Name: Ken Bigelow
Age:     26
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 9” (1.8 m)
Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg)
Email:   krb84108 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Date: May 8, 2005

Backpacking Background:

I was first dragged on a backpacking trip eight years ago a have been addicted to it ever since. My adventures vary in length from a weekend to over two weeks. I consider myself a mid-weight backpacker as I bring along a few luxuries, such as a tent. From spring through fall I typically backpack in the mountains or desert, while in winter I often go snowshoeing. I typically see a wide variety of climates ranging from 10 F (-12 C) with snow to 90 F (32 C) and sunny with just about everything in between.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: National Geographic
Website: www.nationalgeographic.com
Product: TOPO! Streets & 3-D Views Expansion Pack
Year of Release: 2004
MSRP: $20 (US)
System Requirements: Windows 98, 2000, ME or XP
                                DirectX Version 9 (included)
                                   8MB Video Card

Contents & Installation:

The expansion pack came in three-page collage containing three discs, a serial number, installation instructions, product description and a product registration card. The three discs consist of a setup CD (Disc #1), and the street overlays for all the states from AK to NB (Disc #2) and from NC to WY (Disc #3).

Installing the software was not difficult, but it did require changing CDs numerous times which proved to be rather annoying. I skipped reading the instructions and started by inserting the setup disc (Disc #1), then followed the prompts through the installation process. I did have to insert my TOPO! State Series to verify the version, then reinsert the setup disc. Finally I had to put the third disc (Disc #3) into the drive to download the street overlays for Utah. The entire process took approximately 22 minutes on my slow system and did not require a reboot.

Software Description & Initial Impressions:

The National Geographic TOPO! Streets & 3-D Views Expansion Pack is an upgrade from the TOPO! State Series software. The expansion pack adds some fascinating features to the original program. My favorite is the three-dimensional view of the topographical maps. The initial program has three-dimensional shading of the maps given in an overhead view, but the 3-D view given by the expansion pack actually shows what the geography looks like from ground level in a first person view. I can rotate the full 360 degrees and see the topography in any direction. I can also tilt my view up or down to give me a better view of the terrain. The 3-D view alone would be worth the $20 (US) to me.

Every TOPO! program I have ever seen or used allows the user to trace a route over the topographic map and then build an elevation profile for the traced course. This has been a valuable tool for me as I can better gauge the ups and downs of a planned path. National Geographic decided to go one step up and added the Fly-thru feature. The Fly-thru provides a split screen (as shown below) with the left side showing a first person, three-dimensional image of the topography of the surrounding area. In this case the view looking North from Squaw Pass. The right portion of the screen shows an overhead view of the region with the traced trail highlighted in purple and a red arrow centered on the current location of the left side (3-D) screen. In this example the arrow is centered on Squaw Pass. I cannot wait to test the relative accuracy of this feature.

Another feature of the expansion pack is the Updated Streets and Roads which highlights all streets, roads and highways on the map. The main roads are displayed with their name next to the road, and then when the cursor is scrolled on a minor road its name appears. Hopefully this will help me navigate to the trailhead quickly and easily. Live Map updates are supposed to be available, but I have not attempted this as I intend to save it for the field and long term testing phase. The expansion pack also claims to be compatible with GPS receivers. I have not tested this yet, but intend to see how well the software and my Garmin eTrex Legend GPS cooperate throughout the testing period.

Testing Location:

I will use the program itself at home on my computer, but will bring the data obtained from the software along in the form of GPS downloaded waypoints and printed maps. I go hiking somewhere in Utah almost every weekend from the spring through the fall. I already have a trip to the Grand Gulch primitive area planned this spring and expect to hit Capital Reef National Park, Zion National Park and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in spring or fall. This summer I plan on hiking the High Uintas Wilderness, the Wasatch Mountains or Fish Lake National Forest at least once a week. The terrain will vary greatly and will include wet and muddy corridors, slickrock, steep and rocky terrain as well as plain old dirt paths. Temperatures should range from 10 F (-12 C) to 90 F (32 C). I will likely see all types of weather ranging from snow to sunny. The elevations experienced should be between 4000 feet (1220 m) and 12000 feet (3658m).

Testing Plan:

I currently use the state series of the TOPO software in order to help me plan hiking and backpacking trips. I use the software to determine mileage, elevation change, trailhead access and any points of interest on or near my route. I will use the expansion pack to thoroughly enhance my trip planning. Before every trip I intend to “fly-thru” my expected route and examine the trail in 3-D. Looking at a three-dimensional view will help me prepare mentally for a trip. If I choose a route that requires significant elevation change I will normally try and reduce the total mileage for that day.

Examining the path in 3-D and fly views will hopefully help me achieve a better scope of the climb and if I really should decrease the numbers of miles further or even possibly add additional miles to my planned route. Hopefully the fly-thru option combined with the spit screen feature will allow me to examine my chosen path and say “I need to spend more time here”, “That side trip looks it will take an extra couple of hours”, “This area will be a nice spot for lunch”. In short, will it assist me in trip planning more than the state series already does? Will this software help me achieve a better scope of my routes?

Navigating with the state series has consisted of two things. The first is printing off a customized map of the area. Will the three-dimensional and split view maps prevent me from losing my way and aid me while navigating both on and off trail? Will the zoom feature allow me to properly orient myself while on the trail? The second navigating tool I use the state series for involves GPS use. My GPS is primarily used for marking waypoints along the way or tracking my progress. I’m curious as to how the expansion pack will work with my GPS. Will my receiver have any difficulty uploading or downloading data with the expansion pack installed? Will my waypoints end up floating in space? Will updates come in a timely manner?

I would like to thank National Geographic and BackpackGearTest for allowing me to test the TOPO! Streets & 3-D Views Expansion Pack

Read more reviews of National Geographic gear
Read more gear reviews by Ken Bigelow

Initial Report

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