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Does anyone know the best GPS for off road? I have been told some have the dirt roads and off road trails already on them, does anyone know which one is best? The people at my local Best Buy did not have a clue.

Also, what is a good communication device in case of trouble or to talk with others? I dont own nor want a cell phone and I would think the CB radios are out dated, but I could be wrong.

Try REI if you have one, or some place that sell ropes and maps. They'll know more than best buy. There are subscription-based satellite beacons that are probably the best and most reliable. Some of these have text messaging ability. I think I found those at cabellas actually.

I have an old Garmin 276C and I like it for two reasons: 1) it can run from 24/28V directly, and can display the voltage (free voltmeter). 2) I bought and can load topomaps which has the most information that I've found on the trails, streams, elevation/contour lines, etc. that are not part of "normal" roads. The screen is big enough, bright, and can be configured in thousands of ways with dozens of different types of data fields (want to know your vertical speed? Want to know the current accuracy of your position? It has these and more).

The downside is that it requires Garmin specific memory cards and can only use 256k maximum, so you won't get all of CA streets and topo at the same time. I have to update what is loaded depending on where I'm planning to go.

It's never died, so I'm still using it. I don't know what I'd replace it with if it did; I'd have to have something that I could load the topo maps into as I couldn't live without them off road.

likewise I use a Garmin 176C (predecessor to the 276) and love it. If you look at small aircraft it seems to be the unit of choice. Easily accepts updates and maps can be loaded as needed. I have three of the units with bases in each vehicle along with a portable base. The unit will also run on AA batteries and a small antenna so you can take it from the vehicle and still track where you have been or want to go. I have had one of the motherboards fail in the many years I have used them in my pinzgauers and that was really an easy fix. If I had to choose another I would go with the more modern Dezl 760lmt unit that garmin offers. This is because it has alot of the same features but a 7 inch screen and will accept most backup camera video input.

Mobile comms is still best with the trusty CB radio. So many people have and use them offroad that you can almost always reach someone. We have been on outings where it was difficult to find an open CB channel. You can get a small handheld ham unit if just used for emergencies. It is not legal to use ham radios for normal comms without a license.

No GPS has accurate 4x4 trails already on them unless the topo maps happen to show a trail that's still open. They change so much there's no way to keep it all organized or updated.

The cheapest way I know of to get a modern, ready to go "off-road" GPS is to go with a Garmin Montana. I want one because you can upload actual satellite images into it so it turns into a sort of moving google maps, plus it has topo's built in. The screen size is much bigger than most handheld class GPS's too. There are people using laptops and pads with GPS added on, etc. but that is a can of worms that isn't worth opening for me personally. Purpose built systems seem to always work much better in the end, just like iPhones vs. GPS for getting around town... there's no comparison.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the- ... 75228.html

I use an old laptop and a USB GlobalSat GPS while I run Maptech Terrain Navigator (MyTopo) USGS topo map software. I find my method to be perfect for many reasons. First is that I have the actual GPS antenna mounted on the roof antenna mount for best signal, second is that since I just use an old cheap laptop, I really don't worry about the abuse of the trails and it's plenty capable to run the software.

Another reason I like it is that it's so much easier to navigate when you are looking at a 15" screen while driving. As far as trails not being marked on the old USGS topo maps, everytime it appears that I'm going on an unmarked trail, I use the "record track" feature and then I save it as a layer on my map, permanently marking it. I doubt I'll ever go back to the small gps units for navigation except for the fact that they may be more convenient for road driving.

I'm planning on upgrading to a tablet pc with a touchscreen soon. The only downside is that Maptech got bought out and the new company that owns it raised the prices on the software beyond what I consider realistic or practical. Luckily I already got all the states I needed before the price hike.

If you have a smart phone or tablet, you might consider an app called MotionX GPS.
You download the maps in advance (free) and you can use it even when there is no cell signal. It uses the GPS chip in the device to locate you.

It is inexpensive, and if you use it for a while you will have a good idea of what you want when you go shopping for a dedicated device. I got the app with this strategy in mind, and I have not felt the need to buy a dedicated device yet.

http://www.motionx.com

MotionX is pretty sweet and the ability to DL maps for offline use is a big plus. However, you better have a charging cable handy as it will burn through your battery running in GPS mode.

Yup, I keep it continuously plugged in while using it.

Sometimes I've used it on my iPhone while hiking, you have to be careful to turn it off while not using it.
I'm thinking about getting one of those solar chargers that go on your backpack.

i find the garmin vista hcx to be adequate.

Wish there is a android based solution - just have not researched enough..

I use a Garmin NUVI 2557LM that was on special at Costco for $99. I loaded my Topo US 24K Southwest maps onto a micro SD card and it reads them fine (I also added PLSS and SMA maps). The base map that comes installed is detailed enough to route on forest service roads in my area. It acquires sats quickly and seems to be very accurate, too.

As far as durability, that is TBD. So far, so good.

PLSS = Public Land Survey System (Township, Range, Section ID)
SMA = BLM Surface Management Agency (identifies public land, state trust land, private, etc)

I've been using Garmin products exclusively for about 15 years.

Hi guys,
Here in Australia there are quite a few people using this system. http://www.hemamaps.com.au Mapping and it's own hardware/software system. Only heard good things about it but I don't think it's available for the USA.

I have an old Garmin Nuvi 1490T with an SD card. I'm currently using a Garmin Nuvi 3790T with an SD card. I bought both the Garmin West and Southwest 24K topos and selected what area I wanted on the GPS. I use Basecamp on my PC to put in waypoints and routes and load them on my GPS.

It has worked very well. I like having the big screen compared to a handheld.

There are some areas I've gone where the Garmin 24K maps don't show the off-road trail. But for the most part, the off-road trails are shown.

I use these for normal street GPS as well. A good combination.

The problems with Garmins with built in topo's is they're not 24K and don't show the detail you want.

Since this thread has been resurrected, I will toss in my .02 which has worked for me. I use a "bad elf" for the gps and use my iPad as the display. On the iPad, I use motion-x as the gps software. It has worked great for me. I load maps before a trop and it will take prebuilt gps tracks. The extra screen real estate and non tethered nature allows me flexibility in location and allows me to stay focused on the trail better. The iPad is in a RAM mount.

bbolander wrote:I have an old Garmin Nuvi 1490T with an SD card. I'm currently using a Garmin Nuvi 3790T with an SD card. I bought both the Garmin West and Southwest 24K topos and selected what area I wanted on the GPS. I use Basecamp on my PC to put in waypoints and routes and load them on my GPS.

It has worked very well. I like having the big screen compared to a handheld.

There are some areas I've gone where the Garmin 24K maps don't show the off-road trail. But for the most part, the off-road trails are shown.

I use these for normal street GPS as well. A good combination.

The problems with Garmins with built in topo's is they're not 24K and don't show the detail you want.

Garmin has replaced the Nuvi with the new Drive units. Not sure if Drive supports topo maps so I just bought a remaining Nuvi 2589LMT from Best Buy to replace the old 1490T.