Open Street Map - Camp sites

[ossie]

I have an E trex Legend Hcx and have downloaded the OSM of France and UK to it. I have found that camp sites are listed under 'Find - Lodgings' including what appears to be many municipal camp sites, with distance and directions etc. This is a brilliant tool but I was wondering if anyone has used it in France for camping and how accurate it is.

I have experimented with the OSM maps and have picked locations on my route that are quite rural and it seems to deliver no matter what location i pick. As this will be my only camp site finder (apart from asking- i dont speak a word of French-its following the directions I might struggle with )

Anyone used this?

[meic]

I downloaded OSM (cycle version) of France last year and didnt notice any such feature.
The campsites that I stayed at didnt show as POIs on the screen at the time.

Could you give a link to where you downloaded this from, please?

I guess that OSM is always improving.

[ossie]

I donwloaded the tiles from here (apologies I am new with all of this)

http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

When i open the maps in mapsource if you right click on any location and look under 'Find nearest places' / lodgings its lists camp sites amongst the hotels etc. Also appears on the Etrex as a list when searching on find lodgings. Just click on a tent and it takes you there. I have tried it on my Etrex for my local area in Dorset and all camp sites are listed relative to my location although some are un named.

I am picking locations on my route in France and small tents (camp sites) are shown when zoomed in on the OSM map. I presume when I am over there if I look on Find lodgings I should get the same result with directions - invaluable and takes all of the guess work out of finding somewhere to stay (i hope)

Appears like this on Mapsource.

[joegallus]

Hi Ossie

I am touring in France this summer and would be really keen to use the OSM to find campsites. I suspect I am even newer than you to all this! I have a garmin GPS and I have used your link to request the tiles. Can I ask how do you get the OSM map onto the GPS?

Thanks

Joe

[meic]

Does your GPS accept a microSD card?

Or rather which GPS is it?

[joegallus]

hi it's a garmin edge 705

[meic]

Those GPS's are beyond my experience

and I stumbled on the first hurdle on the webpage, I couldnt figure out where to enter my email address.

So I will join you in waiting for advice from somebody who knows.

[joegallus]

if it’s the map download site - you zoom into the area you want and click all the tiles you need. You will see them building up as a list on the left. When you have selected all the tiles you want just enter your email address in the box above the list of tiles. You then get an email saying the map is being built and a link to let you know when it will be ready. That's as far as I have got - a second email will come and tell me when the map is ready and it says there is some software for turning it into a readable map. One step at a time I think -fingers crossed!

[meic]

Thanks for that,

I had opted for a complete country rather than building a custom map.
When no box appeared where you said, I tried the custom map and a box appeared.

I suspect when it has finished compiling my custom map it will just offer what you got straight away if you selected a pre-packaged country from the bars on top and then do the "download map" box.

I am trying it with a UK map as I will not be going to France again until next year.

[joegallus]

good luck - I have found a thread elsewhere that gives some info on getting the map into the GPS.

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=7359

I shall be following that once the maps arrive

[meic]

A word of warning which may not apply with your GPS but does with mine.
If you have a microSD card in the GPS with pre-purchased mapping on it then do NOT do anything to that SD card.
Buy another one and load your maps onto that.

Garmin have built in software which makes any copy useless, so if you put OSM mapping on the card and then later try and re-instate your Garmin mapping it will lock it.

[ossie]

Hi Ossie

I am touring in France this summer and would be really keen to use the OSM to find campsites. I suspect I am even newer than you to all this! I have a garmin GPS and I have used your link to request the tiles. Can I ask how do you get the OSM map onto the GPS?

Thanks

Joe

Im not sure about the 705 but this is how I do it.

Once you have been e mailed the tiles you need to convert the img files to see them on mapsource. I use mapset tool kit, this converts the files / maps to appear on mapsource. Once on mapsource use the 'map tool' key to select the tiles and transfer them to your device. In mapsource you can also plot and download your tracks / routes / waypoints etc. I can download straight to the Etrex via the sd card but prefer to see what Im downloading as you cant add to maps that are already downloaded, any new map wipes the others!

Its taken me a few weeks to work this out .. I struggle with technology

[andymiller]

There are a couple of ways of loading the map onto a GPS.

The simpler way is to buy a micro-SD card. Create a directory called Garmin. Copy the .img file onto the SD card. Rensme the .img file to (I'm going from memory here so check - GMAPSUPP.IMG.

I think that ther's a cleverer way which is to use MapInstall - this has the advantage SFAIK of lettin you install and choose between different maps.

[cycloret]

Currently I'm using the talkytoaster website for downloading openstreetmap for my Garmin 705. I get a UK map as good Garmin's plus it has contours unlike their NT road map. I find looking at the contours helpful when climbing hills. However, I'm still interested in other way's of getting openstreet map, particularly for France.
http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

I'm not sure if the features in opencyclemap are included in the standard openstreet map. Anyone know?
I have noticed whilst walking around a reservoir and cycling by a river that the Garmin has me walking on water. If I knew how it wouldn't matter, as it is perhaps I should submit map corrections.

My main main gripe is about the POIs on my copies of openstreet map. Often there are no Pubs or Inns featured and Petrol stations are placed under "Gas stations". I'm not sure if I downloaded other copies of openstreet map whether they would have more POIs. Is there a way of supplementing the POI's on my Garmin 705?

[slowpeddler]

Sorry to be a pain, but it isn't easier to go to the local tourist office and find the nearest camp site?

Go on, give it a go and practice a little French. I've never (ever) not found a site this way. You can over-plan a cycling trip and part of the joys of cycling in France is the sense of discovery.

I prefer camping municipal because of they are usually lower cost (and even the Camping Michelin recommends them.)

John