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Tuffmap - Bob Pickett gets lost in the wet, but finds his way with this waterproof map

Tuffmap - does exactly what it says on the cover Have you ever got lost in the rain? And pulled out your trusty map… only for it to turn into so much papier-mâché as the rain pounds it into pulp?

If so, you will love Tuffmap. The manufacturer claims it is 100% waterproof and tearproof - ideal bearing in mind the punishment it will receive at the hands of the average biker.

So is it? It is certainly waterproof - I have tried it out in a 'real-life' situation - I got lost, I pulled over, I got out my Tuffmap… and obviously the rain started coming down. Did it bother tuffmap? Not one bit, I just wiped the drops off and worked out where I was.

I've also given it a wipe with a wet J-Cloth after spilling something on it - no problem, works perfectly and comes up a treat, although when I got some old chain-lube on it, there was still a smear on the cover which has lasted to this day… but then it never claimed to be lube-proof.

Detail is good down to town level I also, for the purposes of rigorous testing obviously, had a go at tearing a page. No chance. At best I managed to make a slight dent on the edge of the paper, but it resisted normal attempts at damaging it.

The other benefit of Tuffmap is that it is handily designed in A5 format, so it fits under the saddle of most bikes with underseat storage (sorry new Fazer owners, you'll have to put it somewhere else) .

If there is a drawback, it is that if you're looking for a village, you'll need another map. Tuffmap goes down to small town level, but get down to hamlet or village level, you'll need to know where you are going - given that this is printed on A5 for convenience for the rider, if there was any more detail the map would get swamped.

The company makes three maps, Great Britain and Ireland (shown here), Western Europe and a London Street Atlas. It is likely other city maps will follow.

Verdict:

Robust and well-designed kit. Just bear in mind it won't help you if you get lost on the minor B-Roads.

For more information, visit the Tuffmap site

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