GPS with pedestrian routing

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

Anyone used this feature?

So many times I set off on foot and thought this could be helpful. Not sure I have to have it, but would use it.

We're in the market for a new GPS and wondered if anyone had feedback on footing it with one.

Thanks!

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

oops wrong thread

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Most new cell phones have Gps built in it now, In fact my sons new Evo Android Sprint phone has more features than the Navigation that is built into both my Cars.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

I thought that basically you had to get a pedestrian-specific GPS to get accurate walking directions.

Although it seems like there should be an app for that!

I know I recently asked Mapquest how to get from an address in New York's Soho to an address in the West Village (about eight blocks), and it routed me through East Rutherford, New Jersey (making my eight-block walk into a forty-five minute trip to Crazytown).

[Travelingfool Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Travelingfool]

TomTom

My daughter bought us a TomTom couple years ago. We haven't really figured out all it does but we did come across that function for pedestrian walking route......

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

My Garmin 765T has car, bike and pedestrian (if I remember correctly) modes. It will route for traffic routes (one way roads, etc) for the car, bike will allow for more direct routes because bikers don't follow the rules of the road (that sounded nasty-but they can avoid the one way roads easier than a car) and pedestrian can walk direct. At least I believe this is how it works. The problem with this GPS is the short battery life. It is only 3 hours. I would have loved to have used something like this on some walks, but where do you carry it so it has signal and can be easily retrieved for viewing, and has a battery life long enough for the hike?

This model is my 4th Garmin, and I must say, the worst. Bad routing in a few cases, software problems and I had to have this one replaced because of battery failure.

At this point, I can't even tell you which I would recommend, and I try to keep up on these things.

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

Yep, part of the problem is reviews - some people LOVE what they bought, some have lemons, etc. Quite a mixed bag. Almost to the point of "close your eyes and just point to one" and buy that one.

Leaning towards a TomTom for free maps for life. Of course, if you want a different country, it's expensive, but, $80 to not get lost in Brazil would be worth it to me. It's better than the never-stop-paying w/ Garmin for even US.

"Live Traffic" seems also to be a mixed bag with some reporting it worked great and some reporting the re-route was pointless because the traffic wasn't that big of a deal. Well, traffic is like that, no matter who reports it to you. Not sure I care about this feature but could be very handy on longer trips.

I had noticed battery life on all of them is generally not more than 4 hours. Which means I can walk for 2 hours before I'd better turn around if I want to make sure I can get back!!

Some are noted to be very handy to strap to bike handles. Size vs viewing screen comes into play.

Thanks, Vint, if someone that keeps up with these doesn't have a clear recommendation, then, I'm just not going to be able to determine the best one for me. You just saved me hours of

Wacky - there are some hiking-specific units but many have automotive and hiking and some have marine (more useful if I weren't land-locked). Seems that some with hiking have a more robust signal, assuming you'll be in canyons and such.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

If you are interested in walking, you might want a hand held one instead of one made specifically for cars. We geocache and use a hand held one. It is older and I don't think it specifically has pedestrian routes.

Nancy

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

We will use it mostly for car routing, just want the foot/bike option. Unlikely to do geocaching.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

I have a Garmin that I got for Christmas. Its not one of the most expensive models, but it has a pedestrian mode. We were driving it crazy when we were taking the Long Island railroad with it in ped mode. poor thing kept recalculating.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Couple more points based on Board Girls comments:
Live traffic-my model has that as lifetime. It is so-so. Sometimes it has helped, but often there is no traffice and no '3 minute delay' as it may tell me.
Maps-I bought a lifetime update on Amazon. Still-very far off. There is a bar I used to go to when I was a part time roadie with a local band. The bar has been gone for 10 years or more. It is still listed. Roads have changed, but the lifetime map isn't up to date. I have no idea how others are, but this is not good.

I do wish this unit would learn. I always take one route home, but Jill tells me to go a different route. If she would learn, she could route me the way I go and figure time based on that route.

I have not done a good comparison for TomTom vs. Garmin vs. Magellian. I can't help out other than to say I like to have a gps but they all are likely to have problems.

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

I have a Garmin that I got for Christmas. Its not one of the most expensive models, but it has a pedestrian mode. We were driving it crazy when we were taking the Long Island railroad with it in ped mode. poor thing kept recalculating.

I'm not looking high-end, no higher than I have to in getting ped mode.

recalc'ing a lot, ok, good to know.

did it generally plot a reasonable foot course?

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

...I can't help out other than to say I like to have a gps but they all are likely to have problems.

that IS helpful, at least I know where to set my expectations and to not agonize over the decision because I will likely have to live with one pesky thing or another.

I would definitely take free maps over free traffic, as I just don't see how there would be enuf data to make traffic useful enuf. would be years before I trusted it!

even outdated maps would be better than no maps, so I can make my peace with that one.

Thanks a lot!

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

I'm not looking high-end, no higher than I have to in getting ped mode.

recalc'ing a lot, ok, good to know.

did it generally plot a reasonable foot course?

I really can't say, we were traveling at 80 mph along railroad tracks. It also kept recalculating the arrival time. I haven't used it at all for walking. Sorry.

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

I really can't say, we were traveling at 80 mph along railroad tracks. It also kept recalculating the arrival time. I haven't used it at all for walking. Sorry.

ohhh! I thought you were walking long the tracks! ha ha, my mistake!