Eagan, MN/Red Lodge, MT -- "The best one-stop map shop we've seen is as close as your home computer," said the editors at Backpacker Magazine in awarding MapCard its Editors' Choice Award for Best New Product of 2003.

The award is announced in Backpacker's April issue, which hits newsstands today. Backpacker describes MapCard as "cheap, fast and easy" and says it will "save you fistfuls of cash, put millions of acres of wilderness at your fingertips and let you quickly annotate your maps with the best online tools we've seen."

Noted for its innovative approach and simplicity, MapCard leverages the Internet to provide outdoor enthusiasts an affordable and easy way to make their own maps. Subscribers to MapCard gain access to a comprehensive mapping system, which includes nationwide U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps and aerial photos, lake contour data, road and highway overlays, public land survey data, and an impressive suite of annotation tools.

Among the benefits MapCard provides is the ability to:

• Center anywhere in the United States on a topo or air photo map
• Annotate with symbols, trails, text
• Locate waypoints for GPS
• Measure distances or acreage
• Save unlimited customized maps
• Download high-resolution maps
• Customize and print unlimited maps on your own printer
• Order customized, large-format, waterproof maps printed and shipped within 24 hours (from co-managed website www.mytopo.com)

Consumers gain access to MapCard by purchasing a credit-card sized 'MapCard' that is uniquely coded to provide the purchaser a one year subscription to dynamic mapping at www.mapcard.com. The purchased MapCard is used in the initial log-in process at the site. After registering their MapCard, subscribers can enter the MapCard system from any place they are connected to the Internet using their email and password. Subscriptions and renewals can also be purchased online.

"We are breaking new ground by giving the everyday outdoor enthusiast affordable access to great mapping," said Andy Ogren, President of MapCard. "We appreciate Backpacker's recognition with this prestigious award."

MapCard is the first subscription-based mapping website of its kind. Its efficient use of technology ensures that MapCard subscribers have access to the most up-to-date content available. Subscribers are automatically updated as soon as new tools and data are available.

Several innovations to the system will be available to subscribers as early as this summer. "Our GPS interface will be automated to allow our subscribers to upload and download data from their devices directly onto their maps; we're adding new annotation and navigation tools; and we are increasing the options for ordering custom, large-format topo maps and air photos," explained Ogren.

MapCard is available for $34.95 for national access, and $19.95 for regional access at www.mapcard.com. MapCard may also be purchased at WalMart, Cabella's, Sportsmen's Warehouse and a growing number of large and small sporting good stores nationwide. A free 24 hour test-drive of MapCard is available at www.MapCard.com. For information, call 1-877-587-9004 or send an email to support@mapcard.com.

MapCard is a product of AOHunt, which also owns myTopo.com (www.mytopo.com), a print-on-demand service for custom topo and air photo maps.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: For interview requests, product samples, images and/or background information, please contact Paige Darden, PR/Marketing, at 866-587-9015 or paige@mapcard.com.

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