Handheld GPS recommendations

you can still use your Garmin to see where youre at. And to see where the trails are at and what not

 

But if you want to select a destination thru your Garmin unit it may or may not send you to your destination via turn by turn directions.

Some Garmins do it.

the ones that dont require you to plan your routes beforehand and upload them to your unit

 

I don’t want turn by turn directions. Google maps just seem to be the most detailed maps.

 

The Garmin Maps are just as good or even better.

If you dont want turn by turn directions, then youre good w pretty much any Garmin.

 

I just need to see where the roads go with detailed maps.

 

Garmin etrex 20 has never let me down yet.

 

Does it have FS roads in it?

 

I have never used it close to a FS road. So now I need to check this out. I did buy a program off Amazon so I can use it on city streets.

 

Depends on the base map you install. I would think any good topo would have USFS roads on it.

 

I’m good with electronics but I’ve never messed with a handheld gps. Where do I get the base map?

 

From Garmin. It would have all the USFS roads.

 

You can buy 24K and 100K topo maps from Garmin.

 

Does Garmin have road names or will it just show you’re on a road? Also, what’s the difference in 24k vs 100k maps? I’m seeing it’s just more terrain detail that both have all known trails/roads, correct me if I’m wrong.

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=24k+100k+topo

It boils down to level of detail. A 24K map means the map scale is 1:24,000 and 100K means 1:100,000. So 1" on the map represents 24,000" on the ground. In USGS terms 1:24,000 represents 7.5 minutes of latitude and 7.5 minutes of longitude, e.g. a 7.5 minute quad. The reason to use a 100K map would be to shrink the physical size, which has no meaning on a GPS receiver. What a 100K digital map does is saves storage space but since SD cards and memory in general is cheap there's no reason to bother with anything but 24K maps now.

 

I don't use the Garmin topo maps, so someone who does will have to answer. The maps I use list the FS number or both a name and a FS number but it seems to depend on the source for the map. Since OpenStreetsMaps is what maps I use it's usually both.

 

I think a handheld Garmin with 24k maps is the way I’m leaning.

 

Would Garmin have more detailed maps than the factory navigation?

 

factory? as in the Tacoma navigation?

 

Yes.

 

Definitely.