GPS Units

[msommers]

Looking for a GPS unit that I can load trails onto and track myself as I go along. Wanting to get out very early (ie: hiking in the dark) to points accessible only by foot. After trying this once last year and nearly missing sunrise because we got lost, I don't want to risk it again, and it's also a safety thing.

I've heard you can use your phone in airplane mode and it will use the GPS in the phone but I'm not sure how reliable or accurate this system is. If it is and I'm not up to date, what apps are good to get for CDN topos?

[woodywoodford]

Originally posted by msommers
Looking for a GPS unit that I can load trails onto and track myself as I go along. Wanting to get out very early (ie: hiking in the dark) to points accessible only by foot. After trying this once last year and nearly missing sunrise because we got lost, I don't want to risk it again, and it's also a safety thing.

I've heard you can use your phone in airplane mode and it will use the GPS in the phone but I'm not sure how reliable or accurate this system is. If it is and I'm not up to date, what apps are good to get for CDN topos?

I'd probably go for a portable garmin device (ie. garmin oregon) + backroad mapbooks, depending what kind of trails you're looking for. Nice thing about these is they're powered by AA's so much more reliable for longer hikes than using your phone. GPS tends to kill my phone battery within a couple hours

i.e. one of these paired up with a couple of these.

[Darell_n]

Originally posted by woodywoodford


I'd probably go for a portable garmin device (ie. garmin oregon) + backroad mapbooks

This is exactly what I use for hiking and geocaching and the backroad map *file* is fully topographical.

[msommers]

Thank you guys for the suggestions, I haven't heard of those GPS maps before but they look really good.

The Garmin Oregon 650T should have all the Canadian topo maps loaded on it. Are you also adding in hardcopy topo maps, or are the preloaded ones garbage?

I haven't seen those maps before but given that they go to 20K in BC and 50K in AB I'm sure that'll work in terms of resolution I need.

Which leads me to think that a basic one like the etrex 20 might be a better deal if paired with BC/AB backroad GPS maps.

[Darell_n]

Garmin portable units don't come preloaded, but there are open-source maps available that are not as detailed. All Garmin maps can also be easily unlocked and pirated if you're into that.

[msommers]

The 650T does come preloaded with 100K maps. Unfortunately this isn't detailed enough.

So I can either buy Garmin's Canada maps that have both 250K and 50K for ~$125

Backcountry for BC/AB that have 20K and 50K, respectively for ~$250

There is also Ibycus Topo, a fellow in Calgary that has compiled NRCan 50K maps and is free/donation based.

How the quality of all these differ at 50K I couldn't say.

[woodywoodford]

One thing you can do is download Basecamp (Garmin's PC software, free) and load up any maps you can get ahold of there. If it loads in Basecamp it should load in their devices. Then you can judge for yourself if Ibycus is good enough...

Main reason I recommended BRMB is because they're known for including the most trails on there, while many of the free/default maps would only have topo and roads.

[msommers]

Ahh ok cool thanks.

Comparing the Oregon units, one of the reviewers broke it down into:

First let's take a look at the offerings. The 600, 600t, 650, 650t. If it is a 600, then it is without camera. If it is a 650, then it is with a camera. Add the t for included 1:100k topo maps.

Woody, do you have the maps for AB by chance? Did you buy them or "find" them?

That's really good to know they have trails plotted though. When you have some free time, can you see if there are popular ones around Calgary like Yamnuska, for example?