This may be a big ask but I am doing a long run in the lakes and I am not too gud at map reading and was wundering if anyone with a gps (the ones where you can download a map to) would want to earn some money renting it out I would buy one but I can’t justify spendin all that money to use it ones. I will pay good money to rent it for the weekend
Cheers eddy

Learn to read a map. it’s just as easy as learning how to use a GPS and has the added bonus of not running out of life at the most inopportune moment.

My phone serves as my GPS these days.
Do you know anyone with an iPhone/Android you could borrow?

Iv got an iphone4

Well, there you go then:

http://www.memory-map.co.uk/iphone/

This doesn’t stop you navigating to the wrong place on the map; falling over cliffs; drowning in rivers; being run over on roads; or dying in many amusing and unforeseen ways.

Iv got an iphone4

Then you have a GPS already 😀

Try the MotionX GPS app, or memory map

which weekend – this one coming up?

As they say – never rely on a gps – a map does not go wrong. learn to navigate

yep – but looking at a gps is quicker – just use the map if it fails…

Yep, pack a map and compass as backup and learn how to triangulate your position from landmarks and take a bearing. I don’t think GPS randomly “goes wrong” that often, but you don’t want to be stuck because you’ve tripped and smashed the GPS.

But use the GPS as your main guide – most people do. 🙂

Triangulation from landmarks is a bit iffy when a thick hill fog comes down. Certainly carry a paper map, but the GPS will tell you where you are, down to 16ft. Use MemoryMap, or even better Viewranger, and you can see exactly where you are even in thick fog or darkness.
[edit] the 250k map is useful in the car, too, with something like an Arkon screen mount. I was using my iP4 with Viewranger in the car yesterday on unfamiliar roads and it’s excellent. UK Map is worth having, as all the map downloads are free.

Hursty – sent you a couple of emails lately, dont know if you got them?

I have seen people go the wrong way after using GPs many times. They just blindly follow them – its usually at junctions where the mapping is innacurate they take the wrong path as the gps says this way – cos the gps doesn’t think you reaached the junction yet.

There is more to navigating than triangulating off landmarks. Its about knowing where you are in the landscape. I can hardly remember the last time I used a compass in anger. although one week long highland trek I did find I had forgotten it when I wanted to check which pass I wanted to take 🙂

ignore the stick in the muds. I had to help a couple stuck up in the hill when their map had blown away. no method is perfect. GPS with a backup map is great.

as suggested there are plenty of iPhone apps. I’d suggest everytrail pro as you can download maps to it from open street map (which are free) so you don’t need a signal.

[edit] the 250k map is useful in the car, too, with something like an Arkon screen mount. I was using my iP4 with Viewranger in the car yesterday on unfamiliar roads and it’s excellent. UK Map is worth having, as all the map downloads are free.

I use navfree by navmii in the car. It’s a free sat nav based on the OpenStreetMap. Pretty good.

Cheers chaps I have got a map and can do basic map reading It would be alot simpler if I had a gps cos when your running 50 mile its alot simpler to look at a gps than to keep looking at a map any way think I am going to get the memory map app as it looks quite good if I can upload a map that I have saved thanks for the help I will be taking a map and compass as it is compulsory kit

If you’re going to run a GPS app on an iPhone then get some sort of battery back-up for your phone – the GPS eats power at a quite scary rate. I’d choose ViewRanger unless you already own Memory Map digital mapping for the area fwiw.

Viewranger for the iPhone is cheaper than Memory Map.

Triangulating your position from landmarks is hopelessly innaccurate unless you have full-on surveying equipment. However, if you can see well enough to do it, then you should be able to figure out your position much more accurately just by reading your map properly!