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GPS Maps for the Stans, Mongolia and Siberia GPS Maps for the Stans, Mongolia and Siberia
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Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  #1  
Old 22 Aug 2018
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GPS Maps for the Stans, Mongolia and Siberia
Dear All,


Can you advise what are the best GPS maps for the above regions and where they are available. I intend doing mainly dirt road where available and only highways when they are the only option, which in general I will use paper maps for? I`m not super technical, so the idea of making my own routes with Google Earth doesn't appeal. I`m also interested in the GPS units people are using, I currently have a Garmin Zumo, which is good for road maps, but I`m not so sure for topographical ?


Many thanks for your help.
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  #2  
Old 22 Aug 2018
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I use osmand+ (8€ once for Android) .
You can download maps by country/region and the relief of the area. When calculating routes you can have it display the height profile of the Route. It does not know if an "orange" road is perfect tarmac or loose gravel, though.

Otherwise I use maps.me (free for Android). It has better data on Hotels/hostels.

Also iOverlander helps with finding things (hostels, repair shops, banks, etc...)

If I'm unsure about which road to take I usually compare osmand+ and maps.me and ask the locals.

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  #3  
Old 22 Aug 2018
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I use http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl
Select the maps (tiles) you need, put in your email and they send you a download link.
Put the gmapsupp file in a folder named GARMIN on an sd card.
Put card in your zumo, and hey presto, detailed maps worldwide for free.

Use it now for many years and I am very pleased with it.

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Old 22 Aug 2018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Titbird View Post
I use http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl
Select the maps (tiles) you need, put in your email and they send you a download link.
Put the gmapsupp file in a folder named GARMIN on an sd card.
Put card in your zumo, and hey presto, detailed maps worldwide for free.

Use it now for many years and I am very pleased with it.

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I'd second that. OSM is about the best you'll get, very easy to get onto a Garmin using the above link, and free! What's not to like?

Maps.Me is also worth putting on a smartphone, and it uses the same OSM data, so handy for off-bike planning.

I'd supplement also with Walter Colebatch's POI's, which you can add to both of the above devices.
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Old 23 Aug 2018
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Yep, OSM and map.me. Used them on both my trips on my Montana 600 and iphone repectively with no problems.
OSM works great with Basecamp
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Old 27 Aug 2018
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Cheers guys, I really appreciate your replies
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  #7  
Old 20 Nov 2019
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glonass ??
We are riding to Stans in may 2020.
Question ;
f( for people who have been there) , Is glonass better in these regions ?
Important because the maps, paper or not, are not so accurate .
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Old 20 Nov 2019
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Originally Posted by ex-xt View Post
We are riding to Stans in may 2020.

Question ;

f( for people who have been there) , Is glonass better in these regions ?

Important because the maps, paper or not, are not so accurate .
Not had a problem with 'normal' US GPS, though admittedly only used on Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

But how will a (possibly) slightly more accurate GPS fix help, if the maps aren't accurate?

OSM maps should be way more than accurate enough for basic navigation and orientation, ideally complimented by Walter's waypoints, which I think are 'sticky' at the start of this forum.
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Old 21 Nov 2019
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I regularly use maps from the same link as Titbird. I was amazed at how good the map was for Mongolia...routable maps over little dirt tracks in the middle of nowhere. Very useful.
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Old 21 Nov 2019
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maps and so on
Hi guys
Thank you for answering.
As i had been riding and crossing Africa before GPS , so with maps and compass , i have some personal idea about the matter .
I sue the same link also
So , for regular conditions, mostly doing the same routes than others,evene a gps is unnecessary .
But, in other conditions, it might be different . Like the road is closed, or it is impossible to take it . But you have a relatively good track . case 1
case 2 , no track but a localisation of the goal
Like in hiking with no map . or not accurate enough . both I had known also .
but of course , compass and mas are always usable .
I left recently the know-it-all club , no more invitations either
end of flood
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Old 21 Nov 2019
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used the same maps from the link postet on Garmin.

Worked in the Stans, Russia, Mongolia, Iran, and India quite well.

In Mongolia, it can be hard with paper maps, because there are a lot of tacks, and sometimes they slowly change directions, and you still think you are on the right track, but you are already somewhere else.
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Old 21 Nov 2019
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Originally Posted by motoreiter View Post
I regularly use maps from the same link as Titbird. I was amazed at how good the map was for Mongolia...routable maps over little dirt tracks in the middle of nowhere. Very useful.
Yes, they're OSM maps, but in a Garmin format.

For those not aware, OpenStreetMap is a brilliant project and is to mapping what Wikipedia is to encyclopedias. Open source, edited by users. And unlike Google maps, it's free of any commercial nonsense.

IMHO anyone who finds it useful, should try and edit/amend/add as and when they find errors or omissions. Very satisfying to see your edits incorporated into The Map, particularly when you next download to your Garmin - though bear in mind the full update cycle may take a month or so.
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Old 21 Nov 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ex-xt View Post
We are riding to Stans in may 2020.
Question ;
f( for people who have been there) , Is glonass better in these regions ?
Important because the maps, paper or not, are not so accurate .

Glonass is not a map.
GPS is not a map.

GPS is a system used to find your location.
Glonass is a system used to find your location.

OsmAnd, maps.me, mapout, etc use Open Street Maps (OSM) data to create their maps.

-------------------------
Accurate? What are you talking of?

The location of a feature on a map?

That some feature is not on a map?

Some road on some map does not show all the curves?

In any of the above situations you can correct the data in OSM so it will be correct in future map updates, but only for the products that use OSM data. Up to you to do it.
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  #14  
Old 22 Nov 2019
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a joke a day
I am aware about the systems of localisation, mate .
Used to learn astronomy at university
and worked on a kind f of mathematical modelisation based upon " the 3 spheres" coming form 2° century geométry.
Maybe some should learn to really read ?
a joke a day ? minimum
the question was : efficiency , comparison between two systems of localisation .
Because i cannot bring my computer tand these tables :
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/...tbl2_241053649
OK
have a nice day
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Last edited by ex-xt; 22 Nov 2019 at 07:48. Reason: precisison
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Old 22 Nov 2019
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Then you know everything and don't need to ask.

have fun on the road.
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