by JohnM » Sun 27 Nov, 2011 10:16 am
Re the camera, I don't like carrying a camera, so used to rely on my iPhone. Trouble is, by the time you retrieve it from your pack, take it out of the ziplock bag, start it up, wait for it to be functional, a minute or more is gone. In the end, I just never bothered anymore.
I'm already carrying a GPS on my shoulder strap, so bein able to use it as a camera means I actually use it. Its fine for snaps, like a camera-phone. Obviously the photographers amongst us would shudder.
Also, I use it sometimes to mark spots. For example, if you're doing a food drop, you can take a photo of the spot and when you download the image later you get the image along with a grid ref and a map marker. I imagine this would be handy for marking fishing spots and the like.
Hardly an essential feature, but I like it.
I've had a play with garmin maps and I reckon OzTopo is waaaaay better. Really good detail, very pleased with them.
The OzTopo cost $200 (subsequent updates cost you $100) and for that you get all of Australia mapped, every track, every road, evything. You get it on a USB for your computer, and on a sim for your GPS device. Buy online at OzTopo.com.au, they mail it out to ou a couple of days later.
I like planning walks on the computer now, and OzTopo makes it easy. I'm luck I have access to a quality colour printer at work, so it's pretty cool to print maps straight from it.
BUT if $$ are a bit tight, I'm sure garmin maps are fine.
I got the garmin from johnny Appleseed, as they're just around the corner from me, and prices seem pretty similar everywhere. From previous experience with garmin (running GPS watches) I wanted to buy locally, if anything goes wrong things are a lot easier that way.