GPS - GPS for walking

Author

GPS for walking

Chanandler

2006-09-21, 10:33 pm

Hi,

Are there any GPS systems that you can just carry in your pocket or clip to
your belt or something? They all seem to be focused at drivers with in-car
systems, but I'd like something that logs the route I've taken, or maybe
even track me real time, and perhaps even show the map for the current area.
I'm in the UK, but any suggestions are appreciated.

I have a Palm Zire 72s, but I doubt that helps in any way.

Thanks!

Wombatwal

2006-09-21, 10:33 pm

I have a Garmin GPS 60, it has a belt clip as standard.
Wombatwal

"Chanandler" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:45131990$0$2656
$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> Hi,
>
> Are there any GPS systems that you can just carry in your pocket or clip
> to your belt or something? They all seem to be focused at drivers with
> in-car systems, but I'd like something that logs the route I've taken, or
> maybe even track me real time, and perhaps even show the map for the
> current area. I'm in the UK, but any suggestions are appreciated.
>
> I have a Palm Zire 72s, but I doubt that helps in any way.
>
> Thanks!
>

2006-09-21, 10:33 pm

Chanandler wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Are there any GPS systems that you can just carry in your pocket or clip to
> your belt or something? They all seem to be focused at drivers with in-car
> systems, but I'd like something that logs the route I've taken, or maybe
> even track me real time, and perhaps even show the map for the current area.
> I'm in the UK, but any suggestions are appreciated.
>
> I have a Palm Zire 72s, but I doubt that helps in any way.
>
> Thanks!
>
>
Tons! I got a Garmin GPSmap 60csx recently for mapping hiking trails and
have been quite happy with it (though it seems overly complex, but it
probably does all things for all people so there must be a lot of
options). Sensitivity is great, woods, trees, overcast, rain, valleys;
combination of all that; never lost a signal yet!
gr

Badge 714

2006-09-21, 10:33 pm

There is a ton of them. The Garmin Foretrex can go around your wrist.

http://www.garmin.com/outdoor/

I use the Garmin Legend-C for walking and bicycling and it works well. I
upload the paths of my bike rides and walks to my computer.

Just about any handheld GPS unit will work for the purpose you want.

Cheers.

Helge Olav Helgesen

2006-09-22, 4:33 am

On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 01:00:55 +0200, Chanandler <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> Are there any GPS systems that you can just carry in your pocket or clip
> to
> your belt or something?

There are.

> They all seem to be focused at drivers with in-car systems, but I'd like
> something that logs the route I've taken,

Most units does this.

> or maybe even track me real time,

Most units do this to!

> and perhaps even show the map for the current area.

If you pay enough you can see the maps as well :)

Look into www.garmin.com - and see outdoor units. GPSMap 60Cx is a good
unit you can use in car, outside hiking and in your boat.

--
-----
Helge Olav Helgesen
http://www.helge.net/GPS

David Lee

2006-09-22, 7:33 am

Chanandler wrote...
> Are there any GPS systems that you can just carry in your pocket or clip
> to your belt or something? They all seem to be focused at drivers with
> in-car systems, but I'd like something that logs the route I've taken, or
> maybe even track me real time, and perhaps even show the map for the
> current area. I'm in the UK, but any suggestions are appreciated.

You're obviously looking in the wrong place! Have a look in a decent
outdoors store to see some of the handhelds available. Major brands are
Garmin and Magellan. A presentation of Garmin handheld models can be found
at www.garmin.com/outdoor/products.html (use this link to avoid the new
megacrap Garmin homepage!)

You need to be aware that mapping models contain a limited resolution
basemap that gives you basic coverage of your area (eg Europe, Americas
etc). This can't be changed and it is dedicated to the area for which the
model is designed so a aparent bargain unit bought from a US eBay seller
will almost certainly contain an American basemap.

You then load detailed maps via a PC from mapping packages that you
generally have to buy separately (although bundled products are sometimes
available). Make sure that you fully understand the pricing and activation
of these products before you buy a GPS receiver as otherwise you may later
have a nasty shock to your credit card when you come to buy your maps!

One very nasty piece of Garmin idiocy is related to the way that National
Park areas are shaded green on their mapping products. This appears as
middle grey on a monochrome receiver (such as the Vista), which tends to
obliterate mapping details on the screen. This can be turned off on some
models but NOT the etrex monochrome range. This makes the maps almost
unusable in areas like Snowdonia and the Lake district (unless you do some
cunning hex editing of the source files). You should take this into
consideration before saving money by buying a monochrome unit and ask for
advice if you aren't sure.

If you do go with a Garmin then make sure you have a good look at the map
coverage using the MapSource Map Viewer (www.garmin.com/cartography) and
check MapSource compatibility to make sure you know which maps will work
with which handsets. Don't assume that a map will work properly or be any
good for your purpose since it may not be. A lot of people have been caught
out this way and wasted a great deal of money.

Before buying Garmin Topo UK have a look at the free contour maps available
from the Scottish Montaineering Club (www.smc.org.uk/contour_maps2.htm
although the server seems to be down at the moment). These maps are
transparent and you can load them along with Garmin maps to overlay
contours.

Note that I only have experience of Garmin products - I'm sure similar
considerations apply to other manufacturers. Take great care.

David

Chanandler

2006-09-22, 7:33 am

"David Lee" < davidlee_malvern@don
t.use.this.bit.hotmail.com> wrote in
message news:zMKdnVM8Jsf1LI7
YnZ2dnUVZ8tGdnZ2d@ec
lipse.net.uk...
> Chanandler wrote...
& #91;snip]
> Note that I only have experience of Garmin products - I'm sure similar
> considerations apply to other manufacturers. Take great care.

Thanks so much for all of that, David! Thanks to everyone else, too - you've
been invaluable.

Don B

2006-09-22, 3:33 pm

If you want it for just walking, as one of the other guys mentioned I
would look at the Foretrek 101. It will give you lat/lon but I think it
leans more toward being a fancy pedometer or in a car, an odometer. It
will keep track of fasted speed, average speed, distance traveled, and
time spent moving. It will run up to 15 hours on three AAA batteries. I
picked one up for $99.99 at a local store

i

nolonemo@yahoo.com

2006-09-22, 10:33 pm

I have a Garmin Legend C, I like it because it's small (smaller and
cheaper than the 60C), you can load maps to it, it will autoroute if
you want to use it in the car, battery life is good.
Definitely get a color display if you want to look at maps on the unit.

Keith Sheppard

2006-09-25, 7:33 am

>>Are there any GPS systems that you can just carry in your pocket or clip[color=darkred]
As others have pointed out, there are dozens.
[color=darkred]
Only if you look in places like Halfords or Tescos. Go into a camping or
outwood bound shop and you will see GPS units designed for hiking, which is
what you are looking for. Don't buy one, though, because you can probably
get it much cheaper on line.
[color=darkred]
I doubt that you would find any hiking GPS which _doesn't_ log the route
you've taken. I only have direct experience of Garmin eTrex series but they
not only log your route but offer a "trackback" feature so if you get lost
and want to go back the way you came then your GPS will keep pointing you in
the right direction. I'm not quite sure what you mean by tracking in real
time but you then go on to talk about maps...

Hiking GPS units come in two sorts. Those that support mapping and those
that don't. I would strongly urge you to purchase a mapping unit unless you
really are strapped for cash. They don't cost a lot more and the advantages
are huge - and that's not just because I have a vested interest (read on).
A mapping unit such as the eTrex Legend will display a map of the
surrounding area with a little arrow in the middle representing you and
showing the direction you are travelling in. This simple visual
representation is, to me, far more convenient than having to read off your
position in numbers and find it on the OS map. OK, you may have to do that
sometimes but most of the time the on-screen map will tell you where you are
sufficiently accurately for most needs.

So what unit to get? For mapping I would recommend Garmin for one simple
reason. A mapping GPS cannot hold detailed maps of every area you might
possibly want to visit. Instead it has a very basic map called the "base
map" which just shows major towns and principal roads. It's not really a
lot of use for walking. Actually, it's almost useless. For walking you
need to upload detailed maps of the area(s) of interest. There are two ways
to obtain said maps - buy them from the GPS manufacturer or make your own.
Buying them from the manufacturer is clearly the easiest but you should
budget to spend nearly as much, possibly more, on maps than you did on the
GPS hardware.

Making your own is a time consuming and labour intensive process but quite
satisfying in its way. To do it, though, you need software and the GPS
manufacturers are a tad touchy about letting other folk know the intimate
details of their proprietary map formats. Which is why I recommend Garmin.
Garmin map format has been commonly available to the amateur software
community for years and there are a large number of applications available,
many of them freeware, which allow you to make your own Garmin maps. I do
not know of a similar software base available for any other brand. This is
where I declare that my vested interest is that I happen to be the author of
one of those map making applications. If you decide to get a Garmin mapping
GPS I would be only too happy to introduce you to the art of DIY mapping.

Note that all the Ordnance Survey maps 1:25000 and 1:50000 maps are
available for download (albeit in small pieces).

As to which Garmin to buy, you will have to do a little more research. I
use an eTrex Legend and am very happy with it. From what I hear, the 60
and/or 76 series may be even better but I think they are a little more
expensive. Look at the features, decide what is important to you and what
is within your budget and go for it. I would recommend getting a colour
screen model if at all possible. There are several UK web retailers and the
following may be worth checking out:

http://www.gps4less.co.uk/shop001/index.php
http://www. globalpositioningsys
tems.co.uk
[color=darkred]
There are solutions which connect to PDAs but personally I would avoid them.
PDAs aren't generally designed to be as roughly treated as a hiking GPS.
Would you trust your PDA to carry on if you dropped it on a rock in a stream
(even with a waterproof case)? Most proper hiking GPS units would probably
survive this unless you were very unlucky. A PDA solution would also mean
more to carry.

Regards
Keith
http://homepages.tesco.net/~Keith.Sheppard/MapMan.htm

Larry Gold

2006-09-28, 10:33 pm

TomTom
"Chanandler" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:45131990$0$2656
$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> Hi,
>
> Are there any GPS systems that you can just carry in your pocket or clip
> to your belt or something? They all seem to be focused at drivers with
> in-car systems, but I'd like something that logs the route I've taken, or
> maybe even track me real time, and perhaps even show the map for the
> current area. I'm in the UK, but any suggestions are appreciated.
>
> I have a Palm Zire 72s, but I doubt that helps in any way.
>
> Thanks!
>

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