How sad is it that I still use several 20+ year old "Guide to (insert state here) Backroads and 4WD Trails" type books. No downloads, just a pencil to make corrections or additions. Talk about tech-saavy-ness...

 

You can’t beat the analog system, it’s absolutely reliable. However, for myself at least, I’ve done enough of that mess in the military and the idea of using a paper map, compass, etc., makes me wanna puke. Haha... I’ll use screens and gadgets these days.

 

A lot of the places I've made videos of were initially found in decades-old guidebooks.

 

What ever off road navigation/ app/ gps gadget you use, it's a good idea to have a non electrical non computerized backup, I have used some of the Garmin handheld gps units that worked great, but I carried a compass with me too, I joke a lot about computerized navigation, and it does work very well, but I don't want to depend on just that

 

In the video linked above I recommend a couple things related to this. First, if you use a tablet for navigation, have the same app, maps and route installed on your phone as a backup. Second, carry a set of Gazetteers for the state(s) that you're in. I suggest buy them direct off the Garmin website, because anywhere else probably doesn't tell you if it's the current version or not. Garmin (owner of the publisher, Delorme) sells you the most current version. While a compass can be handy for orienting a map, it's best when figuring out where you are on that map if you can identify some landmarks around you. The Gazetteers are topo maps with lots of detail. Identify a distant feature, take a compass bearing off it, find that feature on the map, draw a line at that bearing to the road you're on, and you know pretty accurately where in the world you are. If you've gotten off the road and lost, then having feature detail will be more helpful than a simple road map (no topo markings). Topo maps may also indicate nearby water sources, should that be needed, and can keep you from taking a direction that is impassable due to some major obstacle (a steep canyon, for example).

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/575993

 

It is nice to have Googlemaps or similar for when you are 100 miles in and there s a fork in the road. Basically you follow roads and head towards the sun or away from the sun. My son is great at adding google waypoints on to his map app on his cell phone, which still works without coverage, and it gets down to 20yard accuracy. And up here you need that as trails are not marked and there is a left or right choice often on trails. Don't need all that fancy multi $100 stuff. Take a look at the Alexander Mackenzie Trail in British Columbia. That is what I am talking about - 280kms of mud, rivers, no roads etc - not much to go on there except past 4 wheelers logged files.

 

You mean Harbor Freight doesn't offer any sort of GPS systems?

My Pioneer head unit has a pretty decent nav system built in. Beyond that I have a Lowrance Baja 540 on a ram mount with a regional chip. It's nice as I can pull it out when I'm not out running around off the pavement.

in Baja HD