Maps and GPS

I spend a lot of time and effort trying to get our routes right. But it will never be completely correct because things change on a long distance like this faster than we can survey it. So no matter whose route you use carry some maps.

Maps - Can be a problem. You will need to carry only enough to find your way. It is impractical to carry the number of 1:50,000 scale map sheets needed for this journey but we do recommend that you carry 1:250,000 scale mapping with you. On our organised tour we provide detailed route instructions but they are not infallible; road layouts change, we sometimes experiment with alternative routes, signs get replaced and updated, etc.

I recommend transcribing the route onto a suitable map and navigating from that. I use the Ordnance Survey Road Atlas (3 miles to an inch, sometimes sold as Philips) mark up the route with a highlighter and tear out the pages I need. I use the spiral bound version, removing the spiral. The atlas usually costs £10 but can often be picked up in publisher surplus shops for about £4.

The alternative is to buy the Ordnance Survey Travel Maps, these will also show you the hills in better detail. If you using a 'normal' route you'll need sheets 7, 6, 4, 3 and 1 usually costing £5 each.

These maps have all the roads I use marked on them (not all of the others do) and mark the smaller roads we try to use in a way that means they are still visible in deteriorating light conditions.

Please don't just rely on route sheets (whosever they are including mine); nearly everybody gets lost, or disorientated at some point and the map provides you with far more references than the route sheets. You should carry the mapping even if you don't intend (or want) to use it.

Please make sure that you are able to waterproof your map and route sheet. The desired weather doesn't always turn up quite when you want it. I use a waterproof map case attached to my handlebars (make sure any other important documents you plan to carry are properly waterproof as well).

GPS - I navigate using a GPS almost exclusively now. I've been using one for a few years now. I think that the GPS, once set up, is really neat, the unit takes up little space on your handlebars and provides you with all the information you need. I'm now on my third Garmin Etrex Vista, only because I keep upgrading. I usually carry a spare GPS in case my working one breaks down (it hasn't yet), it's lighter and easier to keep up-to-date than a set of maps.

There's a lot of links to different GPS's and users of them here. My advice is simply to use the maximum number of waypoints you can, at least every junction, and have the GPS set to navigate directly between them (not by following the roads). Then add some extra waypoints to show the way out of a junction if there's likely to be any confusion. Modern GPSs can store more than enough waypoints for a Land's End to John O'Groats trip.

How to use the Vista C is a personal choice matter. After some experimentation I use mine as follows:

Settings

• System
• WAAS enabled

Display

• Daytime
• Diamond
• Sapphire
• 15 seconds
• 0%

Tones all off

Page seq, whatever you want

Map setup

General

• North up
• autozoom off
• detail normal
• lock on road on

Tracks

• saved tracks auto
• track log auto
• track points 3000
• go to line bearing

Points

• map points off
• user waypoints auto
• street label off
• land cover auto

Text

• Map points none
• user waypoints medium
• street label medium
• land cover medium

Marine

• off, off, auto, auto

Routing setup (these are important to the way I navigate)

• guidance method - off road
• follow road method - faster time
• next turn pop-up - on
• Follow road options (button at bottom of screen)
• off route recalculation - auto
• calculation method - best route
• calculate routes for - bicycle

avoid uturns, toll roads, highways

I don't think any of the other setup options affect how I navigate.

I then generally navigate by selecting the days route and making it active.

I use both the map page (usually) and the compass page (occasionally). I have the map page set so that it shows the map, speed and time of day.

You should be able to see a pink line going directly from waypoint to waypoint, this is your route. It's deliberately set to go directly because if it tries to calculate the route using roads you get some bizarre results, it also can't cope with the off road bits and the occasional cycle only section of road.

In addition to the pink line you should see a black triangle which shows where you are, and where you have come from. The triangle should be positioned on the nearest road. As the roads don't run in straight lines the triangle is often not on the pink line, but it should never be far away and you should be able to see that the road you are on and the pink line coincide at the next waypoint. You may need to scroll out to do this (top button on the left side).

Each time you approach a waypoint the following happens: about 500 yards away, a pop up appears indicating that you are near a decision point. I often don't see this and usually ignore it when I do. (It has a red band across the top so you can see its not your normal screen.)

As you approach a junction I glance down at the GPS, you should see the black triangle, representing you, and the pink line coinciding. as you get closer to the junction the screen automatically zooms in and you should be able to see which way you need to come out of the junction. Negotiate the junction then check afterwards that the black triangle and the pink line are going in the same direction.

You will noticed that there are far more waypoints than junctions. This is because I usually want to keep the pink line and my position near it on the same screen so I don't have to zoom in and out all the time. When navigating you can effectively ignore all the waypoints that are not junctions, but you'll find them re-assuring when you are uncertain that you're on the correct road.

I would suggest that you devise a route at home, upload it to the GPS, set the GPS as above and try to follow it.