We are making our first trip to Namibia this summer. I have an old Garmin GPS, should I bother taking to Namibia? I have used it all over the Western U.S. and Canada. I'm kinda looking for an excuse to get a new one. Which GPS brand/model do you like best for hunting? Would there be any special considerations when buying a GPS for Africa?

Thanks for the help.

Garmin eTrex

I have been using the Garmin eTrix in different forms for the past several years.

I like it because it is small enough to slip into a pocket, and the battery lasts quite a long time.

I suggest you take some Lithium batteries for it. They are very light, and they last a long time too.

If you just want one for the bush then Saeed has given you some great advice. The e-trex will do everything you need it to do and cost is as cheap as chips.

If you plan on touring the country afterwards then you might consider upgrading to a Garmin 60CSX with a Southern African map on it. More money but a good buy and you can usually pick one up on e-bay at a fairly decent price.

I took a Garmin E-Trex Venture with me a couple of years ago to Namibia and it worked perfectly. Granted the Bushman tracker was just as good if not better (much better battery life as well as a pleasant companion). I liked to know "where things were" since in the short time of a safari I can't quite get my bearings in only a day or two, especially traveling to different locations. The Map function was the most helpful to me in visualizing the area we were hunting. If having your own "map" sounds good you might consider a unit with a larger screen, color would be nice also.

Also I have the camp permantly on my GPS, I'm 9032 miles from camp, keeps things in perspective.

I really like my Garmin 60cx. Small, good battery life, common batter type, easy to use and read. I hope that you take one.

I usually mark the landing strip, camp, and locations of start/finish of tracking and kill of dangerous game. Really entertaining to show your wife where you spent the last three weeks.

Also, if you get into trouble and are in a remote area, the GPS coordinates and your Iridium phone can get Global Rescue to you pronto. Don't leave home without it. It's also nice to know where border lines are located in case....

Do these GPS units come pre loaded with southern Africa maps{Namibia,Botswana, South Africa etc. }or is that something you need to find after purchase?

Should I just buy one overthere?

Les

We were hunting in the Selous once, and a friend of mine shot a buffalo just before sunset.

We decided to leavet until the morning, and headed back to the truck.

We were a few Ks from te truck, so the last part of our walk back was in the dark.

I had my GPS as usual, and knew precisely where the truck was. But, I asked one of the Masai trackers we had which direction was the truck, and pin pointed t.

We kept walking, and every now and then I would look at the GPS.

When we got to about 500 meters from the truck, I purposely changed direction slightly to see what the tracker would do.

He kept going as he was.

So I said to him that he had to come my way, as my GPS says that is the direction we should take.

He just lauged and shook his head, saying he was right!

I would have understood him in the day time, but, in total darkness??!!

Les,

They're about twice the price here, so it's better to buy one in the States.

I used in two trips a garmin etrex legend, and now I have the track of all the tours I did.

My hunting experience has been so greatly enhanced by my 'ol E-Trex legend (still the old single colour)

Fact is we just don't have the bush-smarts not to get lost once the city life has crept in deep, so I relied a life-time on trackers. I've learnt that the trackers also use way-points! They walk from known point to known point; seldom by the shortest route!

Another advantage is that you can cast about more effectively if your hunting area is a bit restricted rather than walking in a line straight through.

The safety factor is also not to be under estimated. Much of Southern Africa has cell-phone coverage and when help is required accurate co-ordinates are life saving.

Convenience and time saving too. Do your hunt to a point, sms your companions your position and sit back and wait for your ride. Or divert them past your quarry to load it so long, so you can hunt on further.

Then, for me the best of all…. Last year I hunted with my young 8y.o. son in Southern Botswana on a 16 000ha (40 000acre) Kalahari ranch. Trackers were not compulsory and we spent the week together walking out of camp each morning and finding our way back by sun-downer time. Greatest time of our lives!!! My GPS made that possible because without it we’d still be there! (Perhaps that would have been better )

My PH had one. No need to bring mine.

I took the Garmin Rinos (2)with earphone to keep track of the two parties we divided into as we hunted.( with FRS/GMRS) found out later some countries frown on the importation of radios,though I had no trouble.

To be honest I would take a range finder instead or take both... There is a possibility of a long shot... Know the distance...


Mike

I carried my Garmin 76cs to Sa in 2007. I have marked the spots of game taken and hunting camps for several years and it is really neat to pull up the locations on Google earth, it is unbelievable how many of the features are recognizable.

It just brings back more great memories.

I take two to Africa - one for me and one for my son or hunting partner. Those, along with portable two-way radios, lets us communicate our exact locations to each other. Also, I use the GPS to record locations of archaeological sites, bore holes, truck location, blood and tracks, and camp or lodge.

Namibiahunter

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
I carried my Garmin 76cs to Sa in 2007. I have marked the spots of game taken and hunting camps for several years and it is really neat to pull up the locations on Google earth, it is unbelievable how many of the features are recognizable.

It just brings back more great memories.

That is exactly what I do. Take the information and download it on Google Earth. One of the elephants I shot last year I shot in a dry river bed. I took the reading and when I got home input it into Google Earth. The location shows up clearly in the satellite photo. It is a great way to relive the hunt and see how your hunt covered the area, where the kill site was relative to camp, where the camp was relative to the landing site, etc.

I have taken one each time but it has been more for convenience than anything else. It could be a life saver though. I believe a simple model to be beter as there are features that will just clutter and confuse if it's really needed.

quote:

I took the reading and when I got home input it into Google Earth.

Yes, it's incredible some of the resolution you get on Google Earth!

One day I'm gonna show my Grandkids " see that shopping mall? Way back in '05 I killed a nice buck right there!"

Truthfully unless you want an excuse for a new toy there is no need for one. The ph and trackers know their stuff. More than likely the ph will have one anyway. I took one on my first safari but never bothered after that. It was just one more thing to lug around. Every trip my bag gets smaller and lighter. I still use it when hunting on my own in remote areas but not for africa with a ph.

+1 for Mike Smith

I never felt the need for one in any of the African countries I've visited. Many PHs have them but the trackers are uncanny in their land navigation skills.

Plus 1 to Mike Smith's and LionHunters answers.

Unless you are planning on getting seperated from your PH and/or the trackers, that is just an unnecessary piece of equipment.

I have never been to Africa, but somehow, I don't think they are just going to let you strike off on you own.

Same with a range finder.

Listen to what the PH tells you and if he says to take the shot, he knows what he is talking about. JMO.

I doubt you'd "need" one, but I take mine just so that after I come home I can revisit by plugging the coord's in to GoogleEarth and....WHAM! I"m back to the spot where I got my _______ (fill in the blank).
Dave

TBD,

A GPS might be fun but like others have stated you really don't need it. It's just another gadget to lug around. Bringing less shit often equals more appreciation for the safari.

Mark

I have a Garmin 60CSX that I like a lot. It is very easy to use and packed with more features than I've figured out a use for. I'll be taking it on our upcoming trip to South Africa, though it'll be for fun, more than any necessity. Getting a South Africa map is a great idea, as we'll be touring around Kruger and surrounding areas on our own for the first five days.

I recall a time, back in 1989 before GPS was available, when I really wish I could have had one. It was almost dark and we were way out in the middle of nowhere in the Kalahari. We'd stopped on a dune and were trying to decide which direction to head back toward camp, as we'd wandered very far and in random directions looking for lion tracks. My PH asked one of the trackers which way to camp and he pointed in one direction. Then, another of the trackers pointed in a somewhat different direction. When the 3rd bushman gave yet another direction, I was starting to think 'we're screwed' and would be spending the night sleeping in the truck. As it turned out, one of the trackers was at least somewhat right, and we eventually came to a two-track that led back to camp. It was a long night of uncertain driving in trackless country, and a GPS sure would have made it shorter and easier.

The GPS is a very helpful tool, even life saving, when it is needed. It is a fun tool and event recorder all the time. With today's accuracy much better than the past it is possible to find lost items and special hideaways. For your grandkids the map of your journey is priceless!