Which TOPO Map for Garmin

[robie]

I bought a new Garmin and need to purchase a topo map for it.

I hunting Colorado this year in an area where I don't need to worry about public land boundaries.

Would you guys recommend getting the onXmaps, the Garmin Topo us 24k Southwest sd card or should I just download this: Colorado Topo 2011 Garmin Compatible Map - GPSFileDepot

Or is there a better option out there?

I would prefer to wait until I hunt an area with land boundary issues before I purchase an onXmaps to avoid paying for upgrades. But if they are worth the cost I'm fine with it.

 

[robie]

Just saw the onXmaps Roam as an option as well - Amazon.com: ROAM by onXmaps - 2015 Rockies South 24k Topo Maps for Garmin GPS! Recreational Outdoor Adventure Map - Covers Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona (micro SD/SD Card): Sports & Outdoors

 

[OG DramaLlama]

Currently, I use the BirdsEye TOPO-

BirdsEye Satellite Imagery | Garmin

It has a $30 annual subscription fee which irritates me a bit but so far it has been really useful as I tend to look at a lot of different areas. The biggest benefit to me is the integration with BaseCamp and Google Earth. For example, prior to a scouting trip I will scour Google Earth and transmit areas to check out to my handheld. When I get back it is easy to turn around and send all the waypoints and tracks back to google earth as well. Basecamp stores all of the information for me so if I am headed to an area that I haven't been for awhile it is just a couple clicks away.

Haven't been in a situation where the landowner information was worth the extra cost.


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[xziang]

I too have used and did use Birdseye Imagery. I was able to download a bunch of areas to my multiple microSD cards to plug into my GPS and did that for the first couple years. I have recently let my subscription lapse for once I downloaded all the areas I needed I just didn't need to use it anymore.

Another option is the Huntsview Map from Garmin which I like for I didn't/don't have to worry about popping a different SD card in for a new area. I still haven't used it exclusively but if plan A B and C doesn't pan out I like to know I have it I would like to use it.

I also don't need onXmaps for wehere I hunt is 90% public I would just like to sometimes see the Satellite Imagery when I'm killing time in the afternoon.


PM Sent..

 

[robie]

Thanks guys. I will check out Birdseye and Huntsview.

Good to hear the options available.

 

[Nuke Man]

I'm computer illiterate. The Birdseye program and Basecamp were very confusing and to me not worth it. I absolutely love the simplicity of slapping in an OnXMaps chip and hitting the mountains. I will print off certain areas from Google Earth or just screen shot them on my cell phone. Way easier than birdseye. For me anyway.

 

[xziang]

I'm computer illiterate. The Birdseye program and Basecamp were very confusing and to me not worth it. I absolutely love the simplicity of slapping in an OnXMaps chip and hitting the mountains. I will print off certain areas from Google Earth or just screen shot them on my cell phone. Way easier than birdseye. For me anyway.

Compiling birdseye onto multiple micro SD cards for use into my GPS took a bunch of time. For simplicity I would go to onXmaps or huntview (no experience with OnXMaps). I did the same thing and compiled a bunch of topo mops from bing/google and printed them off. I have also used mytopo to print maps out too however that does cost some cash to have printed.

 

[cornfedkiller]

I have the GPSFileDepot topo maps on my GPS for all the different states I hunt, and they seem to work pretty dang well, especially for free. Give it a try and see what you think - you have nothing to lose.

 

[BackcountryMT]

GPS file depot maps are usually pretty good, and free. I build my own topo maps through image overlays on GE. Buy the OnX chip for the land ownership but their topo is awful.

 

[nvgoosehntr]

I too have been using the 24k maps from GPS file depot then scout using google earth and save the waypoints as an overlay onto those maps - works great so far. Most of the free maps are from 2011 but they still work great.

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