Missing Map Syndrome

"One of these days, Mike...you're gonna have to get orga-na-zized."

I don't tend to refer to myself in the third person, nor do I often throw out quotes from Taxi Driver, but I had to think of ol' Travis Bickle the other day while rummaging through my Toyota, searching for my lost copy of the Maine Gazetteer.

While out on a day trip recently, I couldn't find any of my maps and I wasn't sure which road to take. Yes, I have a nice Garmin handheld GPS unit and yes, I know how to use it. But one of the charming things about maps is that they do not rely upon batteries in order to work. Without juice, the Garmin is a pricey paperweight.

Now, I'm not a neatnik by any stretch, and one look at my desk confirms this. The inside of my 4Runner is even worse; it's a pile of camping gear tangled with paddling gear mixed with photographic equipment for seasoning. I really needed a way to organize my maps for easier reference while out on the road. It's the one thing I wanted to be tidy about.













My old map organizing "system"

A friend of mine pulled out her Maine Gazetteer the other day (after I couldn't find mine....again) and I noticed that her atlas was nicely encased in a smart-looking map organizer. It took me all of ten seconds to want one.

They're made by Igas Island in Waldoboro, and no, I'm not a shill for this small company. In fact, I don't even know the owner(s). But I really like useful, well-made products and I feel compelled to mention this for the benefit of my fellow road warriors who likely suffer from Missing Map Syndrome. These $27 organizers hold several large Gazetteers along with several smaller maps which can be tucked into three interior pockets.

Gotta love this line from the product description in their brochure: No need to ask directions...makes a great gift for some guys.














One side of the organizer is a thick, "optically clear 20 gauge vinyl" so you can always see the contents, spill coffee on top of everything, etc. and the other side is "1000 denier Cordura nylon", according to the Igas leaflet. I won't even pretend to know what that means. But "1000 denier" sounds pretty impressive, and indeed everything about the organizer has a feeling of quality about it - right down to the zipper.

So...alright. Maybe this is kind of a random thing to blog about. But you know what? It's nice to buy a handcrafted product from a Maine-based business. It just feels good. Also, the business runs exclusively on solar power.

Igas Island makes other travel related bags, accessories and luggage too. You can tell the folks in Waldoboro that I sent you, but I doubt it will mean anything to them. "Mike sent you? That's wonderful! Who the hell is Mike?"

IGAS ISLAND
www.igasisland.com
Box 240
Waldoboro, ME
04572