Using a Garmin 800 to navigate safe jogle route?

My advice would be to absolutely avoid using 'routes' - if the 800 is like other Garmin GPSes the unit recalculates the route and the results are unpredictable.

I would load 'tracks' onto the unit. I think the 800 has a limit of a thousand trackpoints per track, but even if it is 500 that should go a long way - your track doesn't need to follow every bend it the road.

You can use the routing facility to give you enroute reminders that there is a turn coming up (and the thicker line can be more visible). Just set a waypoint at a point a say 10 miles away. Click on the waypoint and then click on 'go to' this will calculate a route to that point. By setting a fairly short route you can check it isn't sending you off the route you want to follow - if it does, just go the way you want to go and then tell it to recalculate (repeat as necessary). Switch off 'auto-zoom' in the settings.

This method is also useful for navigating across towns.

You should also be able to find a Garmin-compatible copy of the OpenCycleMap maps of the UK which show the NCN routes - -it's not 100 per cent complete and there are occasional errors but it's generally pretty good.

Paper map. Yes. Probably 1:200,000 is the most sensible compromise between weight and detail.

Getting from South Wales to Inverness. There is a train that runs from Bristol Parkway to Edinburgh - but I'd also look at times and prices for going via London. you might also want to consider the Caledonian Sleeper services (see the http://www.seat61.com for information about these - google 'caledonian bargain berths' for cheaper tickets). IIRC getting from Penzance to Bristol Parkway is (IIRC) fairly straight forward - you just need to get the train to Bristol Temple Meads and then a train to Bristol Parkway (or you could even ride). Or alternatively Bristol Temple Meads to Abbey Wood and then a short ride from there.

If you use eastcoast.co.uk or the Chiltern Railways websites you can book bike places at the same time as your seats. On First Great Western trains the quiet coach (Coach a) is nearest the bike compartment.

campbellrae1 wrote:

...I wouldn't follow the usual route from JoG down the eastern side on the A9 as I think it's way too busy with big trucks etc, I would head back along the north coast and down the middle to Altnaharra and Lairg then onwards to Inverness from there. It's a much quieter road and more scenic(in my opinion). It's only about 30 miles further, although there is a fair bit more climbing.

That's the route I took, albeit in the other direction - mainly as I wanted to take in Dunnet's Head on the way having also done Lizard at the other end.

I used a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx as my navigational aid and didn't bother with any maps at all* to be honest. Thought about going for a Garmin 800, but the fact the Vista HCx used AA batteries swung my choice.

Having planned it all on bikeroutetoaster and transferred it across as tracks it worked a treat. Takes a bit of the magic out of the trip I guess, but made it relatively painless - it only let me down on one occasion, turning itself off on a bumpy road on Day 9 or 10...meant I had to track back two miles having carried on round a Loch instead of turning off as I was meant to.

Details of my trip are on my blog, and also available in paperback / Kindle format...

* - well, I made up some very basic A6 route cards which had an elevation profile for the day and also a very rough map so I could see which direction I was meant to be heading in. Not that hard to be honest...it's basically up and across!

Avoid; Helmsdale Hostel (grumpiest landlady in the country, bar none), Chester Backpackers (fleapit), visit Corran House in Oban (very welcoming and nice vibe there).

Don't use routes use tracks instead.
If I recall correctly each track can have 125 track points. The etrex can have 10 or 20 tracks, can;t remember exactly.

Its 10 tracks.