I usually have state highway map(s) or an atlas with state maps if I'm going very far from home.
The other type of paper map I try to get for backroad travel are 1:100K topo maps from the BLM called surface edition maps. They're similar to the USGS maps of the same size except the BLM maps show land ownership through color shading (private, state, blm, forest service...), roads, etc. Like all maps, they're not always up-to-date though. I find this size is a reasonable compromise between lots of detail and lots of maps and few maps with no detail. Unfortunately the BLM is doing away with these maps. I think they may continue to offer another map of the same size which shows minerals or mineral rights, but that probably is less useful. It costs a few $$ to build up a collection of those maps though.
I also like the paper backup in case my computer/GPS moving map system doesn't work (which I've had happen). I use Ozi-Explorer and the electronic USGS maps that I've found on various sites. I've also converted electronic maps in various graphic formats for use in Ozi-Explorer. Sometimes a park or recreation area will have a map with some useful information on it with enough info to establish some coordinates to make it useable in Ozi.
Navigation packages with turn-by-turn directions can be handy too, but I don't have enough experience to make any recommendations there. I haven't used what I have much since the computer isn't in the truck that often.
I recently had a coupon for Amazon and used that to buy some of the Benchmark Road & Recreation Atlas map books for OR, WA, ID, NV. They seem to be pretty similar to the DeLorme printed maps so I don't know which is really better. I'd say they fit in between a state highway map and the BLM maps. The book format does make them easy to use unlike the paper maps that can be unwieldy when unfolded.  |