GPS, waypoints and finding your way

[TheChop]

I have used the Garmin maps. I have the same GPS unit as you but without the SD slot. Nope the dotted lines on them are infrequent and inaccurate. It was very uncommon to find the dotted line matching up with the trail. Garmin is in no mood to update their maps with trails that change every year. I believe most of the maps use USGS maps, etc. as starting points.

What you need is a route with more waypoints. That's just how GPS works.

[10-K]

What you need is a route with more waypoints. That's just how GPS works.

That would be excellent. I can't imagine such a thing doesn't exist in an easily digestible format that doesn't require contortions to get into a popular GPS unit.

Really all I want is the AT in NC/TN - bonus points for other marked trails in the area...

[TheChop]

That would be excellent. I can't imagine such a thing doesn't exist in an easily digestible format that doesn't require contortions to get into a popular GPS unit.

Really all I want is the AT in NC/TN - bonus points for other marked trails in the area...

Backpacker has downloadable Tracks from their website. Here's one for the Panther Creek Trail.

http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/32355

Mostly it's just poking around and finding the track file of someone who has hiked the trail you're looking for. The track file will probably have too many waypoints. Then you have to convert a track (where you've been data) into a route (where you want to go data). There are a few free solutions to this.

Getting the data into a GPS unit is oftentimes clunky. It's not intuitive at all.

[Wise Old Owl]

Yea that was where I was last year, I got it figured out by state. I chunk the tracks into roughly 50 mile sections and the tracks display in a bright color so there's no mistakes. Requires moving the data from the Backpacker or AT Websites into MapSource and editing.

Warning do not try this at home....

[10-K]

Backpacker has downloadable Tracks from their website. Here's one for the Panther Creek Trail.

http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/32355

Mostly it's just poking around and finding the track file of someone who has hiked the trail you're looking for. The track file will probably have too many waypoints. Then you have to convert a track (where you've been data) into a route (where you want to go data). There are a few free solutions to this.

Getting the data into a GPS unit is oftentimes clunky. It's not intuitive at all.

Perfect! I found a trip from Nolichucky River to Spivey Gap and put it on my GPS. Went down to Uncle Johnny's and hit the trail.

The trail was drawn on the map and waypoints for selected items (campsites, vistas, etc.) were on the trail as well. I was able to follow the trail on the GPS and find each of the waypoints with no problem - accuracy was never worse than 30' for each waypoint - most of the time within 20'. I hiked all the way up to Temple Hill Gap and back down the Temple Hill trail using the provided route and waypoints perfectly.

Had I been lost I would have been able to find the trail very easily. The trick, as I thought, was having the waypoints connected instead of just dots on a blank screen.

Now if I could find the entire AT in NC/TN I'd be a happy camper.

Actually, more useful to me at the moment would be the BMT through the Smokies.....

[perrito]

I've used the Backpacker tracks and really like them. The spots along the tracks are usually ~50' apart, but since the limit on points per track is 500, that gives you less than 5 miles per track. Play around with combining tracks in the Mapsource software and then chopping them into 500-point pieces. It's not that hard. Just save the track you're working on as a new name just in case you screw something up. You can give the tracks whatever color you like too.

Also, gpsfiledepot.com files are easy to use. The ones I have install to a folder of your chosing and are then loadable in Mapsource. No big deal. Try them. They're free and usually of excellent quality. Beats paying $100.

[Tom Murphy]

The default map in all of the Garmin GPS units is not suitable for hiking.

I downloaded a free map from gpsfiledepot.com for my area.

Then I downloaded the free file convertor from GPSbabel.org and converted it to the format I needed.

Then I downloaded the GARMIN software to allow me to load the map onto the GPS.

But I needed to buy a microSD card with adequate memory (relatively inexpensive).

I could have just bought a preloaded microSD card with the 24K topo map for my area and inserted it into the GPS but those are expensive at ~$125. each AND they are based on the USGS topos....

Without a topo map installed in the GPS, you are better off using the GPS to lay down a "cookie crumb" track to get you back to where you were.

With a topo map installed in the GPS, it becomes an incredible tool; you will not need trails since you are never lost.

I still use a map/compass/altimeter. I turn on the GPS at key points to set waypoints and confirm my location.

My orientating skills have improved tremendously with the GPS as feedback; especially my "dead reckoning".

[jfan]

You said you used natgeo maps? The TOPO! program allows you to print maps with your routes and waypoints on them. I have a Garmin Venture HC....very similar stripped down version to yours I think. I was able to upload the free maps mentioned earlier onto this unit.....then I uploaded the routes and waypoints from TOPO and they overlayed on the GPS maps without a hitch. I've heard a lot of complaints about the TOPO program, but I find it very easy to use to plot routes and waypoints. For me it's much easier than the Garmin program.

To summarize, here's what I do:

1) Open the TOPO quad(s) for the area I'll be hiking
2) Draw my route and plot the waypoints
3) Install the appropriate map onto my GPS (the unit doesn't have SD capability and I'm limited to the onboard memory so I check and delete past maps/routes if necessary)
4) Upload the routes and waypoints onto the GPS
5) When you open the route on the GPS, it usually displays with it already superimposed over the map. If not, select "show map".
6) Print the TOPO map of your route for a hard copy
7) DONE!

[10-K]

Ok, I downloaded the TN topo, installed it and it shows up in Mapsource.

I also opened up a route with waypoints for the AT from Spivey's Gap to Erwin and these superimposed on the topo map (that's great!)

When I try to send this to my GPS it will only send the route and waypoints. The tickbox to include the Map is grayed out.

What am I missing?

[Roland]

Perfect! I found a trip from Nolichucky River to Spivey Gap and put it on my GPS. ~

Now if I could find the entire AT in NC/TN I'd be a happy camper.
~

Doesn't the ATC website offer a centerline GPS track for the entire AT? I've seen mention of this on WB before.

[10-K]

Woo hoo! Progress.....

I've got the TN topo loaded into Mapsource, I've superimposed the route from Spivey's Gap to Uncle Johnny's on the topo map, complete with waypoints and I've successfully transfererd all that to my GPS.

Next dumb question... I can't seem to find any logic to waypoint numbering sequence... it seems to be in random order... 1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 81, 7, 6, etc. etc.

What's up with that?

[couscous]

Yes, the ATC offers centerline - parking - shelter data
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site...d_GPS_Data.htm
The GPS units and their corresponding software are just poorly designed to gather data from multiple sources and in multiple formats.

[perrito]

Woo hoo! Progress.....

I've got the TN topo loaded into Mapsource, I've superimposed the route from Spivey's Gap to Uncle Johnny's on the topo map, complete with waypoints and I've successfully transfererd all that to my GPS.

Next dumb question... I can't seem to find any logic to waypoint numbering sequence... it seems to be in random order... 1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 81, 7, 6, etc. etc.

What's up with that?

Are you referring to the Backpacker waypoints?

[10-K]

Are you referring to the Backpacker waypoints?

Yes, actually...

[perrito]

Yes, actually...

I always rename them in Mapsource in the order that I am traveling. You can zoom in on them on the map to see what order they are in.

[10-K]

I always rename them in Mapsource in the order that I am traveling. You can zoom in on them on the map to see what order they are in.

I was afraid of that.

I wonder how they get out of order like that?

[perrito]

I was afraid of that.

I wonder how they get out of order like that?

Another issue is that if you want to load multiple GPX files with waypoints, you always end up with repeat names and that's not good. You pretty much have to rename them. It's not really a big deal.

You know how the AT guides have NJ section 1, NJ section 2, etc.? I just rename the waypoints to NJ2-1, NJ2-2, etc. for NJ section 2 waypoint 1, ...

Something to do on a calm night in front of the TV.

[58starter]

10k I have the DeLorme P40. The topo 8 program has the AT marked on it already with a dotted line. I have the Max of 200 waypoints marked in my address book for the program. I am able to Mark all the shelters , and gaps for the trail I am hiking then download that route to my hand held GPS. It works very well for me. I have never hiked in the snow so I cannot tell you if it will work. I have hiked from Springer to Fontana with it so far and it is always correct within +- 15 ft.

[10-K]

10k I have the DeLorme P40. The topo 8 program has the AT marked on it already with a dotted line. I have the Max of 200 waypoints marked in my address book for the program. I am able to Mark all the shelters , and gaps for the trail I am hiking then download that route to my hand held GPS. It works very well for me. I have never hiked in the snow so I cannot tell you if it will work. I have hiked from Springer to Fontana with it so far and it is always correct within +- 15 ft.

I almost got the DeLorme.

[10-K]

Alright, I think I've got it going on....

I loaded the TN and NC topo maps from gpsfiledepot.com onto my GPS....

Then, with my Nat Geo Southern Appalachian map software I created a route (in this case, the BMT through GSMNP) and transferred said route with waypoints to the GPS and now when I load that route on the GPS it brings up the topo with the route and waypoints displayed.

Pretty slick!

Edited to add: It was a lot easier when I quit trying to do it in Windows and moved to my Macbook.