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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'>I used the gps file depot maps on my Etrex 30 last year and they worked ok. IMO, that little tiny inch and a half Etrex screen is a lousy substitute for a map. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'>The only maps I’ve seen that show the CDT in its proper location are the Bearcreek ones. With a bit of skill, they are good enough to use with a compass and without gps. Doing the opposite – using about the smallest gps made, and without maps showing where the trail actually is does not seem like a very good way to go. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'>I hiked two days with a couple who were using just the Bearcreek maps. They had a compass but I never saw them pull it out. They kept track of where they were on the maps by keeping track of time and knowing how far they hiked per hour. They used the mileages on the maps to figure out where they were and that seemed to work good for them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'>The CDT is not like most trails – it’s really confusing in places and it’s nice to be prepared. Personally, I carried the gps, a compass, the Bearcreek maps, and a few of the Ley maps for alternates. The gps was my least favorite tool and I only turned it on a few times. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'>AJ (longhiker)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'>longhiker.pct@gmail.com</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net [mailto:cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net] <b>On Behalf Of </b>David Thibault<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, November 08, 2012 8:05 PM<br><b>To:</b> cdt-l@backcountry.net<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Cdt-l] gps with maps question<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I just picked up an etrex 20 a week ago- seems pretty easy to use so far. Don't go buying maps just yet check out this link<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/all">http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/all</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Free maps of the CDT states are available. I haven't loaded anything but the Arizona topos into my gps yet because I am heading out on the AZT for a couple of days next week - but they look fine to me. After Thanksgiving I'll have some time to play around with the GPS a bit more but it seems easy enough. It has a 'where to?' function that looks like it would work great with the compass rose functions on the Ley maps. For me I mainly just want to be able to pick out my location on the Ley maps. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Bearcreek has a gps track of the "official CDT" that you can get from the web.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The CDT will be the first trail I am using a GPS on. In a way I feel a bit like I wimped out - succumbing to the "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My" fear mongering mentality but then again like Dan'l Boone - I've been know to be confused for a few days at a time.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Day-Late<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Message: 2<br>Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 05:28:59 +0000<br>From: "M. Shea" <<a href="mailto:mshea68@hotmail.com">mshea68@hotmail.com</a>><br>Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] gps with maps question<br>To: <<a href="mailto:cdt-l@backcountry.net">cdt-l@backcountry.net</a>><br>Message-ID: <<a href="mailto:SNT127-W20ED844919F726B9111743B3690@phx.gbl">SNT127-W20ED844919F726B9111743B3690@phx.gbl</a>><br>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div></div></body></html>