What GPS do you use off road in Baja?

This past February I was on a surf trip throughout the 7 Sisters and became somewhat disoriented during a search for a particular point break due to my maps not showing the dirt roads. I ended up flagging down a motorcyclist who had a Garmin to become oriented. The Garmin view of the dirt roads in the area were amazing and I was bummed I did not have one at that point. As many of you know this stretch of land is not conducive to taking a few wrong turns without a ton of fuel on hand. I am sold on getting a GPS before our Thanksgiving trip and recently bought the Baja Almanac for backup.

So, what GPS's do y'all use for off roading in Baja? I am looking at a Montana 680t based on the two main differentiators compared to the 680.

thanks-Bryan

Quote: Originally posted by BajaGeoff

I recently got the LeadNav app for my iPhone. It's $20 and works great out in the boonies of Baja with no cel service. The app and a Baja Almanac would keep you pretty dialed in for cheap.

Thanks Geoff! That app looks awesome-I will try it out. Cheap is good and leaves me money to renew my BajaBound insurance I think we met in San Carlos last Sept. when you were on a trip with a bunch of Moto guys.

[Edited on 7-18-2016 by bryanmichaelmeyer]

if the guy can't plan his fuel burn i doubt a gps will help!

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW

Chose a GPS for your needs. If you want to make tracks to share. Or do you just want to make waypoints. Or do you just want a pretty map with your place on the map. Of course you can share waypoints and tracks with any, but with tracks every GPS uses a different format which means you have to depend on your computer in order to share with your friends. Now days you can put Google earth on some GPS's if you like that kind of picture. A GPS does not come with a background map so are you interested in turn x turn to find your way in the cities like modern autos have with their OEM navigation system. Or do you just want to find an follow the mostly back country roads. Or are you an race oriented guy like myself and Stuck. Garmin sells entry level units that have no map capability for a ridiculous low price. I have many Lowrance units and am happy with them all. I have found good maps for them. I also have several Garmin's and I have the low end and the high end. The high end has the same maps as my Lowrance. And the low end has nothing. I use my low end unit daily as part of my fitness program. It gives me speed, time and distance which is all I need (It is an etrex). Prices - High end Garmin Montana makes track, waypoints and can be loaded with excellent maps. Expect to pay 500-600+ with the accessories not including the maps. Prices for the Lowrance high end start at 500 for a typical 7" unit, but come with all you need except maps. Lowrance is difficult because you might get a marine unit and be very frustrated. They sell land units, but are very hard to find. Example - look at a Trophy 5M Baja which sells for 399. And buy Murdocknav maps for around 80. For the average guy I recommend the Montana in spite of the high cost. If you want something simple that has good map capability, then get a tablet and start accessorizing it. It will still work as a tablet, so its dual purpose and it is much easier to justify the expense. The main issue will be track sharing due to format differences. Most important of all, bigger is best. Now days I prefer my 7" Lowrance for very ease of viewing in my rig. For a newbie choosing a GPS is a pretty daunting task. Just like buying a computer the first time. Regardless before you buy signup to a forum for the brand you prefer and start reading and asking questions. BTW, I nave some pretty neat maps on my phone. an I can find my way in a pinch. Iphone or android availability. Hard to live with the small screen.

Quote: Originally posted by bryanmichaelmeyer

This past February I was on a surf trip throughout the 7 Sisters and became somewhat disoriented during a search for a particular point break due to my maps not showing the dirt roads. I ended up flagging down a motorcyclist who had a Garmin to become oriented. The Garmin view of the dirt roads in the area were amazing and I was bummed I did not have one at that point. As many of you know this stretch of land is not conducive to taking a few wrong turns without a ton of fuel on hand. I am sold on getting a GPS before our Thanksgiving trip and recently bought the Baja Almanac for backup. So, what GPS's do y'all use for off roading in Baja? I am looking at a Montana 680t based on the two main differentiators compared to the 680. thanks-Bryan

About the 7 Sisters area... maps are not so important because roads do change since they were printed. The Sisters are pretty much north-south (well actually NW to SE)... and if you want to go to the ocean and can't see it, you take a road going westward. If you want to get to Hwy. 1, go mostly eastward. Top your gas tank in El Rosario and bring 5-10 extra gallons. That will get you to Villa Jesus María Pemex or one of the vendors at Cataviña or Parador Punta Prieta, etc. after you have done some exploring.

The AAA map has mileages and that is helpful even if some of the roads are not shown or have changed.





Not shown are the roads from Chapala to just north of Punta Blanco and the road through from Bahía Blanco to Rancho San Antonio and a fork east of San Antonio that goes to Hwy. 1 about 7 miles north of the Bahía de L.A. jcn. (Parador Punta Prieta).

Roads to the Sisters have been on maps for over 50 years... Here is one from the 1962 Lower California Guidebook...

Quote: Originally posted by bryanmichaelmeyer

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW   Chose a GPS for your needs. If you want to make tracks to share. Or do you just want to make waypoints. Or do you just want a pretty map with your place on the map. Of course you can share waypoints and tracks with any, but with tracks every GPS uses a different format which means you have to depend on your computer in order to share with your friends. Now days you can put Google earth on some GPS's if you like that kind of picture. A GPS does not come with a background map so are you interested in turn x turn to find your way in the cities like modern autos have with their OEM navigation system. Or do you just want to find an follow the mostly back country roads. Or are you an race oriented guy like myself and Stuck. Garmin sells entry level units that have no map capability for a ridiculous low price. I have many Lowrance units and am happy with them all. I have found good maps for them. I also have several Garmin's and I have the low end and the high end. The high end has the same maps as my Lowrance. And the low end has nothing. I use my low end unit daily as part of my fitness program. It gives me speed, time and distance which is all I need (It is an etrex). Prices - High end Garmin Montana makes track, waypoints and can be loaded with excellent maps. Expect to pay 500-600+ with the accessories not including the maps. Prices for the Lowrance high end start at 500 for a typical 7" unit, but come with all you need except maps. Lowrance is difficult because you might get a marine unit and be very frustrated. They sell land units, but are very hard to find. Example - look at a Trophy 5M Baja which sells for 399. And buy Murdocknav maps for around 80. For the average guy I recommend the Montana in spite of the high cost. If you want something simple that has good map capability, then get a tablet and start accessorizing it. It will still work as a tablet, so its dual purpose and it is much easier to justify the expense. The main issue will be track sharing due to format differences. Most important of all, bigger is best. Now days I prefer my 7" Lowrance for very ease of viewing in my rig. For a newbie choosing a GPS is a pretty daunting task. Just like buying a computer the first time. Regardless before you buy signup to a forum for the brand you prefer and start reading and asking questions. BTW, I nave some pretty neat maps on my phone. an I can find my way in a pinch. Iphone or android availability. Hard to live with the small screen. thanks Paul for the help and and positive contributions to my search... You nailed it with the points above as to why I am looking at the Montana 680t. I'll check out the Lawrence land units and sign up for some forums. Cheers, Bryan

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

Trust me, it's a big waste of money for a dedicated GPS. The brightness, resolution, and touch screen of your phone is infinitely better than any GPS. There is that one guy who has all the dirt roads of Baja available to use as maps. I can dig it up, but if someone has a link they should post it. If those maps are only available for us on a Garmin that would be the "only" reason I'd go w/a dedicated GPS.

Trust me, there are compelling arguments for either option.

Bruce

[Edited on 7-19-2016 by mcnut]

[Edited on 7-19-2016 by mcnut]

Quote: Originally posted by mcnut

Quote: Originally posted by JZ   Trust me, it's a big waste of money for a dedicated GPS. The brightness, resolution, and touch screen of your phone is infinitely better than any GPS. There is that one guy who has all the dirt roads of Baja available to use as maps. I can dig it up, but if someone has a link they should post it. If those maps are only available for us on a Garmin that would be the "only" reason I'd go w/a dedicated GPS. Trust me, there are compelling arguments for either option. Bruce [Edited on 7-19-2016 by mcnut] [Edited on 7-19-2016 by mcnut]

Quote: Originally posted by RBoffroad

I use Motion X HD. A $3 app on an IPad Mini with a built in GPS. I then downloaded the Google Earth maps for all of Baja into the IPad. Allows you to see your position as If you were on Google Earth maps and you see all roads in High Def satellite view. You can mark as many waypoints as u like before u travel. We just did San Felipe to Cabo on ATV's and didn't miss a turn. You can also download others GPX tracks into it. The best $3 I ever spent. On another note, the Delorme In Reach paired to the IPad is great for satellite texting and and providing real-time position reports to family and friends.

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

Quote: Originally posted by mcnut   Quote: Originally posted by JZ   Trust me, it's a big waste of money for a dedicated GPS. Trust me, there are compelling arguments for either option. Bruce [Edited on 7-19-2016 by mcnut] [Edited on 7-19-2016 by mcnut] Give me some. It's old school thought that you need a dedicated GPS. Complete waste of $. [Edited on 7-20-2016 by JZ]