For almost all hill walking, you need the OS Explorer, the orange 1:25,000 map. It shows walls, fences and field boundaries, has more contour detail, and gives you the most to navigate by. The OS Landranger, the pink 1:50,000 map, earns its place for planning, for long routes that would cross several Explorer sheets, and on big open moorland, where some experienced navigators prefer its cleaner picture.
The OS map finder will tell you which sheet covers your walk. What it won’t tell you is which scale suits the walk you’re actually doing, or when the obvious choice is the wrong one. That’s what this guide is for.
If you want the full feature-by-feature comparison of the two series, it’s in our guide to how to read a map scale. Here we’ll go walk by walk.
What’s the difference between OS Explorer and Landranger?
The short version:
| OS Explorer | OS Landranger | |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | 1:25,000 (4 cm to 1 km) | 1:50,000 (2 cm to 1 km) |
| Cover colour | Orange | Pink |
| Field boundaries | Walls, fences and hedges shown | Not shown |
| Contour interval | 5 m, or 10 m in mountainous areas | 10 m throughout |
| Area per sheet | Smaller | Four times the area on the same size of paper |
| Best for | Walking and navigating on the ground | Planning, long routes, the bigger picture |
Everything else follows from those two numbers. Half the scale means each kilometre takes half the width and half the height on paper, so the same size of sheet covers four times the ground. More detail on an Explorer means more to navigate by; more ground on a Landranger means fewer sheets and an easier overview.
Which OS map do I need for my walk?
Lowland and farmland walks: Explorer, no question
Field paths, stiles, woods and lanes. The thing that gets you lost here is picking the wrong gate or the wrong field edge, and only the Explorer shows the field boundaries you need to tell them apart. A Landranger leaves them out entirely.
Never Feel Lost Again: The Free UK Navigation & Safety Pack
Stop relying solely on a fragile phone battery. Download the exact tools a professional outdoor instructor uses to stay safe in the British hills.
Enter your email below to get instant access to:
- NEW: The Hike Planning & Safety Checklist: A comprehensive pre-walk checklist to ensure you never leave a critical item behind or rely purely on a smartphone.
- The Emergency Protocol Guide: A highly structured, zero panic system detailing exactly what to do if lost on Dartmoor/Scottish hills, including when and how to call Mountain Rescue.
- The OS Map & Navigation Cheat Sheet: A quick reference guide to decoding complex map symbols and plotting grid references when your mind goes blank.
- The Route Card Template: The exact, logic-driven framework I use to plan foolproof expeditions and identify safe escape routes before leaving the house.
- The Timing Crib Card: Never misjudge daylight again. Master the mathematics of measuring pacing distance and timings for steep ground.
A day on the hills: Explorer
For a normal hill day in the Lakes, Snowdonia or the Peak, the Explorer is the walker’s map. You get the paths, the walls you can use as handrails, and contours at an interval that shows the smaller features you navigate by.
Big, open moorland: it’s arguable
On broad, featureless moorland, the Explorer’s extra detail can clutter the picture and bury the broad shape of the ground you’re trying to read. Plenty of experienced navigators prefer the Landranger there, because it shows the landform more cleanly. We go into this for Kinder Scout in walking from Edale station.
There isn’t one right answer. Know what each scale is doing for you and what it’s costing you.
Long routes and multi-day walks: Landranger, or both
A long walk can run across several Explorer sheets, which means more weight, more folding and more chances of the bit you need being on the other side. A Landranger covers far more ground per sheet, so you carry fewer maps. Many walkers carry the Landranger for the overview and an Explorer for the trickiest day.
Planning at home: Landranger
For choosing a route, seeing how areas join up, or working out how to get from the station to the hill, the Landranger’s bigger picture is easier to work with. Then switch to the Explorer for the walk itself.
When is the obvious choice the wrong one?
A few situations catch people out:
- Your route crosses the edge of a sheet. Ridges and long routes often do. Check before you go, and either buy both sheets or plan around the join. The worst moment to discover you’ve walked off the edge of your map is in cloud.
- The map is double-sided. Many Explorer sheets are printed on both sides. Know which side your route is on, and which side you’ll need if you bail out.
- You’ve got the wrong scale for your measuring. A romer or ruler set for 1:25,000 gives the wrong distances on a 1:50,000 map. Check the scale before you measure anything.
- The map is old. Paths, forests and access change. An old map is usually still fine for the shape of the ground, less so for what’s on it. We cover this in how often are OS maps updated.
What about Harvey maps and digital maps?
Harvey maps are the main alternative to OS for walkers. They’re printed on waterproof, tear-resistant material, and their 1:40,000 British Mountain Maps fit a popular mountain area, such as the Lake District fells or the Dark Peak, onto one side of one sheet. They also use extra broken contour lines, called form lines, to show small features that fall between the standard contours, which is a genuine advantage on complex moorland.
Digital mapping, such as the OS Maps app, gives you every sheet at both scales on your phone, so the sheet-edge problem disappears. But it relies on a battery, you need to download the maps for offline use before you lose signal, and a phone is a small window on a big landscape. Carry the paper map as well, and know how to use it.
Which OS map should a beginner buy?
Buy the OS Explorer for the area you walk most. Find its number with the OS map finder, or with our guide to which OS map covers your area. If you walk in the rain a lot, the laminated version is worth the extra.
Then learn to read it properly. Contour lines are where most of the information is, and our free contour lines tool lets you see how they build a hill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which OS map do I need for walking?
For most walking, the OS Explorer at 1:25,000. It shows field boundaries, rights of way and contours at a closer interval, which gives you the most to navigate by. The Landranger at 1:50,000 is better for planning, long routes across several sheets, and on some big open moorland where its cleaner picture can help.
Is Explorer or Landranger better for hill walking?
Explorer, for most hill days. It shows the walls and smaller features you use as handrails and checkpoints. Some experienced navigators prefer the Landranger on broad, featureless moorland, where the extra detail of the Explorer can clutter the shape of the ground.
What is the difference between 1:25,000 and 1:50,000?
At 1:25,000, 4 cm on the map is 1 km on the ground. At 1:50,000, 2 cm is 1 km. So the 1:25,000 Explorer shows more detail over a smaller area, and the 1:50,000 Landranger shows less detail over a larger area.
How do I find which OS map covers my walk?
Use the map finder on the Ordnance Survey website, which shows the Explorer and Landranger sheets for any place name, postcode or grid reference, and warns you if your area sits across two sheets. Walking guidebooks usually list the map numbers too.
Do I need a paper map if I have the OS Maps app?
Yes. The app is excellent, but it depends on your phone’s battery and screen. A paper map works in the rain, in the cold and when your phone dies, and it shows you the bigger picture at a glance.
Pick it, then learn it
Choose the Explorer for the area you walk most, check your next route doesn’t run off the edge of it, and then spend an evening with the contours. If your phone is part of how you navigate, our free Digital Safety Net course sets it up as a reliable backup to the paper map. Ask any questions in the comments below.
