Author Topic: Totally new help please :)  (Read 6063 times)

Hikerwannabe

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Totally new help please :)
« on: 13:10:13, 29/08/17 »

Hi, I am an unfit 46 year old who would like to start some short hikes to see how I get on as I live near amazing countryside that I do not make the most of.
I have looked at the ramblers groups around me and most of the group walks are either during the working day (no good) or most of the day on a weekend (also no good as two kids at home so can't be out all day).
So I thought I could do my on little walks around here but I'm worried about getting lost.
So then I thought I could get a little GPS machine as my hone battery lasts about 35 seconds.
Are there machine that you can load up a route that you find online? I like to walk routes that have been planned by someone else.
I have looked at Garmin ones on Amazon but they say you can't upload routes?
Any advice greatly appreciated thanks :-)
PS we also like geocaching


DevonDave

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #1 on: 17:15:28, 29/08/17 »
Hi Hikerwannabe and welcome to the forum.  I would recommend installing Viewranger on your phone.  If you are concerned about battery life on your phone you can buy an external power pack such as those supplied by Anker. The Viewranger program is free to download and you can then either use the free maps that come with it, or if these are not detailed enough you can purchase additional maps from them.  You can then download various routes, some of which are free and some of which have a small charge.  It is then easy to follow your intended route without getting lost.
Viewranger's website is http://www.viewranger.com/en-gb
Hope that helps.

Bhod

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #2 on: 17:41:39, 29/08/17 »
Most Garmin GPS will allow uploads of GPX route files.
I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake.

John Walker

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #3 on: 20:27:58, 29/08/17 »
Welcome from Twickenham.  I would also recommend using the ViewRanger app on a mobile phone (it might be worth buying a replacement battery if your phone battery lifetime is so short).  I believe it is the case that having your GPS location turned on is quite hungry for battery power but in my experience a smart phone battery will last maybe 8 hours if it's in reasonably good health.
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gunwharfman

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #4 on: 20:32:57, 29/08/17 »
Welcome from Old Portsmouth. Another suggestion. Download 'Wikiloc', the cost is about £2.50 for a year. This app is all about people that have walked a particular walk, you can then follow easily, I've done it a lot. Just type in the name of the village, town or place, hit Go and loads of routes will pop up on screen, very simple and effective.

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #5 on: 22:01:34, 29/08/17 »
First port of call, is to log in to Dash4Its main website, and buy both the Explorer and landranger OS map of your area.

Even without any knowledge of ones locality, when can look at the maps, and see whats on offer.

Do not be worried about getting lost, as long as you have told someone roughly where you have gone, and you have a mobile phone handy, getting lost will be an adventure in itself.

Its obviously better to walk in company, but some of us prefer to go it alone, which includes me.

Get your latest OS maps, and plan a route that looks exciting.

Its ever so easy to stay at home thinking about the great outdoors, and however short your first number of walks turn out to be, your making an effort.

Go for it, and have a great time in the process.

sussamb

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #6 on: 06:52:25, 30/08/17 »
Since the OP also mentions geocaching a Garmin GPS also allows geocaches to be uploaded and logged for later downloading to geocaching.com
Where there's a will ...

White Horse Walker

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #7 on: 14:30:51, 30/08/17 »
When we first started walking we bought the AA book of walks for our area and they all worked out really well - we also had the relevant maps but this was way before GPS and fancy phone apps. I think you can get them online too and print off.
We then joined WalkingWorld which has some free maps but only costs £18 for a year and allows you to download and print off as many routes as you like for all regions (and some overseas too). There are directions and maps - and you can also print off photos with the directions if you wish which can be reassuring.

I've used Viewranger to pinpoint where I am on a map recently and that was very reassuring. If you buy new maps you also get a free download for a phone app. If your phone would be up to that, it's useful for reassurance if not sure exactly where you are.


Happy walking.  :D
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Sue

BimblingBob

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #8 on: 16:40:21, 02/09/17 »
Hi, I am an unfit 46 year old who would like to start some short hikes to see how I get on as I live near amazing countryside that I do not make the most of.
I have looked at the ramblers groups around me and most of the group walks are either during the working day (no good) or most of the day on a weekend (also no good as two kids at home so can't be out all day).


How do!  I'm a very unfit 40 year old and recently took up walking recently.  I'm in a similar boat, have amazing countryside but never really take much advantage of it (even though I moved here specifically to do this) so 5 weeks ago said I'll do 1 mile or 30 minutes every.single.day.


Did I stick to that?  Did I hell!  I did however end up doing more on each walk and reasonably often; I get a quick walk (probs 40-50mins) five days a week.  In five weeks I've gone from 'oh my god my neuropathy is destroying me after a mile' to hey a mile is easy lets do two or three or over 7 today.  Some days I'm really not feeling it, some days I'm loving it.


My advise would be to look at bing maps, stick it in Ordanance Survey mode and look for the pink dashed lines then built a route out of those.  I use Strava in run mode or MapMyWalks to figure out a rough distance then go from there.


My local loop is about 2 miles and thats gone from an hour to 30 minutes in no time at all. 


Best of luck to you chap :-)

BB

PS. I agree about the Rambler walks.  They seem insane to me right now but one day Gadget, one day! 
« Last Edit: 16:45:34, 02/09/17 by BimblingBob »

Mel

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #9 on: 21:56:31, 02/09/17 »
When we first started walking we bought the AA book of walks for our area and they all worked out really well


Same here but more for walks a little further afield - this was before the days of me being able to read a map.


Hikerwannabe - have you had a look at your local council's /local authority website?  They usually list a few walks in the local area - quite often with a map and route description to print off.  Another idea would be to look at walks around reservoirs - they're usually easy to follow paths and a great start to building confidence on "getting out there".

Armchair Hiker

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #10 on: 18:48:19, 05/09/17 »
Buy the Ordnance Survey 1.25000 and/or the 1.50000 maps for the places you want to walk first before getting into a little gps machine to be honest, they are cheap online from dash4it or Millets have had them for £5.80 for most of summer, and learn to read those then get a gps device, id say just use your phone at first then splash out on a gamin even using one of that you still need to know what means what! Spending time " Studying " those will be a great help, they make good reading material :)


My 3 local ramblers only run trips on sundays, but you can try one or two trips if you can spare the time who knows you might meet another local person in the same boat as you :)


fit old bird

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #11 on: 11:41:20, 07/09/17 »
I buy OS maps from WHSmith, and I borrow them free from my library. Old fashioned walker here, love reading paper maps.


Ilona

Forkbeard

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #12 on: 10:28:50, 08/09/17 »
Hi hikerwannabe, there are indeed plenty of GPS devices that you can upload walks to via .gpx files for example. The Garmin etrex 20 and 30 will do what you want, but the etrex 10 won't. They are ideal for geocaching too. As has been mentioned, there are mobile that you can use as well, but there are a few advantages to using a dedicated GPS; they are more robust, more water resistant (although some phones are catching up), the batteries last longer and are easily replaceable (take normal AA) and less role to atmospheric pressures such as extreme temperatures - some phones really don't like cold, especially some of the more expensive aluminium bodied models and are prone to cutting out etc.
« Last Edit: 11:35:39, 08/09/17 by Forkbeard »

fernman

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #13 on: 10:43:14, 08/09/17 »
Don't know if anyone's noticed but the new member hasn't been back on since his/her first post on 29 August.
Could be on holiday I suppose, but beginning to look like another of Mel's displeasures.

Mel

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Re: Totally new help please :)
« Reply #14 on: 11:15:56, 08/09/17 »
Yes, I'd noticed fernman  :-X


I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt due to (like you say) holidays but I feel an Ignorant Newbie Hall of Shame topic coming on...

 

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