which gps for touring?

[skmc1955]

hope this is the right place to ask this... I,m thinking of getting a satmap active 10 for touring,but it,s a lot of money! does anyone have one? are they worth the money? and which system do you use and are you happy with it?

 

[simon_brooke]

Seriously, if you're a cyclist, and concerned about weight, do not proliferate devices. Yes, OK, you could take a phone and a camera and a satnav and an MP3 player and a compass... but actually a modern smart phone will do all these things well, and save a considerable amount of weight into the bargain. My own personal favourite is the HTC G1 (commonly known as 'the Google phone', or 'Android'), but an iPhone will do equally well and so will some of the Windows Mobile devices.

 

[skmc1955]

my phone is a 5 year old nokia brick, a great source of amusement to my friends and family and just about capable of sending texts and not much else! No phone companies are going to get rich through me! thats why i,m after a gps

 

[yashicamat]

To be honest, I would seriously suggest NOT relying on an iPhone or any mobile for that matter to take care of navigation. They are not built to the same degree of ruggedness that a proper outdoor GPS is, nor can they take much in the way of weather treatment! On top of that, there are battery complications (my Garmin GPS60 takes AAs, but my phone would need a mains charger).

I agree with the idea of minimising kit, but I think that a smartphone is not a sensible option as the primary navigation tool. Besides, a compass weighs peanuts . . .

 

[yello]

To be honest, I would seriously suggest NOT relying on an iPhone or any mobile for that matter to take care of navigation

I'm inclined to agree. I believe you're compromising when you combine functionality. I personally don't (and wouldn't) use a GPS for touring but if I did I'd be looking at a dedicated unit with long battery life and easy battery (i.e. standard alkaline) replacements. Something like a Garmin Etrex for instance.

 

[ufkacbln]

The Satmap is excellent and can provide all you need to tour with OS mapping (you have to buy the card) and street mapping

It is fairly easy to use, but that depends how you are with computers. I carry a netbook and upload / download routes to it on a daily basis. You can store both on the SatMAp if you require, but I am not sure how many.

 

[Over The Hill]

WH Smiths do range of inxepensive maps. You look at them and they show the place you are in. You then choose a route to where you want to go. I would venture that the human eye cast over a good map will do a better job of selecting a route than a silly machine. Why do you need anything else?

 

[Kirstie]

Having done a lot of touring with a GPS and had them spectacularly fail when you're least expecting it (even though I have had spare GPS units and marked up maps too), I would say if you're going to use one, then use one in conjunction with a map, and also use one that has mapping built in.

My other half has a Garmin Edge 605 which is excellent for touring, has the mapping in it but isn't always completely reliable. Sometimes it has scrambled routes. Also the software you use to programme it (eg tracklogs) can also sometimes have errors in so you always need to double check the route transferred OK. The majority of the time it works OK, but never ever ever leave without a marked up paper map. We have a battery powered GPS charger which runs on AAs, and so we generally don't have a problem with charging when out and about and can't find a plug.

Another friend has an ETrex which works really well - the only problem they have is finding a decent set of rechargeable batteries which have decent life in them.

 

[HJ]

Beware of of over relying on satnav, don't just follow it blindly...

 

[Crackle]

WH Smiths do range of inxepensive maps. You look at them and they show the place you are in. You then choose a route to where you want to go. I would venture that the human eye cast over a good map will do a better job of selecting a route than a silly machine. Why do you need anything else?

Must admit a map seems infinitely simpler but I appreciate from what others have said that a GPS has it's uses.

 

[wafflycat]

When cycling I much prefer an OS map. Keep it in a map case and it stays dry. It doesn't run out of battery power.

 

[piedwagtail91]

i use a vista hcx, the batteries last about 22 -24 hours and i usually carry spares just in case..

 

[rich p]

I'm obviously missing something crucial here. How can you plan your next day's route from a 2" square screen when you can choose from a myriad of options on a map to include points of interest, possible food stops etc.
Do you plan on a map, then download it onto a GPS to tell you when to turn L and R? Why? What's the panic? Most of the best times on a tour are when you turn up somewhere unexpectedly.

 

[piedwagtail91]

i can't speak for others but i look up poi on the internet ,waypoint them on tracklogs and then join the dots using what i hope are quiet roads, after that it's downloaded to the gps. if i want to make a detour it's a simple matter to find my way back to my planned route afterwards. i can store enough tracklogs for several hundred miles of riding/ walking.
i've only ever once plotted a route on the day and that was by using paper maps to put in waypoints and make a route instead of a tracklog.
the two complement each other, the paper maps for the bigger view ,the gps for convenince of not having to keep checking a map- especially in the british summer!

 

[wafflycat]

i can't speak for others but i look up poi on the internet ,waypoint them on tracklogs and then join the dots using what i hope are quiet roads, after that it's downloaded to the gps. if i want to make a detour it's a simple matter to find my way back to my planned route afterwards. i can store enough tracklogs for several hundred miles of riding/ walking.
i've only ever once plotted a route on the day and that was by using paper maps to put in waypoints and make a route instead of a tracklog.
the two complement each other, the paper maps for the bigger view ,the gps for convenince of not having to keep checking a map- especially in the british summer!

A map holder is your friend.