Garmin, etc. Handheld GPS Guide

I no longer recommend using Garmin (or similar) units for this project. The mobile device procedures are the recommended approach.

Also, I am no longer updating the files found here, so they contain old versions of the routes and hazards. You can create an updated

version from the KML data found on the main page.

Newer Garmin Units (Oregon, Dakota, Montana, etc)

Using Garmin Basecamp with a JNX custom map

This method is untested, as I do not have regular access to Garmin units.

Download the custom map in JNX format here (80MB).

(This file only includes the routes and mid water hazards. If I get feedback that it works for people, I will publish a separate file with low water hazards as well)

Follow the guide here to try and load the file onto your GPS.

Using Garmin Basecamp with a KMZ custom map

I was able to get the data (routes, medium water hazards, campsites) from the project into a modern Garmin that supports custom maps. However, the Garmin units have a horrible "feature" where you need to individually turn every track's visibility on, there's no bulk option to "turn all tracks on". There are over 200 items that need to have their visibility turned on, which is very tedious. See this thread for more information. For this reason, I do not recommend this method. Also the screen's on the Garmin units are not up to the same quality as modern smart phones. The below procedure will work, however I highly recommend the smart phone procedures over Garmin units.

Download the Garmin BaseCamp software for either Windows or Mac, and install it on your computer.

Download the Garmin compatible offline map tile set (48 MB). (Created in MOBAC)

From the downloads section on the main page, download the campsites, routes, and hazards files.

Open up Garmin Basecamp and ensure that "My Collection" is highlighted in the upper left pane under the Library section.

Go to "File -> Import into My Collection". Import both the offline map tile set and data files previously downloaded.

To see the coarseness and inaccuracy of the nearly useless Garmin default map, left click on the "Stillwater" entry in the upper left pane. Then click on "My Collection" to show all layers together. Go back and forth, it's quite a difference!

------ OPTIONAL ------

I've only included the medium water hazards for clarity of display. To load additional hazards layers, load the Hazards file from the main page into Google Earth and save each folder to a KMZ file and import them into Garmin Basecamp. Within the Garmin Basecamp program, you can quickly change the colors of all members of a collection layer by highlighting the layer in the upper left, selecting the first member in the lower left list, use the scroll bar to scroll to the bottom, and hold shift while clicking the last member. Then right click any highlighted member and select "open".

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Connect the Garmin device to the computer and ensure the device was found and appropriate drivers are installed.

Ensure "My Collection" is highlighted in the upper left pane under the Library section.

Go to "Device -> Send to Device -> Send 'My Collection' to Device"

Once complete, disconnect the device and review the map screen to see if the data loaded properly.

If the custom map doesn't show on the device but the data does, reconnect the device and using a simple file copy method within the operating system, copy the "Mapquest Low Water.kmz" file to "My Computer -> Garmin -> CustomMaps" (either internally or, if installed, on the SD card in the device).

Additional Hint: Any of the image overlays included in the "Stillwater Nav" link on the main page can be saved to a KMZ file from Google Earth and imported into Garmin Basecamp for placement on the device. I wouldn't use them for routing of any kind, but they might be fun to view on the device.

I would not recommend the methods below. To really utilize this project to its fullest capabilities, I recommend either the Android or Apple procedures.

Older Garmin Handheld GPS Units

I can recommend two programs for older GPS units...

EasyGPS - used to load GPX files onto handheld GPS units.

GPSBabel - used to convert KML to GPX (xml) format.

The campsites layer should load with no issue by converting the saved KML file to GPX format and loading the resultant file onto the handheld GPS. However, most handheld units have severe limitations on the number of tracks and routes that can be loaded. I tried with two different older Garmin handheld units and wasn't happy with the results. Perhaps if only a couple routes were loaded, such as only the green routes, it might work fairly well. However complete benefits of the full routes and hazards layers will not be utilized.

To try the green routes only, Right click one at a time on each individual green route in Google Earth and "Save Place As" to a KML file. Then convert it in GPSBabel to GPX (xml) format and then load it on the handheld GPS using EasyGPS. Typically the shoreline basemap data on these units is quite coarse in its accuracy.

Other Units

I have no access to marine units, or other brands of handheld units for testing. If anyone has success loading the layers onto another unit, please let me know via the email at left.