Also food for thought is having a number of different maps prepared for your primary and alternate locations. There were a few places I would go that I could not find a map at REI or similar stores so I found on the USGS website you can have maps made. I had a few maps made, scale 1/24,000, which works pretty well with a military grid protractor (which is 1/25,000).

Keeping in mind of a previous post about possible chemical or nuclear agents a person may want to be aware of where the refineries and things like that are in their area (i.e. Commerce City). I for instance have an alternate location in Kansas, although not my ideal location it is separated from those types of things and not really easy to get to, unless you know exactly where you are going and what you are doing.