Best GPS for off roading?

I still don't know if it's going to do what I'm looking for, but for two dollars I guess it's worth the risk

 

If you don't use it for wheeling it's fun to use for hiking/boarding/mtn biking so no loss

 

Avenza PDF map app. It uses your phone's GPS so you don't need cell service. There are tons of maps including all the National Geographic maps we've been using for years. Some maps are free and some cost up to $7. I love it. Been using it for the last six months + including Moab, Ucompogre National Forest, and Rampart Range. You can track your GPS, create way points, and export maps to Google. I have had zero issues getting a GPS signal. Including under tree canopies. Using on my iPhone 6.

http://www.avenza.com/pdf-maps

 

I use the Garmin Montana and have been very happy with it. I download the free offroad maps for Colorado and they have been great. I also have tried the loading and caching technique on my iPhone 6 with mixed results, especially when it comes to off road. if you want to explore, sometimes you don't get all the detail which can be disasterous. I'll be trying out my Delorme InReach on my next trip tethered to my ipad and will report back....

 

Does the Garmin Montana actually have trail maps? What 4x4 trails have you hit with it?

 

Hey John, Great question and let me try to answer that in the best way I can. The Montana with Garmin TOPO maps has most 4X4 trails I've wanted to use in the Northeast as well as Colorado. I can't speak to other regions of the country but my personal experience has been good. In the Northeast, it's actually opend up a bunch of terrain for me since I was able to find some old logging roads etc that were't marked well otherwise. As far as Colorado is concerned, It works great on all of the FS roads and side roads near mines etc.

Depending on where you live, the mapping might be really good or not so much. Sorry if this wasn't super helpful but I'm always cautious on giving a 100% positive when I'm not familiar with your region. As a personal habit I always travel with a backup paper map so I can use that in conjunction with the GPS to get me where I need to go.

Cheers, James

 

Thank you for your help! Do you have the 650t or some other model?

 

I just got the 600 since I didn't need a camera.

 

Is a Camera the only difference between a 600 and a 650? Because I noticed that they're about to release the 680 later this month. But like you, I also don't need a camera

 

GPS kit. It's an app for iPhone. I use it riding dirt bikes all the time. With Verizon it's great. Got to have a signal that's the only fall back. In FL it's not an issue. In CO I'm sure it would be. It will save tracks and give any and all data from elevation to trip time, average speed ect. Pretty cool. It's a $10.00 app but it replaces 2/300$ Hand held

 

I use that app to ride on Eglin AFB.

 

Hey sorry for the delayed response.... I'm not sure what the exact differences are but Garmin has a good comparison chart on their website.

 

Are any of these GPS systems good at actually mapping out trails? I need something where I can quickly add waypoints to my tracks and then upload the gpx files later. I use the Gaia app on my phone at the moment. It's ok, but I have to constantly keep it on my dashboard by the windshield to get a decent signal. It's left some of my tracks looking like a wandering drunk person lol. I wouldn't mind getting a regular gps and mounting it up on my dash.

 

Yes, The Garmin does this really well. I do this all the time, then upload my tracks via their software and create routes on my laptop.

 

I use the Avenza app on my iPhone 4 for mountain biking. It has worked pretty good when you down load the maps for the area. As someone said some are free others you have to pay for. It seems to work pretty go but it is small on the phone and hard to see sometimes. I just downloaded the Gaia GPS app on my LG G7 pad to try in the truck. Much larger screen. Will see how it works.

 

I use Gaia GPS all the time for SAR - mostly ground pounding, but occasionally when we drive somewhere off the beaten track. It works *very* well for the cost ($20), and map downloads are free and very easy to do. You are also able to download many different map layers: USGS Topo, satellite imagery, road maps etc., and you can switch between the layers on the fly.
https://www.gaiagps.com/apps/ios/

I originally started using Gaia because I didn't have the $$ for a Garmin (nav is obviously key for SAR), but now I honestly wouldn't want to switch. I have tried several handheld Garmin models, and I find, for me and my use, the user friendliness and features of Gaia GPS is vastly better in all respects.

You can lay out routes and add waypoints via the Gaia GPS website, and everything you do there is automatically sent to Gaia GPS on your devices (iPhone, iPad, Android etc.)

As Ice Horse mentioned, when you zoom in close (very close) on the recorded tracks it looks like the path of a drunken sailor , but that function has improved lately, and I don't find it to impact useability.

If you want to improve GPS reception and accuracy you can buy a Bad Elf external GPS receiver that will link to your device via Bluetooth: http://bad-elf.com/collections/bluetooth-gps

Since I'm old fashioned and like maps, I also use CalTopo to generate and print maps before heading out: http://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=35.48104,-106.26266&z=9&b=t
Good backup for electronics that might fail.

 

I came here to post about Gaia, but I was beaten to it.

I use it out here for planning secondary and emergency routes in areas where roads are bad and getting stuck is very bad. Cell service is nonexistent for the majority of the area. I can download all the data I need to my phone and not have to worry about it. I typically overlap regular road maps, topo, and then anything else I need.

Not cheap, but I love it.

 

Looks like the gaia might be the way to go. That's a lot better than spending 600 on a Garmin

 

I usually download USGS Topo, satellite imagery, "feature" overlay (to overlay roads etc. over satellite imagery), road maps, elevation shading. The ability to layer up map features and adjust the transparency is part of the Gaia Pro package, which runs $20/year.