Recently joined the Garmin eco-system from Suunto and trying to learn my way around.
Using Basecamp with a Garmin Fenix 5X Plus and InReach Mini primarily for backcountry backpacking. On trail, obstacles such as blowdowns, skree or snow fields and water crossings often divert you off the intended route, so being able to improvise off course and then navigate back to it is critically important. TBT doesn’t really play well in the backcountry. Everything is sort of a suggestion a to where to go but
A few questions about course/route creation.
For the purpose of backcountry navigation, it seems creating a route accomplishes the same result as a track, but with far less complication. I’ve found Turn by Turn to be too restrictive. Is there a compelling reason to use a waypoint based track rather than a route?
It’s important to have a few important waypoints for things like possible water sources, critical trail junctions, potential campsites and viewpoints. But waypoints tend to clutter up the small Fenix screen. I’ve switched to using Via Points to build routes with a few strategically placed waypoints as needed. What advantages might I be missing by not used waypoints for all?
In a test route created as noted above, Via points to build the route and a few waypoints along the way, I set most of the via points to not alert as approaching, and all the waypoints were set to alert. Yet when I tested route, none of the alerts were sent. Is there another setting I need to choose to have these alerts broadcast as I approach?
Thank you for any feedback you can provide. If you are a backpacker and have a system that works for you, please feel free to share!! I am open to change.
