How much is too much?

[TheGetLostTaco]

Hello,

Longtime looker just now getting into the expedition scene. I have looked over this forum but have not found the answer to my question. Just wondering what everyone thinks about how many GPS devices is too much. I have my garmin 2797LMT for the road which can be fitted out with topo maps. I see from some peoples threads that they run either a tablet or laptop as well. What is the gain from that? I have a small SUV so space is limited when the wife is sitting shotgun.

TIA
Deryl

 

[1leglance]

screen size makes a huge difference offroad...
I use a 10in netbook and for glancing down & then back at the trail I am not sure I would go smaller than maybe 7in
Plus using a netbook gives me so much more than just GPS
PDF service files on my rig & equipment
web research saved before I leave home
music
videos
digital journal and photo/video backup
wifi web access anytime I get near a mcdonalds

I do keep a Garmin E series handheld as a backup & for hiking but really it is a gps puck and the netbook that is my primary off road nav setup

 

[98OzarksRunner]

screen size makes a huge difference offroad...
I use a 10in netbook and for glancing down & then back at the trail I am not sure I would go smaller than maybe 7in
Plus using a netbook gives me so much more than just GPS
PDF service files on my rig & equipment
web research saved before I leave home
music
videos
digital journal and photo/video backup
wifi web access anytime I get near a mcdonalds

I do keep a Garmin E series handheld as a backup & for hiking but really it is a gps puck and the netbook that is my primary off road nav setup

Yep. It's hard to see details on the small GPS so the tablet is nice (especially with my old eyes). But the tablet (using BCN) doesn't have all the goodies the Garmin does (restaurants, gas stations, etc., and directions for us men who occassionally need them) so it's nice to have that for road use.

 

[robgendreau]

I use a tablet and/or a laptop for so many other things. Not for navigating while driving although others like that. I use the GPS in mine more for planning say a hike from camp, or where to camp, or geolocating photos, or astronomy or whatever. And with something like GaiaGPS or PDF Maps I can have access to so many more maps than Garmin provides, at a lot less cost. Heck, even one of my cameras came with GPS. I could use it to find my position with a paper map in an emergency; some cameras even come with stored internal maps. GPS is just something that gonna be part of anything that can make use of your location. I imagine it will be built into many cars even independent of nav systems for data logging (your insurance company may be offering that).

So don't worry about it. They'll be all over the place soon enough.

 

[JHa6av8r]

I ended up with an iPad and Garmin GLO because I had the iPad so I thought I'd make it work for my off road navigation device. If I had a dedicated Garmin GPS, I would have tried to make it work first. I would suggest seeing if what you already have works for you first. The more important part, IMO, is being able to plan so you're familiar with the area when you get there. I plan from my PC, navigate from my iPad/Garmin GLO, and have paper and compass for backup.

 

[madmax718]

I use a on road vehicle gps for anything in the car- I dont' venture way off "unknown trails" in my vehicle enough that I have a need for a tablet/pc based unit. I use a garmin oregon 450 with topo and street maps. Its incredible battery life on common AA batteries as well as USB power input capability, SD card compatibility, and water resistance make it my choice. (mostly because off the beaten path means actually getting out of the vehicle for me.). It also makes navigating small towns in foreign countries easier as I am not confused by the street signs, and not reliant on other the air data. I've not found a phone of which I felt was a replacement for a real gps unit.

 

[RobRed]

I think a modern phone or tablet easily replaces a dedicated GPS for functionality.

Garmin, Magellan and others make complete software packs that have all of the POI etc as a resident download on the phone so no data connection is needed. It essentially operates as the stand alone does. The phones and tablet have so much more capability than a dedicated product even if we look at GPS only functions. I regularly run 2-4 GPS apps simultaneously on my iPad giving me capabilities and functions far beyond any dedicated hand held. Cases are readily available to protect the devices so even the "not as rugged" factor starts to diminish.

There are certainly circumstances and applications where a dedicated device make sense but I think those use cases are shrinking.