Which GPS navigation is great for offroading

[senor tortuga]

So I am looking at purchasing navigation mainly for offroading. I don't really care about turn by turn directions. Is anyone using this to find trails or roads that aren't well marked?

[mrsig]

I love my Garmin Jeep Trail Guide Navigation System with Topo.
It looks and works great on and off road and you can remove it if you go on foot some where for up to 10 hours!
http://www.aaof.us/images/gps.jpg
http://www.aaof.us/images/gps1.jpg

[Littlejon]

I am waiting for the new Delorme PN-40 to come out in about 4 more weeks.

[MaloCS]

GPS units are only as good as the software they run. Good software equals a good GPS. From my experience Garmin makes the best software so I believe Garmin to be the best GPS out there. I'm not talking about "on road" but "off road".

[Littlejon]

GPS units are only as good as the software they run. Good software equals a good GPS. From my experience Garmin makes the best software so I believe Garmin to be the best GPS out there. I'm not talking about "on road" but "off road".

If you compare Garmin to the Delorme systems you will find that the Delorme software is far superior to Garmin. It is not as user friendly but they have quite a bit more detail available from their mapping software that is available both on the computer and on the GPS unit.

[senor tortuga]

GPS units are only as good as the software they run. Good software equals a good GPS. From my experience Garmin makes the best software so I believe Garmin to be the best GPS out there. I'm not talking about "on road" but "off road".

So which software is good for offroading?

[Littlejon]

So which software is good for offroading?

For off-road the Delorme allows you to have topo maps with everything that is mapped by the BLM (trails for off road driving, hiking, camp grounds, etc...) they also allow you to overlay sattelite images over these for a hybrid image. It can be handy in areas where sometimes the trail may be difficult to see because then you can see refrence points as well. It can also do the bread crumb trail. If you like to take pictures you can also tie them into your GPS and map where each picture was taken. They sell the mapping software on it's own and it is quite popular and since then they have made a GPS that uses it as well. I am waiting for 10/15 for the new GPS units to come out from them because they are much faster than the previous ones, and can handle and SD card up to 20gb.

[rwamf]

GPS units are only as good as the software they run. Good software equals a good GPS. From my experience Garmin makes the best software so I believe Garmin to be the best GPS out there. I'm not talking about "on road" but "off road".

Sorry GARMIN does not make the best software, there Topo sucks, It is getting better but it can not compare to the Topo from Delorme or Lowrance,
The Jeep Trail guide is very lacking for off road use also, it is a Garmin Quest and the suck for off road, You can not load tracks into it and it's receiver is not very good compared to the Garmin 60/76cx series. Garmin is coming out so many new units that you can hardly keep track. Garmin makes too many, and most are dumb'ed down and are losing real GPS features for off-road use.
Here are Screen shots and as you can see you can't see roads worth a damm on the Garmin
http://rwamf.com/xog/Delormetopo7.JPG
http://rwamf.com/xog/mapcreate.JPG
http://rwamf.com/xog/Garmintopo.JPG
I will getting the Delorme PN40 as soon as it is released, you can have Topo maps, Sat images, aerial photos, and USGS quads, all down loadable for a yearly subscription of only $30, very cool, and Delorme GPS's are the only ones where the maps look the same on the GPS as they do on the PC screen.http://delormegps.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/pn-402.jpg?w=221&h=467 (http://blog.delorme.com/category/pn-40-news/)
I wish it had a larger screen.

so It won't be on the dash of the Jeep but it will be with me, for now I will still use my Lowrance XOG,
http://rwamf.com/JK/xoggps4.jpg

[senor tortuga]

cool!! Thanks for the input.

[bofer84]

i to am running the xog. Just got it about a week ago and its perfect. cant wait to get the mapcreate7

[JeepinMass]

I've got a PN-20 and I can agree with the people above. Delorme maps are so much better then Garmins maps. My PN-20 is awesome, I can't imagine how amazing the PN-40 is!

[MaloCS]

I just finished reading up on the Delorme topo software and I have to agree, it is a pretty slick piece of software. My only question is, do they make stand alone units like Garmin does? I'm not talking about laptops or hand helds but units like the Garmin nuvi. I guess I'm just confused how that cool software is going to aid me when I'm out driving back country trails.

Please advise. :)

[rwamf]

I just finished reading up on the Delorme topo software and I have to agree, it is a pretty slick piece of software. My only question is, do they make stand alone units like Garmin does? I'm not talking about laptops or hand helds but units like the Garmin nuvi. I guess I'm just confused how that cool software is going to aid me when I'm out driving back country trails.

Please advise. :)
Right now they only make 2 GPS's the PN-20 and the Soon to be released PN-40, yes they are handhelds but they do 1000 times more than any NUVI, If you want a street unit then get a NUVI , they SUCK for off-road, The whole NUVI line is a dumbed down GPS, too much foo foo and not enough substance for the real off road user.
http://delormegps.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/pn-402.jpg?w=221&h=467

[MaloCS]

If you want a street unit then get a NUVI , they SUCK for off-road, The whole NUVI line is a dumbed down GPS, too much foo foo and not enough substance for the real off road user.
http://delormegps.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/pn-402.jpg?w=221&h=467

This is where I disagree with you. Certain Garmin models allow for the ability to load topo maps into the unit. This gives the user the ability to track themselves while off road on a unit that provides a bigger screen then the hand helds that both companies offer.

It's my opinion that a GPS truly shines when it is in an off road situation. I just don't see the benefit of using one while I'm tooling around town running errands. Maybe if I'm in a strange city but that is uncommon as I rarely spend large amounts of time outside of my home town of Denver.

For me, a GPS needs to have a large full color screen, it needs an external antennae connector, it needs an auxiliary power connector and it needs to have the ability to load external software. If the package I'm looking at does not offer all of the above then the unit is not for me. I just don't have the need for a unit designed for hiking as the screen is way to small to reference with a quick glance while driving.

The Delorme topo maps appear to be of very high quality but if they cannot be used in a unit that offers a large screen for road navigation then it's my opinion that it's utterly useless in a Jeep. In contrast, the Garmin units provide a large full color screen AND the ability to use quality off road topo/recreation maps. They may not be as pretty as the Delorme maps but the have the same information, and in the 6 years I've been using them, they have never let me down.

I do agree with you though... the Delorme maps are pretty slick and seem to offer a wealth of information. If only that map information was accessible in a more driver friendly package.

:)

[JeepinMass]

This is where I disagree with you. Certain Garmin models allow for the ability to load topo maps into the unit. This gives the user the ability to track themselves while off road on a unit that provides a bigger screen then the hand helds that both companies offer.

It's my opinion that a GPS truly shines when it is in an off road situation. I just don't see the benefit of using one while I'm tooling around town running errands. Maybe if I'm in a strange city but that is uncommon as I rarely spend large amounts of time outside of my home town of Denver.

For me, a GPS needs to have a large full color screen, it needs an external antennae connector, it needs an auxiliary power connector and it needs to have the ability to load external software. If the package I'm looking at does not offer all of the above then the unit is not for me. I just don't have the need for a unit designed for hiking as the screen is way to small to reference with a quick glance while driving.

The Delorme topo maps appear to be of very high quality but if they cannot be used in a unit that offers a large screen for road navigation then it's my opinion that it's utterly useless in a Jeep. In contrast, the Garmin units provide a large full color screen AND the ability to use quality off road topo/recreation maps. They may not be as pretty as the Delorme maps but the have the same information, and in the 6 years I've been using them, they have never let me down.

I do agree with you though... the Delorme maps are pretty slick and seem to offer a wealth of information. If only that map information was accessible in a more driver friendly package.

:) Do you really need a large screen when you're offroad. I've never missed a trail or anything when using mine. I just glance at it and have the distance set to whatever I want. With satellite imagery I can actually see an overhead view of where I am.

Also because the PN-20 uses AA batteries I can easily take it in the woods with a spare set of batteries. You can't do that with a nuvi.

The PN-20 was most certainly a GPS made for outdoors type people. From tide charts to trail rides you can easily take this along on a week or weekend trip and not miss anything.

[somewhereinla]

The problem with big screen is that they require more power and thus less battery life. For me the perfect GPS is a GPS I can use for hiking as well as my offroad needs. The Delorme PN series or the Garmin Colorado series are the perfect size. The garmin have preloaded maps which I like but the Delorme has better maps, which I prefer. At the end I really believe you need 2 gps, one for your daily city needs and one for your outdoors needs. Also being a scuba diver, I strongly believe in redundancy.

[MaloCS]

Do you really need a large screen when you're offroad. I've never missed a trail or anything when using mine. I just glance at it and have the distance set to whatever I want. With satellite imagery I can actually see an overhead view of where I am.

Also because the PN-20 uses AA batteries I can easily take it in the woods with a spare set of batteries. You can't do that with a nuvi.

The PN-20 was most certainly a GPS made for outdoors type people. From tide charts to trail rides you can easily take this along on a week or weekend trip and not miss anything.

YES! ABSOLUTELY! A large screen to reference while driving off road is paramount. If you've never had that ability be prepared to upgrade your hiking model once you finally get a taste of topo/recreation maps in an off road environment on a large screen.

My first GPS was a Garmin black and white hiking model. I had the "Roads & Recreation" software package installed and a pretty cool dash mount. The unit was totally useless to reference while driving and trying to locate a way point or trail head. You just couldn't see enough detail on that tiny screen. In fact, it got to the point where I had to teach my wife how to operate the GPS so she could act as my navigator in most off road exploration situations.

After only 1 wheeling season with the hiking GPS model I saved up my money and purchased a unit with a full color screen which was twice as big. Talk about being in heaven, I now had the ability to track my own bread crumb trails, reference way points and decipher the elevation values on the topo maps. I didn't even have to remove the GPS from it's dash mount like I had to with the hiking unit.

In fact, after 4 years of using this unit I'm in the market to upgrade even further. Instead of a 5.5" screen I want a 7" screen with the ability to load topo and recreation map software. I don't want or need the standard P.O.S. software that comes with GPS units today. I have no interest in finding the nearest McDonald's, I just want a way to locate my geographical location while I'm 60 miles from nowhere in the back country of Colorado.

It sounds like you get out there while on foot so the hand held hiking unit would fit your needs perfectly. I don't hike when I'm exploring the back country, I drive. Therefore, I need a unit that is large enough for me to safely reference while I'm behind the wheel. Big, bright screens are a must. If I ever need to get out on foot I still have my Garmin hiking unit that will get me home safely.

:)

[MaloCS]

The problem with big screen is that they require more power and thus less battery life. For me the perfect GPS is a GPS I can use for hiking as well as my offroad needs. The Delorme PN series or the Garmin Colorado series are the perfect size. The garmin have preloaded maps which I like but the Delorme has better maps, which I prefer. At the end I really believe you need 2 gps, one for your daily city needs and one for your outdoors needs. Also being a scuba diver, I strongly believe in redundancy.

This is why I said my perfect unit has the ability for auxiliary power. Keep in mind that my requirements for a GPS are different then yours. Any GPS I buy is meant to be a driving aid and that's it. It's not meant to detach from the vehicle so I can hike or mountain bike or whatever. If I ever find myself in that situation I'll open up my glove box, dust off my hiking GPS and proceed on my way.

:)

[somewhereinla]

Definitely, auxiliary power is a big one, no doubt.

[rwamf]

Garmin units suck for minor road detail at zoom levels higher than .5 mile, as soon as you zoom out you loose detail, With Lowrance you can zoom out to 15 miles and still see minor road detail, yes very cluttered in a city but great out in the sticks, very handy when out exploring and you are in a remote area and want to see where a road goes before heading down it. plus they have higher resolution screens, My Lowrance handheld has a 2.8" diag screen with 240x320 resoultion, Compared to Garmins most popular 60/76 series that only have a 2.5"screen with 160x240 resoultion.
Resolution and zoom levels are very important when exploring
Big screens are nice no doubt but the quality of the map , functions and features like Tracking is a must, Garmin units only allow you to save 20 tracks with only 500 points in each track ( lees point = less resolution)
Lowrance lets you save up to 100 tracks @ up to 10,000 points per track
Garmin allows you to save full resolution track to the SD card but won't let you import them back into the unit from the card, Stupid
Delorme has by far the best maps, and with there new download service you can have Satellite images, Aerial Photos, USGS quads and your Topo maps all in there at once, and can switch between layers, They also let you save full resolution tracks, Delorme is also the only one to let you add data to the maps, Routable roads and trails, Also you can save draw layers on the PC and load them into the GPS as another layer on top of what ever map layer you are viewing, Very nice feature. So you can save all your tracks as draw layers and have them all in your gps.
So what good is a big screen GPS if you don't have great funstions or data on it.
I have a Lowrance 600c 5" high res screen, 640x480 has both up to date NavTeq street data and complete US Topo maps built in. but find my 3.5" screen XOG (320x240) used in the Jeep most of the time.
And if I have need for bigger I can use my Lil' SONY VAIO with a 10" wide screen and Run Delorme Topo or Delorme Street Atlas on it, I have a small USB mouse GPS.

[33 williys 77]

Auxiliary power is a big one, I have a 12v auxiliary battery W 1 3/4" H 3" L 4" and it runs my XOG for days.

The XOG is a crossover, and with mapcreate7 it is the best for me, and I have had them all too, from Magellen,Garmin, Delorme.


33
:)

[senor tortuga]

Right now they only make 2 GPS's the PN-20 and the Soon to be released PN-40, yes they are handhelds but they do 1000 times more than any NUVI, If you want a street unit then get a NUVI , they SUCK for off-road, The whole NUVI line is a dumbed down GPS, too much foo foo and not enough substance for the real off road user.
http://delormegps.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/pn-402.jpg?w=221&h=467

So how much does this item cost with software?

[mikejwil]

So how much does this item cost with software?

The latest news on the DeLorme blog is that it will come out 10/15 at a price of $399. There is also a special edition with more internal memory for $499.