The FedEx mailer is a plastic pocket envelope, has peel off sticky glue on one side, clear plastic on the other side. It fits a folded 8.5 x 11 page.

In an emergency you stick the pocket envelope on a tree to leave a note of whereabouts.

Oh yea the plastic envelope is waterproof and free.

Edited by RodneyOndaRock on 08/02/2011 17:12:41 MDT.

Free? FedEx provides them to backpackers for this purpose?

I asked the FedEx clerk at work how much to buy 100 of the pocket envelopes. They said they can't sell them but you can take them at no charge.

Presumably the cost for a single envelope is negligible, less than one cent.

Hmm...

Staples sells Tyvek envelopes in this size. A pack of 100 runs $48.99

I looked up the tyvek ones at staples you mentioned. They are not the same as the fedex wax clear vinyl half page envelopes I was referring to.

Tyvek is durable. The FedEx ones are thin cheap clear plastic. Good enough for a map.

Okay, those are the airbill pouches.

One gallon zip top bags fit an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper

I print out maps and use that which works pretty good

Cool idea on the FedEx pouch.

Here's one for the map itself: Thompson's Water Seal. Yes, the wood sealer. Works great, costs little per ounce.

Not 'little to no cost' as the item mentioned above, but since we are talking about waterproof maps I picked up some National Geographic Adventure Paper at an EMS recently. It was just under $1 per sheet (25 sheets for $19.95 I think). I printed out a map using my color laser and took it on a recent trip. All I can say is that this stuff is amazing. The map was folded and I even ran it under a few running faucets before the trip and the thing still looks like new. Will probably last for a long time.

the material is called teslin, and it rocks for maps! If you have a printer, I don't see why you would go any other way. Last month I did an 86 miler to Mt. Whitney, I scanned the area I would hike, stitched it together in photoshop and printed, easy and UL!

My work just bought some new computers and while setting them up i saw a few REALLY big zip lock type bags that were holding the manuals and some cables.

I grabbed the bag and tried it out. its not 100% waterproof but enough to keep out the rain and maybe a quick dip in a lake.

I would also imagine a gallon size zip lock would do the same job and be more waterproof but not as big.

Even cheaper is to paint your maps with Thompson's Water Seal Ultra. Makes 'wm stronger too and is FAR cheaper than "MapSafe".

First off, Eric: That's ------ brillant about Thompson's Waterseal. Why do I have a little bottle of expensive map waterproofing goo with my kayaking stuff while I've got 1/2 gallon of leftover, cheap waterseal in the garage?!?

Doing engineering / geology field work, we all use "Rite in the Rain" paper in the copier machine to make our field forms.

http://www.riteintherain.com/

200 sheets of 8-1/2 x 11 = $29.95

25 sheets of 8-1/2 x 11 = $10.95

Which seems cheaper than the Nat'l Geo option.

I've never tried (because I never trusted) ink-jet waterproof paper. But on a true laser printer / xerox process, I know it works great.

In addition, of course, to doing double-sided copies, try shooting figures and especially text at 50%. That's 1/4 the paper used! More than a decade ago (when I had better close vision), I'd copy guide books at 50% (on the company copier), reducing the weight / bulk by 75%. Also, since "it's only a copy" I felt freer to disgard/burn text and maps after we left each city / country / beach / trail. Even a Michner novel was tolerable to carry that way.

And remember to cut out the lakes from your maps. There's no info on the lake, you can get the elevation by looking at the shoreline contours .

Edited by rcaffin on 12/12/2011 02:21:51 MST.

Those Fedex mailers are tough! And waterproof! And priced right!

Anyway, I've long recommended them for hitch-hiking signs. Turn them inside-out. Write your destination / message on the white side. Hold with two hands or insert a tent pole or ensolite pad to stiffen it. Insert cardboard on your outbound. Use BIG, BIG letters. Can be done at home in advance. Raise thumb. Smile. Get ride.

In the meantime, use it as a stuff sack, food sack, laundry bag, rain hat, caving **** bag, etc.

**** I'm new here and apparently a palindromic word that starts and ends with "p" and has "o"s in the middle is "possible profanty". So I guess a bear does NOT **** in the wood, after all, at least on this site.

The Bear P00Ps, Dave, but silently so.

I now buy all my maps electronically these days:
(1) they are fully waterproof when downloaded onto my waterproof GPS :)
(2) I print off a paper copy for the specific walk route, blown up in detail, and don't care whether I destroy it as part of the trip.