Simple Map-Server with MapServer, Shape-Files and OpenLayers

Card services such as Open Street Map or Google Map are really a fine and useful thing. You can easy enter some coordinates and display them, display a route and so on.

But what to do when there is no net available, such as on the high seas or somewhere in the middle of the wilderness? Either you spend a lot of money and get a satellite connection, or you build your own little map server with only a few handles.