What do you use to plot your route for loading onto your GPS?

[vizzavona]

I just enter a few waypoints on the PC Memory Map 1:50,000....maybe half a dozen or so relevant to the walk planned.  Load them up to the Garmin GPS and into Waypoint Manager.  Basic 10 figure map references with the alpha for the 100 kls. area. When loaded up onto the GPS I can then fill in the extra details for the Waypoint.
They are on the Garmin as a standby if needed....if further extra waypoints are needed then I use the map on the GPS to plot these on the hill.  GPS in the rucksack if needed....the last thing that I want to do on most occasions is to walk with my head down looking at a screen.  Map and compass and now recently a phone with the 1:25,000 maps available for use. Struggling to get used to smartphone.
Map, compass and phone in the jacket pocket available for use.

[ninthace]

Funny, I am the other way around.  I set my GPS to ping as I approach way-points and the off-course alarm to tell me if I have taken a wrong turn.  That way I can just walk.  I will sometimes put 3 or 4 way-points close together if there is an easily missed turn coming up so I get an audible warning to look out for it.  That combined with the prior map reading while I am planning my walk means I often walk without referring to the map at all, let alone getting out the compass.  Likewise my GPS screen time is very short indeed.  The unit lives on my rucksack strap so it is a one handed operation to remove it glance at it and replace it.  Absolutely no question of walking head down as you put it nor walking along with a hand full of map.
I always hated having to faff with the map, unfolding it, refolding it, breaking my rhythm while I stop to work out wear I am, getting out of the map holder and refolding it when I go over the page etc. An even bigger nightmare if it raining or blowing.  I would say that having a GPS has markedly improved my walking experience.

[sussamb]

Agree with all of that, it's pretty much exactly what I do 

[Doddy]

+1 for Memory Map, on the odd occasion I needed help the Support was good and quick. I do  mostly print off my maps.

[NeilC]

walklakes.co.uk - free planner, requires registration to access OS 1:25k maps but it’s free and unobtrusive to do so.


I’ve always found basecamp a pretty horrible piece of software.

That's really good.

[Rob Goes Walking]

That's really good.

Second that. It's very simple but it does what it's supposed to, simply, and it's free. It's what I settled on for now.

[Bigfoot_Mike]

walklakes.co.uk - free planner, requires registration to access OS 1:25k maps but it’s free and unobtrusive to do so.

This may be a stupid question, but does this only cover the Lake District, or is it useful for elsewhere?

[Rob Goes Walking]

This may be a stupid question, but does this only cover the Lake District, or is it useful for elsewhere?

It's useful for elsewhere.

[Bigfoot_Mike]

It's useful for elsewhere.

Thanks Rob