Waterproof paper

[sarabande]

Offspring is in the school CCF with the exalted rank of Obergruppenfuhrer or something, and is in charge of the winter expedition. Last year, they all got lost because the rain turned the maps (copied onto ordinary laser paper ) turned to papier mache.

So this year the Logistics Support Battalion Group (me) did a bit of a ferret around, and we have gone for Toughprint

http://www.toughprint.com/

We even did some practical tests, like putting a printed sheet into a plastic milk bottle half filled with salty water, and then leaving the bottle in the car boot for a couple of days as we drove about 120 miles.

The paper came out with the printed map as good as when it went in - perfectly useable, flattened out and dried easily with a paper towel.

I'd recommend this product if you wanted to have a small (A4 or A3) chart of an area when you are zipping around in a rubber dinghy or buzzer. You can write on it with pencil or biro (though the latter can smudge when the paper is scrunched up, and there's a proper waterproof pen available too)

Usual disclaimer - no commercial relationship; satisfied customer only.

[aquaplane]

OS do maps with plastic covers, infact my local library only has the laminated maps to lend out, they do take up more shelf space though.

Get a library card, it's cheaper than buying your own, unless you are like me and don't take them back for 3 months, then the fines would have bought them.

[DaveS]

http://www.toughprint.com/

We even did some practical tests, like putting a printed sheet into a plastic milk bottle half filled with salty water, and then leaving the bottle in the car boot for a couple of days as we drove about 120 miles.

The paper came out with the printed map as good as when it went in - perfectly useable, flattened out and dried easily with a paper towel.

I'd recommend this product if you wanted to have a small (A4 or A3) chart of an area when you are zipping around in a rubber dinghy or buzzer. You can write on it with pencil or biro (though the latter can smudge when the paper is scrunched up, and there's a proper waterproof pen available too)

Usual disclaimer - no commercial relationship; satisfied customer only.

That's interesting. It looks like the sort of stuff that Harvey use to print their all weather maps - and they're very good. I can think of a few uses on board. Chart correction blocks are an obvious starting point. A "leaving boat" aide memoire note (Gas, seacocks, electric, rubbish, etc) is another. Cockpit pilotage notes. Hmm, lots of possibilities. Thanks for that.

[Arghiro]

Err, why not simply laminate? You can buy a laminator for under 20squid these days and the sheets are only a few pence. I use one for publicity stuff that is to be used outdoors. I have even made number plates with yellow paper, an inkjet printer & laminator - it is sitting on my trailer in the lane right now, at least 2 years of the elements & road use & still perfectly legible.

OK, so they don't fold well, but that's the only disadvantage - IF you need to fold it.