GPS For Hiking
Posted by: dave brubeck on 08 June 2007
Following on from Mr Parry's thread, I am in the market for a handheld GPS for hiking trips in the Scottish wilderness.
However, I know sweet fanny adams about GPS.
Looking for a mid range water resistant unit with good battery life. I have no idea if you can get OS countryside maps loaded up in these - that would be a great feature...
Can you get coverage 'everywhere'?
Do you have to pay any rental etc? Or once you have bought it is that it, except purchasing specific maps?
Thanks in advance to all you technical souls out there..
However, I know sweet fanny adams about GPS.
Looking for a mid range water resistant unit with good battery life. I have no idea if you can get OS countryside maps loaded up in these - that would be a great feature...
Can you get coverage 'everywhere'?
Do you have to pay any rental etc? Or once you have bought it is that it, except purchasing specific maps?
Thanks in advance to all you technical souls out there..
So you're in the market for a werethefukarewegadget. I personally use a Garmin GPS 12, its a basic, waterproof, and has proved to be very portable reliable 'tool', it doesn't have any mapping though, so I have to upload routes to it from a PC.
I use this program http://www.gpsu.co.uk/ which is a bit old hat now given the current technology thats about.
Magellan is another good make, a friend has one on-board his yacht which gets him to the Caribbean and back, all done via the pub on Peel island, which is were these ideas are hatched.
As for mapping you could try Memory Map.
http://www.memory-map.co.uk/
Caution; before you or anyone else goes anywhere off the beaten track, and this is purely because of this being an International forum, I'd advise learning the basics of a compass and orienteering on map readings. Learn this inside out! End of caution.
http://www.tartantammy.co.uk/map_reading.htm
One of my favourite websites is... http://www.go4awalk.com/home/
Beano's tip which may seem obvious...but always set yourself realistic targets.
I use this program http://www.gpsu.co.uk/ which is a bit old hat now given the current technology thats about.
Magellan is another good make, a friend has one on-board his yacht which gets him to the Caribbean and back, all done via the pub on Peel island, which is were these ideas are hatched.
As for mapping you could try Memory Map.
http://www.memory-map.co.uk/
Caution; before you or anyone else goes anywhere off the beaten track, and this is purely because of this being an International forum, I'd advise learning the basics of a compass and orienteering on map readings. Learn this inside out! End of caution.
http://www.tartantammy.co.uk/map_reading.htm
One of my favourite websites is... http://www.go4awalk.com/home/
Beano's tip which may seem obvious...but always set yourself realistic targets.