Nav question

[James Morse]

Google maps works pretty well but if I set a destination then don't make it there I want to change my destination to home or whatever. The problem is even though I still have GPS, without cell service I can't reset my destination. I can look at a paper map and look at where I am on the Google map and try to reconcile them but what a pain. Is there a solution to this?

 

[tinman_72]

Look through the settings for something to the effect of "offline maps". It allows you to download maps for frequently used regions to be used even when out of range.

 

[Curious Hound]

Yeah. Like Tinman said. You have to download maps for the area you’ll be traveling and save them to the device for offline use. It’s not just Google maps. You have to do the same for whatever navigation app you’re using. GPS keeps track of where you are. But the graphical maps that we need to look at and that the app uses to calculate your track, all come over the cell signal. You lose cell signal (only a few hundred feet high and easily blocked by terrain) much easier and more frequently than GPS signal (comes out if the sky from a satellite).

 

[scotts90ranger]

And this is why I have $20 second or so hand Garmin units on hand... there's more cell towers and reception around anymore but there's still dead spots...

 

[Curious Hound]

And this is why I have $20 second or so hand Garmin units on hand... there's more cell towers and reception around anymore but there's still dead spots...

Lots of dead spots in the mountains around me. And, I’m sure it’s a lot worse out west when you get away from main highways when overlanding and 4- wheeling.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, on many mountain passes around here at least in the Cascades there's ski slopes and other stuff so there are towers around (you know, to keep the yuppy kids entertained mostly I imagine) but if you get off the beaten path it's really spotty... Not too bad on the I5 corridor but on the east side of the state is different...

 

[sgtsandman]

The downloadable maps is a good start. It might be worth your while to get an inexpensive tablet and install a app like Gaia or ON X. They have one with GPS capability.

You could still use your phone and the tablet would give a different perspective with the app and redundancy.

Paper maps are always a good backup that never runs out of batteries or any kind of signal.

Conversely, a dedicated GPS unit with off road oriented maps is best. Some GPS units have a slot for microSD cards for that and are way less expensive than a dedicated off road GPS unit.

 

[Curious Hound]

The downloadable maps is a good start. It might be worth your while to get an inexpensive tablet and install a app like Gaia or ON X. They have one with GPS capability.

You could still use your phone and the tablet would give a different perspective with the app and redundancy.

Paper maps are always a good backup that never runs out of batteries or any kind of signal.

Conversely, a dedicated GPS unit with off road oriented maps is best. Some GPS units have a slot for microSD cards for that and are way less expensive than a dedicated off road GPS unit.

Even with apps like Gaia and onxoffroad, you need to download maps for offline use.

 

[sgtsandman]

Even with apps like Gaia and onxoffroad, you need to download maps for offline use.

That what I intended to say but failed I guess. Thanks for making sure James knows that.

 

[Curious Hound]

I miss paper maps. Really kind of enjoyed using the one I had at LBL. But it’s awesome when you know from the paper map that there is a left turn coming up. So, you look at the screen and it shows your little icon approaching an intersection.

 

[gaz]

I only use paper maps. I plan my route before departure, recorded in a 3x5 notebook.

 

[James Morse]

I guess I should have said what I do now. First I look at a map of the whole area and see all kinds of Nat'l Forest. Then I ask, what is close to me (say w/in an hour).
Each Nat'l Forest has a pocket map that shows the different Districts and where is the ranger station for it. Then what I want is the District map, that will have (as far as one assumes they are up to date) all the F.S. roads on it and other nice info. Some maps have topo if they don't I have other maps for that. So I can know beforehand, what looks like it might be interesting and where there are huge changes in elevation because you -know- that's going to be steep. Most of the roads go up because they are there for the fire crews to get there. Speaking of which we have a lot of wildfire right now the atmosphere is "unhealthy" my eyes were watering last night.
Some roads follow creeks so there it tends to be water and maybe mud but those aren't so common.
There's also online F.S. vehicle-use maps (pdf).

Once I decide, ok, I'm going to try going to some spot, I like to have a backup plan, because sometimes you get there and the road is gated. But usually there's other options close of places to go even if it's not offroading there are things to do and see for an outing. I don't like to drive somewhere then go, oh, it's blocked, let's go home. Nah.

I try to call the ranger for the district so far not lots of luck with that. I was hoping they might tell me condition of roads, who knows. I suppose part of the doing of it is finding out. Some places like Potts Mt road you just know from various sources, you will need basically a rock crawler to get through there.

I also look at Google maps and Google earth 3D as part of it. But I don't go somewhere and not have paper maps and a compass and so far I never didn't know where I was. I do really like the GPS showing me exactly, which I have, but I can't reset destinations / waypoints because Google maps is online software and I haven't tried the offline maps saving yet so that's the next thing.

Probably I'm not eager to spend $3k on a nav system and looks like way overkill for me. I think I'd get the Xoffroad app, not expensive, and you can get all the property lines so I'd know definitely when I'm on the forest. I realize you still have to download the maps for offline use but I'd think once you've done that, that since the app is resident on the phone/tablet vs on a server somewhere, you'd be able to reset destination.

 

[sgtsandman]

OnX Off Road is a good resource as is Gaia. Best Buy has Samsung Tablets with somewhat decent internal memory and GPS. I’m looking one that is about 8” corner to corner.

Paper maps, the ranger station is probably going to be your best bet. USGS is going to be the next best but the maps are big and not laid out based on where you want to go. So you may need more than one and will have to order them.

Topographic Maps | U.S. Geological Survey

Topographic maps became a signature product of the USGS because the public found them - then and now - to be a critical and versatile tool for viewing the nation's vast landscape.

www.usgs.gov

 

[Blmpkn]

I bought a relatively cheap Magellan offroad GPS a few years ago.. it's certainly not as refined and fancy as Garmins 'overlander' GPS.. but its absolutely worth it for 1/3 the price and for how much I use it.

 

[James Morse]

Thanks. Seems like a lot of USGS maps are really old, I looked at Bald Mt and there were no roads at all there. Unless I missed something. But they do have the great topo.

Will check out Samsung and Magellan.

So with those, if I download offline maps, then I can change my destination on the fly (with no cell service), as long as GPS is still working, right?
Now if I can do that with Google offline maps I'd actually be pretty well set (something I can try I guess - download a map, then turn off network which should leave me with only GPS and see if it works).