Tat 2018

[mks916]

Hello,
I'm going to ride the TAT next year.
The question is, how to navigate?
It is good enough, just to navigate by the GPS and the waypoints, or it is recommended to buy also the roll charts and maps.
Thank you
Martin

[Oli Dear]

Hi, I am planning the same and will use my garmin GPS with TAT pre-loaded card.

When are you going, and where are you based?

[mks916]

Hi,
The plan is to ship the bike, BMW X-Challenge, end of April from Germany to Orlando/Florida. From there exploring the south states and joining the TAT in Colorado. Will use also a Garmin GPS and going to buy the tracks.
Whats your plans?
Martin

[Oli Dear]

Planning on shipping to NY beginning of June, riding E-W and then South to Mexico, 2x XT600s it looks like at the moment. Frantically trying to organise things.

How much is your shipping and who are you using?

[mks916]

Shipping is not yet decided. There are a few options.
Lufthansa aircargo is the easiest but also the most expensive option. It is € 2700 all inclusive even customs handling.
After finishing the TAT I'm going to visit the HU meeting in California in Sept. then heading south to Mexiko/Baja.

[alaskasail]

Originally Posted by Oli Dear

Hi, I am planning the same and will use my garmin GPS with TAT pre-loaded card.

When are you going, and where are you based?

I'm curious what sort of "pre-loaded" card you will be using. Does it have .gpx tracks for the different routes? These are ever changing I understand and may be updated somewhere. I haven't started and serious research yet so if you have a .gpx track source I'd like to get the link.

[Davo Bali]

Hi Guys, I have found these online, I have no idea on their reliability or how current they are ?

link - https://sites.google.com/site/gpskev...-america-trail

[JamesC]

Hay Guys
I'm looking to do this trip in 2019. I'm finding it hard to get a GPX file of the route, is the TAT an actual set route? or is it just a term used for a Trans America route?
I'm also considering doing the TCAT instead.
Let me know if anyone would be interested in joining me, I will be shipping from Europe possibly from the uk

[JMo (& piglet)]

Originally Posted by JamesC

Hay Guys
I'm looking to do this trip in 2019. I'm finding it hard to get a GPX file of the route, is the TAT an actual set route? or is it just a term used for a Trans America route?
I'm also considering doing the TCAT instead.
Let me know if anyone would be interested in joining me, I will be shipping from Europe possibly from the uk

Hi James - there is an official Trans-America Trail route, in that the concept of crossing the whole of the USA on a series of unsurfaced roads and trails was originally conceived by Sam Correro, who rode and logged and mapped his route across the country - originally from Tennessee to Oregon, but now recently extended all the way to the east coast in Virginia and North Carolina too.

www.TransAmTrail.com

Before the advent of wide-spread GPS use and more detailed GPS mapping, Sam's roll charts and maps were the most detailed way to describe and follow the route. These days, people have track-logged their own journeys, and the link Davo posted above is essentially a collection of crowd-sourced routes, that generally follow the 'official' route, but utilise some alternatives - such as offering more technical sections and conversely easier/bigger-bike route options too.

Sam will tell you that the Trans-Am Trail is foremost a guide - taking you though some of the best adventure/dual-sport riding the United States has to offer. You can try and following it exactly, or you can utilise his route as part of your own personal planning, and deviate as you wish - either to sight-see or ride a number of side trails in the areas you're passing though.

Certainly when riding over 5000 miles of mainly unpaved roads and trails, almost inevitably you'll have to deviate from the official route at some point anyway - if only to avoid sections blocked by fallen trees, landslides, snow, flooding etc. - but fundamentally Sam's has ridden every inch of his official route, and he continues to update and revise various sections so the information is accurate and as up-to-date as it can be, and fundamentally should not lead you down any dead-ends or onto private land for example.

Whether you need to purchase his maps and roll charts, or simply his GPS downloads for each state really depends on how you like to plan and navigate. I've been quite happy just using his GPS tracks, and working out my own fuel and camping/accommodation stops - but other people may like more information during their initial planning stage - which the maps provide.

I've ridden the TAT twice now - most recently end to end in it's entirety, and previously by breaking it up into three sections due to the time of year I was riding (end of the autumn followed by early spring).

I have also subsequently revisited some favourite sections when passing through particular States, and also incorporated a few alternative trails in those areas with which I am already familiar.

If your intention is to ride the full TAT, then I'd recommend getting at least Sam's GPS tracks from the link above.

Hope that helps!

Jenny x