In BaseCamp, if I have to select DIRECT as an Activity Profile in order to route to points not on a street, what is the purpose of the Walking / Hiking activity profiles?:confused:
Routing can only occur if the map you're using is routeable where you want to go, simply choosing a walking/hiking activity isn't enough. Which map are you using in Basecamp?
I have City Navigator 16.2 loaded. If I subscribe to topos and load, will that change how hike works or will I still need to use Direct? If it's relevant, I have a GPSMap 60SX and am contemplating purchasing a GPSMAP 64ST, but the issue is with BaseCamp, not the GPS. Silly me, I thought that a hike activity would default to direct - at least I don't 'hike' on roads. So what exactly is the purpose of hike/etc.
I have 3 different Garmin 24K Topo Maps. They have all the same roads and highways as City Navigator plus contours, plus some extra dirt roads and jeep trails, plus some hiking trails. All are routeable. BUT if you want to go where there are none of the above roads and trails you will still have to switch to Direct Routing.
Silly me, I thought that a hike activity would default to direct - at least I don't 'hike' on roads. So what exactly is the purpose of hike/etc.
No, direct is direct. Any other activity is one where Basecamp will attempt, using various settings some of which can be altered by the user, to route based on the routes marked as routeable in the map data. Note that some maps (eg the UK Discoverer series) don't contain any routing information.
Personally I always use direct when planning my hiking routes as I've not yet found a map that will route me the way I wish to go.
I have City Navigator 16.2 loaded. If I subscribe to topos and load, will that change how hike works or will I still need to use Direct?......
There are free 24K State Topos from GPSFiledepot.com. No need to subscribe. Most of them have hiking trails, but none of them are routable. I have found that auto-routing on anything but major roads and secondaries using CNNA is often not reliable. I may let CNNA route me on some dirt roads, but I ALWAYS check the route against a topo. I would NEVER let any routable map, Topo or otherwise, route me on a hiking trail, it is just too likely to lead you astray. I just make a track by hand 95% of the time on one or another type of Topo map in BaseCamp and vet it from other sources like hiking books and Google Earth. That way I know it's as close to correct as possible. Sometimes I download a track from a reliable source on the Internet, but I still vet it before trusting it.
The reason for being so careful is that I have 55 years of experience with paper maps and now digital maps....I have never seen one that did not have mistakes on it, occasionally BAD mistakes! Google Earth is the only true test of features on a map.... if it shows up on the satellite where you think it should be, you can believe it....unless there was a serious flood between now and the time the photo was taken....a very common occurrence out here in the West.
.... Silly me, I thought that a hike activity would default to direct - at least I don't 'hike' on roads. So what exactly is the purpose of hike/etc.
Some maps may have routable trails, forestry roads, bike trails, etc. Walk/Hike would take advantage of those. Direct Routing will always use a straight line from point to point and disregard any routable roads or trails that are in your map.
