epurb

Here is the 129 message thread about 6.15.6. I have gone back to 6.13.7 and have no problems. (yet) Link to discussion of Mapsource 6.15.6

I fell victim to the "newest is best" philosophy. I upgraded to 2010.1. In part, because 2009 tried to lead me into national forest roads as the "quickest" route from Jacob Lake, Az to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. There has been a straight shot, major highway to the N. rim for years. I also am running Mapsource, 6.15.6. I'd like to go back to mapsource 6.13.5. Is it possible to keep both versions of Mapsource? How would I do that, and, if I install mapsource 6.13.5 will it work with my 2010.1 map? Thanks.

Like a lot of people, I've been wondering what the largest usable capacity memory card would be for my Vista HCX. The Garmin support says There are numerous user reports of successfully using a 4GB and even larger memory card in these GPSr. Is this latest software update Ver. 3.0 a go ahead to use the SDHC memory cards?

Probably for the same reason that Garmin units are still limited to 1000 Waypoints and 10,000 track points. Some things are too tightly ingrained in the code to change without blowing it all up. innovation in·no·va·tion \ˌi-nə-ˈvā-shən\ Function: noun Date: 15th century 1 : the introduction of something new 2 : a new idea, method, or device : novelty

Ain't that always how it happens! I got impatient and just ordered one online. Yours would have been perfect. Thanks

What I love most about getting out into nature is the ability to relax, leave behind my day to day worries, enjoy the fresh and and the exercise....yes the exercise.

I have a new Vista Hcx and have installed both Topo 2008 and City Navigator NT for my area, on a 1GB memory card. I was wondering how I change between the map programs while operating the VIsta? In other words, after I've gotten to a location by navigating with CNNT, I'd like to switch to viewing a topo of my location.

A tale of bears, guns and Alaska A man wakes up one morning in Alaska to find a bear on his roof. So he looks in the yellow pages and sure enough, there's an ad for "Bear Removers." He calls the number, and the bear remover says he'll be over in 30 minutes. The bear remover arrives, and gets out of his van. He's got a ladder, a baseball bat, a shotgun and a mean old pit bull. "What are you going to do," the homeowner asks? "I'm going to put this ladder up against the roof, then I'm going to go up there and knock the bear off the roof with this baseball bat. When the bear falls off, the pit bull is trained to grab his testicles and not let go. The bear will then be subdued enough for me to put him in the cage in the back of the van." He hands the shotgun to the homeowner. "What's the shotgun for?" asks the homeowner. "If the bear knocks me off the roof, shoot the dog."

I was doing a search on exactly that question, when I came across your post. I wondered what would happen if I tried a 4gb card in my Vista HCX. Thanks for your info. I still want to know why Garmin can't come up with a firmware flash that would allow us to use the entire 4gb for maps.

I love bear discussions. There is something about the image of being torn to pieces by a raging bundle of teeth and claws that takes us all back to some primitive fear. Wilderness, almost by definition, can kill us. Fortunately, for most of us, it wont happen. If it does, most likely it will be weather that does it, not a wild animal. When I have come across folks in trouble in the backcountry it seems they are mostly suffering from hypothermia, or dehydration, or both. When I have gotten into trouble, it has been one of those. If a polar bear wants to gnaw on me, he'll have to go through a great set of rain gear to get to me. I can't be called anti-gun. I have enough of them to be called an "enthusiast". I actually carried two of them when we were on Svalbard, in Norway. Just most of the time, I choose dry socks and a bit of extra food or fuel rather than my guns.

Me too. I'm trying systematic desensitization, beginning with the Avatar. Seriously though, after having walk/crawl out of the backcountry with a busted hip, I'm enrolling in a wilderness first-responder course. I keep remembering what it was like at the moment that I understood I wasn't able to walk, and I was 3 miles from the road. Now my pack looks like a battlefield trauma kit. Also, I carry more flashlights than I will ever need. Don't know what that says about me. There is being prepared, and then there is what I do. 99% of the time I won't need 3/4 of the gear I pack. Flying in to a camp is one way that I cut back on gear. The pilot weighs the stuff and after 50lb I have to start leaving things behind. It's 250lb max for passenger AND gear. I may have to go on a diet.

Thanks, you actually made it very clear to me, which is no small task. One additional question; can I carry various mapsets, pre installed on different memory cards?

I just bought a Vista HCX yesterday. It hasn't arrived yet. The one issue that I had with it is trying to see if there is a protective case that still allowed access to the side buttons. Other than that, I'm sure that it will do everything that I want it to do and more. Not to hijack the thread, but can anyone tell me the difference between a "map" and a "mapset"? The jargon is killing me.

It's interesting to see what we each carry within us in the way of fear, when we hike. Bears, homicidal humans, tsunamis, wild dogs, getting lost, cold, wet, hungry, lightning, the dark... If you were to pull out the contents of our packs you'd understand a lot about each of us. I'd be interested in what we each feel is our most pressing fear when we are out of our element. For city dwellers it's the bush, for rural folk it could be something lurking in the city. My pack usually looks like I'm getting ready for the "end of days". I'm often mistaken for a backpacker when I'm just out for a simple day hike on an established trail. Then again I've spent time hundreds of miles from any roads, and I've camped for weeks above the Arctic circle. I really can't say that I worry any less there than when I'm just 300 yards from the trail head, in a crowded national park. I've always made it back. At least I have so far. At some point, all the worry turns too excitement and wonder. "ain't life grand"

I am considering a "formerly owned" Vista HCX. It comes with City Navigator NT 2008 on the 2gb micro SD card. It was loaded from a DVD but the DVD is lost. Will I be able to upgrade to CN NT 2009?

I hate posts like this. Someone reads something and takes it as a fact. I wish I could remember where I read it, but does anyone here know anything about new map releases from Garmin coming out this month?

Reseller Ratings for CamerAddict.com is among the worst of any online store. Buying online can be a true money saver or it can be a 6 month ordeal trying to get your product or your money. Always a good idea to check out the dealer before the purchase.

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Yikes! I knew I would react this way. I am an addicted gear head. I decide that I should have a piece of kit and before I know it I am outfitted for Mt. Everest. I own a PDA (Axim X30H), a laptop (Fujitsu N3010), 2 desktop systems of my own making, a bluetooth GPS (iBlue 747), MAJA battery charger and about 10 rechargeable AA batteries, countless AA flashlights, and a digital camera that takes AA batteries. That is just the electronics and doesn't start to get into other outdoor gear. I feel like I will fit in here fine. I have only tried geocaching 3 times and each time I've managed to stumble onto the cache. The idea fascinates me, but I haven't really gotten the bug (no pun intended). The language of GC is a little opaque to me. I know "waypoint" from hiking, but it seems to be used differently in this context. Talking about the html parser in a unit means nothing to me. I use the PDA with the BT GPS and iGuidance 3.0 for auto navigation. If the Garmin units did voice turn-by-turn instructions, I might be tempted to buy the City Navigator maps, but I dislike having to watch the screen to navigate when driving.

I get lonely on solo hikes and have found the the iBlue 747 GPS receiver that is velco'd on to the bill of my hat is good for meeting folks on the trail. I have an antenna for it and have fiddled with it for a long time. I have never seen an appreciable difference in reception. Geek can be cool, if you can handle it.

I am shopping for a handheld unit to take on hikes. I've pretty much decided on the Vista HCX. I always get hit with after purchase expenses that I didn't anticipate. Say that I buy the Vista HCX and the Topo 2008 DVD, what else will be something that I wish that I had to go along with that set up? What did you get? What don't I need to buy? Thanks

I'm willing to hang out on ebay another week or so. These units pop up from time to time. I've just found this forum, so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask here too. I'll mostly use it for hiking Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and Utah. I've got my car navigation managed pretty well, I just thought I'd try to see what it was like to hike with a handheld GPS. If you have Mapsource TOPO 2008 software to sell, I'd consider buying the software separately. Thanks

Think about what our shoes are for. If you can imagine strapping pillows to your bare feet and walking, you might get the idea of what the trade offs are for "cushioned" foot gear. Comfy on hard ground, but at the expense of energy and using more muscles around your knees and legs in general, to keep stable as you walk. Then, imagine strapping a 2x4 on your feet...not as comfy but a more stable platform for walking on uneven ground. With hiking boots we are always trying to strike a balance between the costs of comfort and stability. When Nike first came out with their "air soles" it sounded like a miracle. Nike, was a Japanese company and simply designed the shoe for a small stature runner. I weigh 200 pounds and wear a size 13. In two weeks I was disabled with knee pain because I was using my leg muscles to compensate for the reduced stability of the shoe as I ran. From the Lowa website; Then there is the issue of how your foot actually meets the ground. It involves understanding Pronation and Supination and to some extent your posture. Some times because of the way your foot strikes a curved sole is preferred and other times a straight. If you know if you have excessive pronation or supination you are a bit ahead when you shop for your boots. here's a link to a page that might help. Shoe Analysis I see that you are in Silicon Valley. The San Francisco School of Podiatric Medicine used to do a free sports shoe screening once a month. It could be worth a trip if you feel you'd like to dig a bit deeper than a trip to REI. All this may seem like over kill. For most people it probably is way more information than they need or want. I'm just a curious guy about most things, and usually get myself in over my head.

If you live near a college of Podiatric Medicine, ask if they have a sports medicine clinic. If they do, see if they offer a free screening clinic. Then take the shoes that you wear the most with you when you go. They will be able to describe what kind of boot you should be looking for, if not suggest a particular model. Unfortunately, most sporting goods store , shoe sales people, only know what has sold well. Some of the better sales people will have been to the manufacturer's clinics, which try to educate them about boots, but will emphasize the advantages of their product line. Boots that have an EVA midsole material will break down quicker than boots with a polyurathane (PU) midsole. THe EVA boots will feel a bit cushier. How your particular foot hits the ground will be important in choosing the type of boot. You'll notice some boots seem to have a slight curve to the sole and others are straighter. That is not simply a cosmetic difference. It determines how your foot will meet the ground. The last of a hiking shoe, or boot, should be a board last, not a slip last. The board last is a single solid piece, and the slip last has a seam down the middle or across the footbed, between the ball of your foot and your toes. Board lasts are more stable and slip lasts are more flexible. Slip lasts are better in a running shoe or, if you have very stable foot placement, they can work in your hiking boots. Each manufacturer builds on their own idea of what a foot is. A size 13 from one company, is a size 11 in another. Some will have a wide toe box, and others a tighter toe box. If you will be back packing, you'll want a boot with a tougher midsole to keep from getting stone bruises on rougher trails. I have seen people limping out to the trailhead, in their stocking feet and their socks covered with blood. Your feet will actually be a larger size at the end of a long hot hike than when you began the hike. There is much to say about hiking boots and selecting them. The bottom line is, I believe them to be the single most important piece of outdoor equipment that you will buy, well worth spending time and money to get the pair that work best for you and for the type of hiking that you do. Whatever boots you decide on, a basic knowledge of foot care has to go along with them as well as just plain, "being in shape". I apologize for my mini rant. I have spent years looking for the perfect boots for myself. It is an ongoing process. I sometimes forget that there are people who would rather get boots that are sorta okay, and hit the trail. That works too. P.S. Don't get me started talking about socks.

I guess it comes down to whether the compass and altimeter are worth a few extra $$. Thanks for the good responses. they gave me what I wanted to know. Actually, I think shopping for this thing is taking on a life of it's own. I may go into a major depression after actually pulling the trigger on a decision. (humor, or at least an attempt)