maps for gps unit?

[+blackoakred]

I am just getting started with Geocaching. I have ordered a Garmin extrex Venture cx gpsr and can't wait for it to get here. Do I need to also purchase topo maps or city/hiway maps as well? If so, what are the best for Geocaching? (Maybe I need the GPS for Dummies book.)

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[+briansnat]

Well you don't need the maps, but they make your GPS way more useful.

 

With topo maps you can see the lay of the land. It will tell you if there is a stream, cliff, hill, swamp, ravine, etc... between you and the cache and allow you to choose the best route. If you do a lot of hiking and geocaching in the woods, then Mapsource Topo is very useful.

 

With the road maps (Mapsource City Navigator V8) your unit will give you turn by turn driving directions to your destination. It also has a database of over 5 million businesses and services. If you want to know where the nearest gas station, hotel, post office, hospital, restaurant (listed by cuisine), museum, park, boat rental, shopping mall, etc... are the GPS will tell you where they are and how to get there. Neat stuff! If you really want to take full advantage of your unit, you will want City Navigator.

 

In an ideal world you'd run both on your unit. That's what I do. I had Topo first then received City Select (the precursor to City Navigator) as a birthday gift.

 

As to which is best for geocaching, you'd have to decide which kinds of caches you'll mostly be doing. If you are mostly prefer longer hikes to caches in the woods, Topo will be hard to do without. If you're mostly duing urban and suburban caches, then City Navigator is the better choice.

 

The unit comes with a base map but that is very basic and practically useless. It only has major roads and highways.

Edited October 24, 2006 by briansnat

[+rayrbrooks]

The Mapsource TOPO series is SERIOUSLY out of date. The topo data is still pretty good, but the rest of the features are about 15 years old. I purchased the latest version that Academy Sports carried and it was about 12 years out of date for my area. I use Delorme Topo for looking at possible routes to caches. It doesn't load topo data to my etrex, but it does at least have current information.

[Tahosa and Sons]

My preference is to stay away from TOPO maps on a GPS. But TOPO's made with Nat. Geo's TOPO and paper is the route for me. But I cache and hike in the back country and paper has many uses when going off trail.

[+Okiebryan]

I am just getting started with Geocaching. I have ordered a Garmin extrex Venture cx gpsr and can't wait for it to get here. Do I need to also purchase topo maps or city/hiway maps as well? If so, what are the best for Geocaching? (Maybe I need the GPS for Dummies book.)

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

 

Yes. Immediately order TopoUS from Garmin and send it to my address via Fedex Express.

That will be the best for geocaching.

[+blackoakred]

I am just getting started with Geocaching. I have ordered a Garmin extrex Venture cx gpsr and can't wait for it to get here. Do I need to also purchase topo maps or city/hiway maps as well? If so, what are the best for Geocaching? (Maybe I need the GPS for Dummies book.)

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

 

Yes. Immediately order TopoUS from Garmin and send it to my address via Fedex Express.

That will be the best for geocaching.

 

It is in the mail...

[+Team Merlin]

My Etrex legend C came with mapsource & it was OK, but left me wanting more. After hiking a mile down the wrong side of the river & having to track back, It would have been nice to have that river on my map! So now I have MetroGuide North America v8. Wow what a difference. It really helps for urban caching.

[+DaveA]

I don't find topo maps particularly useful on a gps simply because the screen is so small that you can't really see enough to use it for terrain association.

 

It can be helpful in that they usually show more information on off the road things like lakes, rivers etc. However this varies greatly.

 

I haven't checked for awhile, but last time I checked both Garmin and Magellan have let their topo products age for a long time. Their street software is updated more often and kept reasonably current.

 

I have both for my Magellan, but it is rare I switch to the topo.

 

I suppose if you got into really off road adventures (like miles from the nearest road) the topo information would be more useful. Still, I would not go into such a situation without an actual paper topo map that was as up to date as possible.

[+hikergps]

In my own humble experiences and opinion on things, one of these:

 

and one of these:

 

and mastering how to use them to plot a course will be way more enjoyable than a small, hard to read digital topo.

 

A compass and map are good things to know how to use anyway. Both are highly recommended for any backbacking adventure, daytrip or overnight. Most libraries or outdoor supply stores have good books on the subject.

 

I haven't had any experience with city/hwy mapping for gpsr's, but can see how it would come in handy for driving and roadside/urban caching.

Edited October 31, 2006 by hikergps

[+jackrock]

I am just getting started with Geocaching. I have ordered a Garmin extrex Venture cx gpsr and can't wait for it to get here. Do I need to also purchase topo maps or city/hiway maps as well? If so, what are the best for Geocaching? (Maybe I need the GPS for Dummies book.)

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

 

I bought the US topo 24k maps for my Etrex Venture Cx and am very glad I did. They are invaluable. There are many caches in the national forests around me and it really helps to know which side of the stream to look on or that there is a marshy area so maybe I want to approach from another direction, etc. I think the city maps would be useful but haven't sprung for those. I use a street map online to narrow down how to get to a cache in the city. One day I'll buy city maps as well though.

[+kohldad]

The unit comes with a base map but that is very basic and practically useless. It only has major roads and highways.

 

I find the base map extremely useful as all I really want to know is a major boundry. For me, part of the fun is trying to find the general location of the cache in the blind. Just relying on my memory of the roads and general layout. Yes, I may have to back track, spend more time looking for the general area, and such, but that's where the fun and finding the exciting things come from.

 

Each state I go to for a while, I buy the Delorme Detailed map. It's a nice detailed map. I then use it as a refence and the GPS for directions to the cache. When I get "lost", I can always use the GPS to find out where I'm on the map and go from there.

 

My suggestion would be go with the base map til you find out you actually want more detail on the GPS. Usually you only need the maps while in the car, so the bulk isn't as bad.

 

What would be better to spend your money on is a cheap PDA so you'll have the clues with you in the field.

[+blackoakred]

The unit comes with a base map but that is very basic and practically useless. It only has major roads and highways.

 

I find the base map extremely useful as all I really want to know is a major boundry. For me, part of the fun is trying to find the general location of the cache in the blind. Just relying on my memory of the roads and general layout. Yes, I may have to back track, spend more time looking for the general area, and such, but that's where the fun and finding the exciting things come from.

 

Each state I go to for a while, I buy the Delorme Detailed map. It's a nice detailed map. I then use it as a refence and the GPS for directions to the cache. When I get "lost", I can always use the GPS to find out where I'm on the map and go from there.

 

My suggestion would be go with the base map til you find out you actually want more detail on the GPS. Usually you only need the maps while in the car, so the bulk isn't as bad.

 

What would be better to spend your money on is a cheap PDA so you'll have the clues with you in the field.

 

I plan to stick with what came on the gpsr for a while, then decide. Thanks for all the help.

[+briansnat]

Here is an example of an area where I geocache not far from my home:

 

Mapsource CN/CS

 

Same area with Mapsource Topo

 

Same area with base map

Edited October 31, 2006 by briansnat

[+parker313]

I am just getting started with Geocaching. I have ordered a Garmin extrex Venture cx gpsr and can't wait for it to get here. Do I need to also purchase topo maps or city/hiway maps as well? If so, what are the best for Geocaching? (Maybe I need the GPS for Dummies book.)

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Here in Savannah, the land is so flat that a topo map isn't very necessary or very useful. However, there are several outer islands that are connected in only a couple of spots. So, for me, it made much more sense to get the road maps b/c even here in town there are places that you have to KNOW how to get to, can't just stumble on it.