best maps for Garmin

[mep1811]

Is there an advantage to the Garmin TOPO maps as opposed to the free GPSDEPOT topos?

 

[verdesard0g]

None what-so ever I have the whole western us states on my garmin gps's. way better than the garmin maps. All are 24k topo maps with much more detail than any garmin maps.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I use maps from gpsdepot on my Garmin, works just fine.

Other personal favorites are the ones here (generic vehicle routable):

http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl

or here (I find these to be very useful, my default base maps are the USA OSM Topo Routable from him):

http://www.gmaptool.eu/en/content/maps-garmin-fenix

 

[deserteagle56]

Only one advantage that I'm aware of. The Garmin 24k maps are routable, meaning using Basecamp you can create a route and convert it into a track in just a few clicks. Takes no time at all. Whereas, to create a track on the GPSfiledepot maps you have to actually draw the track on the map and that takes a lot longer.

 

[dlh62c]

^ I concur.

It's sad that so many don't use Garmin's BaseCamp program. Defining a route then exporting it the my GPSmap 62s is so easy.

 

[verdesard0g]

It's just as easy to create a route in base camp with gpsfiledepot maps as the garmin maps, there is no difference that I can see.....

 

[dlh62c]

For my Mainland Mexico trip, I downloaded from iOverlander's web site all the places people have reported to stay at in Mexico. The file can then be imported into Garmin Basecamp to view and use for route planning.

 

[DaveInDenver]

It's just as easy to create a route in base camp with gpsfiledepot maps as the garmin maps, there is no difference that I can see.....

The Colorado topo from gpsfiledepot, if that's typical of others, is not routable. That's all they're saying. You can create a route manually on top of it but potentially you'd have to convert it to a track when you upload it.

 

[verdesard0g]

A route is nothing more than a bunch of related waypoints, what do you mean create a route on top of the map???? (same with a track actually, just that there are many, many more waypoints closely spaced)
I've been using and teaching GPS for over 15 years. I'm open to new ideas though....the day you stop learning is the day you die.

 

[deserteagle56]

It's just as easy to create a route in base camp with gpsfiledepot maps as the garmin maps, there is no difference that I can see.....

You are obviously using a different version of the GPSFiledepot maps than the rest of us use! All the ones I use I have to enter multiple points to create a route or track. Which is not necessary with a routable Garmin map.

 

[DaveInDenver]

A route is nothing more than a bunch of related waypoints, what do you mean create a route on top of the map???? (same with a track actually, just that there are many, many more waypoints closely spaced)
I've been using and teaching GPS for over 15 years. I'm open to new ideas though....the day you stop learning is the day you die.

I mean a route in that it creates a path between two waypoints that isn't a straight line and is constrained to an actual existing feature. The topo maps on gpsfiledepot (at least the one I got for Colorado) show roads and trails but they aren't recognized routable features. I'm not talking about a track, which isn't dynamic. I can tell if I'm not on it but the GPS (I have an eTrex 20x) doesn't actively tell me left or right and give upcoming intersection warnings with them.

If I'm following an existing track I'll go and add periodic waypoints to help but it's no guarantee that my eTrex will necessarily route the same. That's OK, sometimes tracks I've done or downloaded followed different trails that might not exist anyway, but I know waypoints are current.

To make a route that lets the GPS give directions I need a whole lot of waypoints on the gpsfiledepot topos and it would be directly routing between them. With Garmin's topos and others like the OSM-based ones I linked earlier you can set two waypoints 20 miles away and the GPS can find a path that gets between them.

The only way I can get my eTrex to do this is to underlay another map that is routable. I might be doing something wrong, though, so if you're able to use gpsfiledepot maps for routing please link to it and I'll try it.

 

[verdesard0g]

Well I guess I've never used the routable feature of any map except the car GPS. I have never felt the need for exact routes, a few waypoints are adequate for my needs for search and rescue. I always have at least a 1;24k paper map with me for off road travel. All of my GPS's are set for direct routing.

Cross country travel on roads is a no brainer and I don't need routes for that. Many people have gotten themselves into trouble by blindly following their GPS.

So I guess, sorry I"m no help for with routabe maps.