names files to c:\oziexplorer\name search.

1. Select the country name file that you're interested in, and load it.
2. Load the map you're interested in looking at.
3. On the Name sidebar, check the "On Map" box. This will filter the list of names to only the ones that are on your map. The names list is really long, since it's for a whole country.
4. To display the names, press the button on the names sidebar that has a while empty circle in it. The names will plot on the map.

There's also a really detailed help section on how the names work within OziExplorer - it's worth your time to give it a read and understand how all of this works.

Also note that the names files have different types of information as shown on the Feature Code pull-down.  You can further filter what shows up on the map by selecting a specific feature code, including Cities or Towns, Administrative Regions, Hydrographic Features, Vegetation, or Roads and Rail.

MapBorder, written by John Tserkezis of Technician Syndrome is a small freeware utility that runs on the back of OziExplorer and lets you easily define a complex map border. To use it, open OziExplorer and then run the utility. Click the 'Load Map' button and select the .map file you wish to edit. Scroll through the map in OziExplorer, and click the mouse where you want the vertices to appear, circumnavigating around the map in one direction (I go clockwise, but I'm not sure if it makes any difference). When you're finished, click the save map button, and quit the utility. Simple!

Here's an example of an ITMB map we have that required a complex border. The first image is a screenshot of our South American index map in OziExplorer, showing the shape of the map - it's northern Peru. The second is a zoomed out screenshot of the map itself. The blue gridlines define the map boundary, and you can probably make out the the map cover leaf down the left hand side, a legend on the top-right, and a city cut-out (Lima) on the bottom-right.

To prepare for our latest trip through South America, we purchased a hardcopy of each of the country maps that they produce. I scanned each map on a large format scanner, and calibrated them for use in OziExplorer. (we have access to a large scanner for free - many companies will charge over $20 for double sided scan - it might be cheaper to buy the digital versions outright).

In either case, you'll need to calibrate the map images in your GPS software. Read this article for our Video How-To explaining the calibration process in OziExplorer. The basic settings are:

• Use the full number (9) calibration points.
• As a map datum select Pulkovo (1942).
• Use a Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Projection. This is typical for maps in the southern hemisphere. This projection requires a central meridian and latitude origin to calculate correctly.
• Choose the central meridian as the longitude that is central on the map.
• Experiment with a latitude origin that works the best. Check it by turning on the gridlines drawn by the mapping software and compare them to the gridlines on the map. If the lines don't fall on top of each other then change the latitude origin. In general, the latitude will be around the middle of the map.

So, how well do they actually work? It varies. Sometimes the software gridlines fall perfectly on the map gridlines, but the cartography varies slightly from the actually GPS track. Sometimes both are offset, and somtimes it is all bang on. The following images are screenshots of some of our tracks in Colombia and Ecuador, using OziExplorer software. The following text describes them - click the images for full-size screen shots.

The first image is a portion of an ITMB map of Ecuador, with an OziExplorer track overlaid on top. You can see that the acuracy of the track is pretty good, for the most part following the roads. This track follows major highways and smaller unpaved roads.

The second image is a portion of an ITMB map in Colombia. For some reason the cartography is shifted quite a bit - the gridlines fall properly on the map, but the OziExplorer track doesn't follow the roads.
The last image shows the same track, but this time overlaid on the Russian Military Topographic map. In this case the Russian map is incredibly accurate.

So for us the moral is to have some redundancy in your mapping information. You never know how good the data will actually be in the field. We have the original hardcopy versions of the maps, the digital scanned versions, calibrated for OziExplorer, and finally a complete independent map set. If you haven't already, take a look at our Russian Topographic Maps of South America, pre-calibrated for OziExplorer. You can download them from our site.

Their are a few places on the Internet that sell good maps of South America. However most of them don't give you samples of the map before you buy, so forking over a few hundred dollars or more for a complete set may seem a bit risky.

Further, you need to decide if the map should be in a digital form for computerized travel or if hard-copy is sufficient. We prefer both - high level route planning is easiest done with a paper copy spread out on the picnic table. Map books are useful for quick reference while driving. But tracking where you are especially if you're off the beaten path is best done with a good GPS and digital mapping system.

Back in the days of the USSR, the Russian military mapped in detail most of the world. Today their 1:500,000 scale topographic maps have made themselves into the public domain. However the maps are scans of the original hard-copies, and are in Cyrillic.

We have obtained a complete set of 1:500,000 scale maps for South America - check out our download page if you're interested in having them as well. There are over 300 maps in total, each of them calibrated for OziExplorer GPS software (i.e. with Ozi .map files).

At Poehali.org you can download the Russian Military Topographic maps of the world. It takes some serious time though as you can only download one map at a time.

The Grid System

We have scanned many different maps of varying types - we've bought single large scale maps that have a whole country or state, and we've ripped apart detailed map books at small scales. In all cases, for the maps to be effectively calibrated, they all have some sort of grid system. This is either in the form of latitudes and longitudes, or in a UTM style grid. If you don't have a grid, then you need to have some other known points on the map (preferably a minimum of 4). For example you could go to the intersection of a road on the map, take a GPS reading, and use that as a known point.

A Clean Scan

The first thing is to have a good scan of a map. This means that you want to minimize distortion by getting the map scanned with a large format scanner. Most copy stores will do this for you. Using a small home scanner is ok for small maps, but you'll find that they tend to skew the image quite a bit. If you have a skewed map, there is a process you can go through to stretch it back into place, using a piece of software called Global Mapper . I'll talk about using that in a future article.

Selecting the Map Projection

The next thing is to choose the projection. The projection is a way of projecting the earths "non-sperical" sphere onto a flat plane (a piece of paper). If the map has it the written in the legend then you're laughing. If it doesn't you'll have to guess. You'll be able to verify your guess when you do the calibration check. Many projections have supporting data that you need to input. For example, some maps made in the southern hemisphere are based on the Lambert Conformal Conic projection. This projection needs to have the two bounding north and south latitudes, and a central meridian so that coordinates can be calculated correctly. OziExplorer has an exhaustive list of projections.

Selecting the Map Datum

The datum is also extremely important. It should also be written in the map legend. Using the wrong datum will make the coordinate readings from your GPS incorrectly translate into coordinate points on the map.

Defining the Map Boundary

OziExplorer doesn't know when a map has a border or legend around the perimeter. That's why we use the corner markers shown in the video to define that boundary. When you are using the moving map feature, OziExplorer will know when it reaches the edge of the useful map area, and look in its database for the next map to use.

JOG (Joint Operational Graphic) - 1:250,000 Scale

The Joint Operational Graphic topographic series were produced by the American military for use in combined operations by ground and air forces. These maps are compiled to conform to international US Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) specification MIL-J-89100. Between 84° N and 80° S the Transverse Mercator Projection is used. On the poles (between 84° - 90° N and between 80° - 90° S) the Polar Stereographic Projection is used. The contour interval varies between 50 m and 100 m depending on the particular series (1501 or 1502).

The JOG maps are probably the most useful out of the options in the article for overland trips - a 1:250,000 scale is about perfect for driving conditions, particularly if moving map software with a GPS is being used.

TPC (Tactical Pilotage Chart) - 1:500,000 Scale

These charts are identical to the ONCs below but produced at 1:500,000 scale, and designed for pilots flying less than 500 ft. Charts are numbered in quadrant subdivisions of the ONC compilation in clockwise rotation, i.e. starting at the northwest corner ONC A-1 would be named TPC A-1A, then to the northeast TPC A-1B, southeast TPC A-1C, and finally southwest TPC A-1D. The map Projection is Lambert Conformal Conic based on standard parallels 5 degrees, 20 minutes apart. Miltary standard MIL-T-89101 details the actual parallels and convergence factors. Charts located over the poles (i.e. between 80 and 90 degrees north and south) are produced with Polar Stereographic Projection.

ONC (Operational Navigation Chart) - 1:1,000,000 Scale

Operational Navigation Charts (ONCs) are topographic maps produced by the American Defence Mapping Agency at 1:1,000,000 scale. They are designed for pilots flying at 2,000 to 25,000 ft, and are used to help identify terrain and cultural objects both visually and by radar. The detail is limited so that a pilot, flying at high speeds, can quickly glance at a chart and recognize a major feature and associate it with the object in view through the cockpit window. They are numbered as ONC A-1, ONC A-2, etc. The projection is the same as the TPC series above. These maps are produced under US military standard MIL-O-89102.

JNC (Jet Navigation Chart) - 1:2,000,000 Scale

Jet Navigation Charts are designed for radar navigation, high altitude bombing, mission planning, as well as visual navigation.

GNC (Global Navigation & Planning Chart) - 1:5,000,000 Scale

The US Defense Supply Center writes that the Global Navigation Chart series were designed to support

air operations requiring long range, high speed, high altitude aerospace navigation; specifically, transports, tankers, and long-range bombers. Primary information on the GNC identifies vertical obstructions to flight, aid navigation features, and landing options.

Interesting, but clearly at 1:5,000,000 scale, these maps are not suitable for much other than classroom instruction or maybe nice wall hangings - I certaintly wouldn't try to use these to navigate on an expedition!

Small handheld GPS units are great for shorter trips, and most of them can now have large libraries of maps stored in their memory. They are great for simplicity, they are cost effective, and portable. The downside is that on longer trips they may not have enough memory for all of the maps required. You are also limited to the proprietary maps and system from the GPS company. For vehicle travel an antenna might be useful especially when travelling through treed areas.

If you plan on travelling in anywhere in Europe or North America these are great units to have. If you are going on the road less travelled, Africa, South America, or Asia read on. These small units will probably not help you out too much.

Permant GPS in Vehicle

Permanent GPS's are found on many late model cars today, and most of the major GPS manufacturers offer permanent dash mount units. Like the handheld units, they are easy to use, but have the benefit of no cables, and a stronger reception (the antenna is mounted outside the vehicle). They have larger screens, many of them touch sensitive. Once again, the availabilty of maps is limited to those provided by the GPS company. These trump the the handhelds in ease-of-use, but not really in any other major way. The Tomtom GPS series are great for navigating around cities, complete with voice directions, but they won't help you outside of highly developed countries, or in the bush.

GPS Receiver with a Laptop

This is probably the most complex yet flexible solution. It comprises of a GPS receiver (can be a permanent roof mounted unit or a handheld), connected by cable or Bluetooth to a laptop computer. We talk about the pros and cons in this article.   The computer needs to run a GPS mapping software program, either proprietary to the GPS unit or it can be a generic one such as OziExplorer or Fugawi. The big advantage to running laptop based mapping software is the ability to import and calibrate your own maps, either scans of paper copies or other digital versions.

This is the system we use, and with good software it seems to be the best choice for most serious Overlanders out there. A good rule of the thumb here is the more money you spend, the simpler it gets - there are lots of map retailers who sell the software and the maps on CD or DVD but they don't come cheap!