TomTom, Garmin, Mio, Audiovox, JNC ... a plethora of GPS navigation units are available, but – and here’s the important bit – most are designed exclusively for urban use.

Perfect for directing you to a business meeting, dinner party or yoga lessons, but if you want one to guide you to Third Bridge campsite in Botswana you’ll need a GPS that’s intended for off-road use.

On the next few pages we tell you what to consider when purchasing an “off-road GPS”, and apart from giving some handy GPS advice, we tell you what we think about what’s available.

When selecting a GPS for off-road use …
First ask these five questions

1. Is it tough?

You’ve probably heard people saying Africa is not for sissies. Well, neither is it for wussy equipment.

The most important thing to keep in mind about street navigation devices like a TomTom or a Garmin Nuvi is that they are designed for use in an air-conditioned sedan in Jo’burg, not a Series II Land Rover with holes in the floor bouncing along a rutted track in Malawi.

If you’re buying a GPS for off-road use, it should be able to handle a fair bit of abuse − a good indication is if it’s waterproof.

GPS receivers intended for outdoor use usually have an IPX7 rating, which means they can be submerged in one metre of water for up to half an hour – and reappear still firing.

Sure, your GPS may never be submerged in one metre of water inside your 4x4, but at least you can be confident it won’t be scared of a little mud or dust either.

How would you know if it’s IPX7 rated? The salesman should be able to tell you.

If not, look in the instruction booklet or online – Garmin has detailed specs on their website at www.garmin.co.za.


2. Can I enter and store waypoints?

A waypoint is a specific location’s coordinates that are stored on a GPS, for example “Large baobab:
S 26 15.092 E 028 19.050”. This is similar to marking a point (an important landmark, your campsite, a waterhole or the nearest pub) on a map with a pencil.

Each time you want to mark a location, you save it as a waypoint.

The more locations you want to save, the greater the waypoint memory required.

A thousand seems to be standard and is enough for normal use, but something like the Garmin 276C with 3 000 waypoints is better suited to people doing long overland trips.

One way to store a waypoint is to go to the location and mark it; the other way is for someone else who has already been there to give you the waypoint.

Provided you have a GPS that accepts waypoints, you can punch this data into the unit and use it to locate the said large baobab (or pub).

TIP:
Don’t just trust a waypoint on a paper map or in a travel guide. If only one of the figures are incorrect, you might end up in Mogadishu instead of Mariental.
Test the waypoint by entering it on Google Earth and observing where it takes you.


3. Does it have a track log and track back?

It’s simpler than it sounds − a track log is simply an electronic “breadcrumb trail” comprising track log points stored on the GPS as you are moving.

Tracks that have been saved on the GPS can later be used for reference.

Should you get lost or need to retrace your steps, you now have a record of exactly where you have been.  Up to 20 tracks can be saved on most units.

A GPS with track back goes one step further and will assist you back along the “breadcrumb trail” by telling you which way to go.

These functions aren’t that important in cities, therefore you won’t find them on a street navigation device, but to see their value off-road, just imagine getting lost on the Makgadikgadi Pans after dark…


4. Does it have an electronic compass?

Why do you need a compass if you already have a GPS? Simple – once you’ve headed off the beaten track, for example when driving across the Makgadikgadi Pans or the Namib Desert, keeping your 4x4 pointed in the correct direction can be challenging – even with the benefit of a waypoint or route.

With a compass, the GPS is able to keep you pointed in the right bearing all the time using an arrow, so even if the map is blank and the landscape devoid of landmarks, you’ll still be able to get to your destination. 

However, if the GPS’ compass has not been set up correctly, it will take you out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Keep a paper map and normal compass in your vehicle in any case, otherwise you’re looking for trouble. Remember, a GPS can break, get stolen, the batteries can go flat or the charger can blow.


5. Is it compatible with mapping software?

A GPS tells you where you are in terms of coordinates − a series of numbers that, on their own, don’t mean much to the average guy − you merely know exactly where you aren’t.

Apart from street navigation devices, on which detailed road maps have usually been installed, most GPS receivers are pre-loaded only with a so-called base map, a very elementary map that shows international borders, the coastline, main routes, towns and cities, but not much else.

Thankfully, you can upload complete digital maps on your GPS that transforms the instrument into a true navigation system. Thanks to these maps, you know exactly where you are relative to infrastructure such as roads or hotels.

Should you want to disappear into the wilderness, you will have to add to the standard maps. Therefore, when you buy a GPS, ensure you are able to download maps software on it.