white_cedar wrote on Jan 8^th, 2011 at 1:13am:

Did you get Topo Canada, so you'll have maps of the area?  (If so, this should mean that you also got a copy of MapSource on the same CD.)

dd

white_cedar wrote on Jan 8^th, 2011 at 4:03am:

Your GPS is likely loaded with a generic US map (assuming you bought it in the US).  This doesn't help much if you are going to WCPP.  I think you'll need to pick up Topo Canada ... gives you topo maps of all of Canada.  The CD also includes MapSource, a program that will help you manipulate the maps, add waypoints, tracks, routes and upload them from your computer to your GPS unit.  (You can also reverse this process after a trip to save waypoints, etc. that you've entered during your journey.)

If you want to do is add waypoints directly to your GPS, you can do so my pressing the menu button on your unit until you see a screen that has waypoint showing ... this will enter your current position as a waypoint.  (Of course, you can edit the waypoint to show a different location, but that's a tad more complicated.)

dd

white_cedar wrote on Jan 9^th, 2011 at 1:55am:

One of the cheaper places is probably (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links).  Keep in mind that the included material is ONLY topo maps.  You'll need to add (via the MapSource software) other items (portage locations, campsites, etc.) yourself.  Then you can use the software upload feature to add them (and selected maps) to your GPS.

Of course, any inukshuk (donating member) that ask, I'll e-mail them the files I have (canoe routes, portages, campsites from the WCPP staff, extra lake names ... stuff like that) that are MapSource compatible.  But none of this is of any use unless you have MapSource.

BTW:  Inukshuks also have access to WCPP for Memory Maps, with much of the same information ... shared between members by CD/DVD.  I use this mostly for producing hardcopy maps for my trips.

dd

pine_knot wrote on Jan 9^th, 2011 at 3:17am:

Well ... I DID retire this year!   

What do you need (fellow inuk) ... I have material on Quetico and WCPP ... working on Wabakimi now.   (That's not to say that I'm not doing updates to all of them at some point during the year)  Current formats include MapSource, Memory Maps and ArcGIS.

Its amazing how much material you can find online.  You just need to know how to get it translated into a form you can use.

Yes.  I guess I'm a bit OC on mapping stuff.   

dd

nctry_Ben wrote on Jan 9^th, 2011 at 8:57pm:

It is, by-in-large, a replacement operation.  

What I typically do is create an independent file for each park or area.  Then prior to a trip, I'll make selections from this "master" area and paste them to a "trip file."  This tends to reduce overall clutter and makes processing a bit faster.

When you load up your GPS, you'll likely find many of your previous entries replaced.  This is in part due to multiple items having the same name.  For example, if map 1 has waypoint 1 and map 2 has waypoint 1 ... if file 1 is loaded "over" file 2 then waypoint 1 from map 1 is replaced by waypoint 1 from map 2.

At least on my system, when I upload new tracks & routes to my GPS, it will "over-run" the GPS's storage for those entries, but keeps the older ones that are not replaced.  This is one reason why I tend to "clear all" entries from my GPS before loading new material.

dd