Observations on the Garmin system & the Montana GPS

A few words on how Garmin works (GPS, Garmin Basecamp & available regional maps for this device), and how the Montana as opposed to a road GPS, like the Garmin Nuvi, works.

Firstly as Rein has stated you need to register your device and if you’ve bought a Garmin map that map too. The map that comes with the device is a preloaded world base map for this region it is not a map suitable for offroad use.
There is a base map in the device but that will not show up identically in ‘BaseCamp’, only purchased maps or Birdseye imagery, a subscription service, will show up. From the comments folks are expecting a product more like the road version.

The Montana is a device for use walking, sailing, Geocache hunts or offroading. The purchasable Garmin map available for this region is an on road map for the Middle East and Africa. An offroad map from Masarat is also available, it’s not great & not authorised by Garmin either, but will run on the device, it doesn’t show up in ‘BaseCamp’.

Couple the Montana, Birdeye imagery(a subscription service) and ‘Basecamp’ and you have a top flight product with awesome planning possibilities. It is easily possible to identify major sand marks, that’s a huge advantage in planning, however it comes with a price tag and lots of hours dedicated to studying, it’s not something you can pick up and within 10seconds of switching the unit on drive off into the sand.

I’ve been using this device in the sand for a year, I have a yearly subscription to Birdseye imagery and have patiently downloaded for all the areas I normally drive in those images. The resolution on Basecamp is excellent, the resolution on the smaller GPS screen isn’t so good. I use another Garmin GPS for on road (Europe + the Middle East, 2 different map sets) and another for use at sea, a fixed 13” screen version (another different map set), which means I have a small understanding of how Garmin works

However as I said above the combination of the 3 products, one of which is free, is excellent

Just for the record; unfortunately I bought my device from Adventure Sport along with the Masarat map a year ago. I say unfortunately because I paid more than the price advertised elsewhere in these pages and the Masarat map I bought isn’t great. At that stage even I, with my prior knowledge of the brand, didn’t understand this product or it’s capabilities.

Using a GPS in the desert is just like driving in the sands, takes time to acquire, persist and you shall be rewarded, expect stuff to just happen and you will be frustrated.

That’s my 2 fils