New to Base Camp. Map in BC is SO basic! How do I improve this?

Thank you Sussa!

Your info is helpful. I looked at the Garmin 24K topo for the region I'm interested in. They seem to be showing trails in this region that I can find nowhere else. This intrigues me! I'm a scrappy hunter when it comes to finding maps with the info I want. I will spend days strategizing my trips outdoors. In this respect, the $100 for the Garmin map is a low cost solution to getting valuable trail data.

Your reply is helpful. Based on your input, I now know that I can buy the map first, and use it in BaseCamp, without purchasing the GPS device (Montana) too.

My fear is that I cannot get the map data I want into the Montana. This is why I'm going about this from a "map intelligence" approach first. I've been in the wild with plenty of friends with Garmin's, and all they can do is show that we are a dot with GPS coordinates, with a hwy 25 miles away. They have not put the time into learning how to load detailed maps, and pre-plan a little. I'm convinced that this is best done on a desk/lap top, and not a Garmin device, or not on a phone. Build the map data on the desktop, load it into the device, go outdoors. That's the approach I want to master.

I'm learning to be a map maker - I think anyway. Base Camp was able to load a CalTopo map that like (KMZ file). It was also able to load a track that I built in Google Earth (another KMZ file). But building tracks in Google Earth is slow going! $100 for Garmin's 24k topo, WITH what looks to be some good track data, is cheap compared to the time I spend creating a track in GE.

Thank you Sussa! It's valuable to learn that I can purchase the Garmin 24K topo and use it in BaseCamp, and still hold off on purchasing the Montana.

I'm focused on learning to be a preparer of intelligent maps. I have several friends that bring their "dumb" Garmin's outdoors. Before I buy a device, I want to make sure that I can make data rich maps first.

I'm convinced that I need to prep the maps first on my desktop (Base Camp or possibly other), then load the device, then go outdoors.

I'm not sure about the 24K topo, but since most Garmin maps are registered to a device you can't buy those maps without one.
Another source for free maps: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl

Map choices

Hendricus, I am a bit of an OCD hiker when it comes to maps on my Garmin. I have the Garmin 24K Topo map, Garmin BirdsEye, free topo maps from gpsfiledepot.com as well as the OSM maps from http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl all installed on an add-on SD card. I use them all and I even switch back and forth while on the trails. I find that they all have different information, especially when it comes to trails.

Before I go out, I check the views in BaseCamp, which makes it easy to switch the display from one map to another. In some areas, the OpenStreetMaps actually have more of the trails than the other maps. The OSM maps also sometimes identify preserve boundaries, too. Sometimes the gpsfiledepot map will have trails that the other maps don't. And sometimes it's the Garmin map. Anyway, I highly recommend downloading and installing the other free maps that are available, in addition to the Garmin 24K map that you purchased.

....I'm convinced that I need to prep the maps first on my desktop (Base Camp or possibly other), then load the device, then go outdoors.

Yes, this is definitely the best way. Do all your fiddling with different maps in BC, then create a track based on the most likely trail information (sometimes verifying things with Google Earth, since ANY map you have is already out of date, and some of the free 24K maps by 30 years!)

I have had the Montana for 5 years now and love it for dirt biking, but now I mostly just use tracks to avoid the myriad problems associated with auto-routing. I just follow the red brick road. :) I'd say 95% of vetting my tracks is done on the GPSFileDepot freebies.

I'm brand new to Base Camp. I've yet to purchase a Garmin device. I'm headed for the Montana. I want to be able to prepare off road tracks in Base Camp. I want to get this side of things figured out before I purchase the Montana.

I've installed Base Camp. The map that loads is SO basic! It's useless for what I want to do. In the past I've been using the CalTopo topographical maps. Do I need to purchase a 24K Garmin topo map before I can do anything in Base Camp?

Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you.

- Henry

A couple of things you can do in absence of the Garmin maps. First is to make you own Google Earth KMZ maps from USGS topo maps. They can be loaded into Basecamp.

You can select current 7.5 minute quad maps here: https://mapsengine.google.com/10446176163891957399-07666890272208915310-4/mapview/?authuser=0

Or look up current and older or smaller scale topo maps here:http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(ctype=areaDetails&xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&carea=%24ROOT&layout=6_1_61_48&uiarea=2)/.do
The older maps have details, like trails, that the USGS no longer includes on the latest maps.

Another option is to see if the trail you are interested in is on Google maps. If it is, then it is routable for walking directions on Google Maps and that route can be converted on GPS Visualizer into a Google Earth KMZ file which can also be loaded into Basecamp.
The coversion page is here: www.gpsvisualizer.com/map_input
form=googleearth&trk_colorize=none&units=us&add_elevation=auto

GPX Visualizer and another free site called CalTopo can produce KMZ maps from various data sources for you from any GPX track you have or buy location. If you find either site useful make a donation to thank them.

While you are hiking, IME, the native .img maps are better than using a large number of .jpg based KMZ files, which tend to slow down the GPS.

Finally, once you have the track you want as GPX files, a older but functional freeware program called gpx2img can convert them to img maps and install them in Basecamp. http://www.gpx2img.com/
Registration for $20 removes the nag and adds some flexibility.