Crumpled Maps

A couple of months ago, around Christmas, a package arrived in the post. I wasn't expecting anything and I had no idea what it was. I opened the envelope to see some words in Italian and a map of Milano. After reading the packing slip more thoroughly, I realized that it was a gift from my amazing friend, H!

I'd never heard of Crumpled City before, but now I'm obsessed.

The concept of this map is really fun. It's printed on super durable, waterproof paper that won't rip and you can literally crumple it up. The crumple-ability is the most exciting feature because who can be bothered to properly fold up a map before tossing it back into a pocket or handbag? I'll be honest, I do always like to try and fold maps up properly but they always end up tearing in the process.

The cloth-like texture also allows the map to be used as a fashion accessory. H says she's used it as a scarf.

Obviously, I haven't been to Milano yet so I haven't actually used this map for navigation yet. However, I've been using it to help me plan what we'll do in the two days we'll have in the city. The major sites are labeled and the roads are all clearly marked. I love having paper maps. Sure, a phone can be useful but batteries die; paper maps do not. I guess if they were burned, they'd die, but I don't smoke so my map won't be anywhere near fire.

You can buy your own crumpled map from Palomar. I seriously love this map so much. So much so that I think I'll decide my next holiday based on whether or not there's a crumpled map available.

xoxo.