How to record your own Tracts and Waypoints with a handheld GPS
or GPS enabled Smartphone
or GPS enabled Smartphone
There are two options available to those interested in digital mapping, either a GPS enabled smartphone, or a handheld GPS unit. The Gaia website argues "For nearly every purpose, people will find that an iPhone or Android performs better than a Garmin or other outdoor GPS unit." That statement is somewhat biased because it comes from a site that writes software for phones. However smartphones may be a good choice for many people. There is a learning curve even with the phone being "smart."
The weak side of smartphones is their memory, battery, and ruggedness. By memory I mean the capacity to store large area map. I can store all the topographical data for many states in my handheld GPS. It takes more pre-planning and effort to prepare a smartphone with maps for an adventure that will be out of cellular coverage. Most handheld GPS are waterproof and use AA batteries. When I plan to record a daylong horseback ride, I carry a couple of backup AA batteries and have no worry about power. An editor of opencyclemap believes that the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx is a good choice. They can be purchased on EBay for less than $150. Don't worry about topographical maps for your Garmin, they can be had for free.
My recommendation for both an online computer program and a GPS phone app is CalTopo. Read this review for more information https://andrewskurka.com/review-caltopo-backcountry-mapping-gps-navigation/andrewskurka.com/review-caltopo-backcountry-mapping-gps-navigation/
The weak side of smartphones is their memory, battery, and ruggedness. By memory I mean the capacity to store large area map. I can store all the topographical data for many states in my handheld GPS. It takes more pre-planning and effort to prepare a smartphone with maps for an adventure that will be out of cellular coverage. Most handheld GPS are waterproof and use AA batteries. When I plan to record a daylong horseback ride, I carry a couple of backup AA batteries and have no worry about power. An editor of opencyclemap believes that the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx is a good choice. They can be purchased on EBay for less than $150. Don't worry about topographical maps for your Garmin, they can be had for free.
My recommendation for both an online computer program and a GPS phone app is CalTopo. Read this review for more information https://andrewskurka.com/review-caltopo-backcountry-mapping-gps-navigation/andrewskurka.com/review-caltopo-backcountry-mapping-gps-navigation/
Free Topographical Maps for your Garmin Handheld GPS |
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