Gpx on phone or buy a garmin thingy ?

[Sarah]

All

I am off to Spain in a week, ridingpart of Transandalucia route, Malaga to Gibralta. We are struggling to find good detailed paper maps and considering using the gpx files. Boyfriend wants to go on an ap on his phone, I am nervous about this and would feel better with a 'proper' gps device, no idea what tho; simple and reliable etc.

Recommendations please!

Sarah

[Bearbonesnorm]

My advice would be buy an eTrex 20 / 30 or Oregon and a suitable sd card from ioffer or download some maps of the web and put those on an sd card. Both work with AA batteries and are generally very reliable ... something the Edge series gps isn't always.

[Scattamah]

+1 for the Etrex20. Gets me unlost*.

Greetz

S.

* Yup...it's not a word...but it's accurate.

[Sarah]

Managed to get paper maps from incredibly helpful people at The Map Shop, I'm happy.

Bf has a new ap and maps downloaded on his phone, he's happy.

So the question remains, what is difference between fancy phone gps and a garmin type thing ? Better signal ? Functionality? Curious.....

[Bearbonesnorm]

what is difference between fancy phone gps and a garmin type thing ?

Battery life will be quite different between the two but for me, it's more about the fact that I don't have a phone

[padonbike]

The number one cause of Scottish mountain rescue being called out is people with "navigation apps" on phone who suddenly find they get up on a mountain with said untested app only to find out - quell surprise - that these toy apps don't work.
There's a good reason these gimmicks are free from the App Store, yet a decent Gps device is £150+ and that reason is that -give or take a few foibles- gps devices do actually work.
The principal way that they work is that they have much stronger reception to Gps signal than your phone which basically performs a lit of tasks to a mediocre level.

[Ray Young]

A GPS device will be waterproof, most phones aren't.

[Sarah]

Thanks for replies, we are taking real paper maps, I'm old school and love real maps , phone gps is a back up

Getting a solar charger, and waterproof case, even found there is a Decathlon near the airport so we can buy gas, and a stove if the uk one isnt compatible. Packing frenzy...

[fatbikephil]

+1 for ioffer for garmin maps. I guess they are dodgy (but work fine) however as Garmin charge such rip off prices for OS mapping my consience is clear. Garmins can and do croak however so paper maps are always a good bet regardless of what gadget you go with

[johnnystorm]

The number one cause of Scottish mountain rescue being called out is people with "navigation apps" on phone who suddenly find they get up on a mountain with said untested app only to find out - quell surprise - that these toy apps don't work.
There's a good reason these gimmicks are free from the App Store, yet a decent Gps device is £150+ and that reason is that -give or take a few foibles- gps devices do actually work.
The principal way that they work is that they have much stronger reception to Gps signal than your phone which basically performs a lit of tasks to a mediocre level.

OSMAND+ cost me 10p (special offer) on the Google play store and was far more accurate/precise on the TD than my Edge 810 was.

I suspect the same people MRTs scoop up off the hill with their phones would also need rescuing if smartphones didn't exist as they wouldn't bother to take a map/learn to read a map/engage brain.

[ScotRoutes]

I suspect the same people MRTs scoop up off the hill with their phones would also need rescuing if smartphones didn't exist as they wouldn't bother to take a map/learn to read a map/engage brain.

For many, it's the false sense of security that sees them carrying on when they'd otherwise turn back. There's been a long running discussion about the role of cairned paths and that they have a similar effect.

Unless you're taking two phones with you, MRT advice is to keep your phone warm, safe and in an inside pocket for use in an emergency.

[Gari]

I suspect that the false confidence thing could apply to folks with a GPS at times too, for much the same reasons johnnystorm mentions.
We often blame hardware when poor/no decision making is a more apt culprit.

[DoctorRad]

Never had a problem with and Android phone, OruxMaps, bootlegged OS or IGN (France) maps, as long as properly waterproofed and with an external battery pack. Admittedly, I'm still refining the solution, but it's pretty close now. I use these to mount the phone to the bars: http://road.cc/content/tech-news/193718 ... -your-bike

[Moder-dye]

I wouldn't slate mobiles for GPS so easily. I suspect mostly its user error from people ( possibly with poor apps) with questionable ability anyway. Whatever you use you have to use your head.

I've used an Xperia for mapping and GPS for a few years in the UK, Norway, Iceland and Greenland and it's been ace. I have a power bank with me, manage energy use and also have a cheapo £10 tesco pay as you go phone for back up.

At the moment I don't see the need or expense for a stand alone GPS for me. I can get OS maps, satellite imagery, cyclemaps and other national maps for free on my phone.