Can anyone reccommend a GPS?

Mar 26, 2010 6 Replies

I'm in the market for a GPS that will show the best detail for back roads and old "woods roads" or trails. Does anyone have any opinions on what I should get? I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada, which shouldn't be an issue to a GPS but I hear some don't have much info north of 49, and some have issues with km's as opposed to miles. We like to use our Forrester to its full capabilities and get off the beaten track as much and as far as possible and often find ourselves on trails that should have a "Goats Only" warning sign posted.


I have never used one or even seen an automotive GPS operate - I'm a map guy, but willing to change. :)


My Tom Tom only rarely sends me down dirt roads, and when it does they are usually well-maintained "tertiery roads".

Now, my co-worker has a Garmin, and his regularly sends him down logging trails! ;)

I like Garmin and here is link to units with Canadian maps included:

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Haven't looked far into it but there are gps's for on road and hiking use. You may be stuck, but you'll know where you are at.

Thanks everyone - I think I found the one. The Garmin Nuvii 550 switches modes (auto-hiking-topo-marine). Should work for our little boat too.

thanks

I've got as Garmin that I bought for geocaching and hiking, then got the roads software for. I like it for hiking, but on roads it isn't that great since the directions leavea little to be desired. My version is a few years old, so they may have fixed this by now, but on mine it tells you to turn onto exit ramps with a 90 degree arrow, so you expect an inersection, then realize you just passed an entrance ramp. Oops. It only matters on roads that have a lot of little roads and exit ramps, which isn't common, but it's caught me out twice. Also I don't understand how it calculates the best route. On several occasions it has suggested a route complete with ETA. I have purposely went another way because of traffic or scenery and when it refigured the directions the ETA and total distance both dropped. This happened once when going east over the Tappan zee I then decided to take 95 to providence versus it's insistence to split and head north, then east on a longer route in both distance and time.

It works well enough though, and works great offroad.

Heh, my Garmin sent me down a dirt road through a farm on the side of a mountain in Tuscany a few years ago getting me back to Ugliano from Certaldo, but it did, in fact, get me back to the hotel. Interesting trip.

Jon

LOL! If you *WANT* to get onto goat tracks, you should be happy with your purchase! ;)

I like the Topo option, though. That could come in quite handy.

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