Maps for handheld GPS Devices

Q. Hi,

I'm a novice with GPS systems and hope to purchase one. I understand that you can enter waypoints into your GPS but can you also enter Ordnance Survey maps or long distance walk strip maps so that the tracking follows those maps? If you can, how is it done?

Andrew Sturman

A. You can upload GPS Waypoints from go4awalk.com into virtually any handheld GPS device - see GPS Waypoints for Walking and Hiking for more details.

The only maps you can upload into a handheld GPS device are those produced by the GPS Device manufacturer e.g. Garmin produce a series of TOPO maps for their GPS range. Even when you have the maps installed all it can do is tell you where you are on that particular map. You still need to enter waypoints into the GPS so that it knows where you want to go.

These maps are (IMHO) prohibitively expensive - particularly when you consider that you must still carry a compass and the appropriate paper maps with you at all times (so you can get to your destination safely should your GPS Device fail for some reason).

For a list of walks with GPS Waypoints that you can upload, including The Pennine Way and Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk see GPS Waypoints for Walking and Hiking.

For more general information on GPS and GPS Devices - see

For fellow user Questions and Answers about GPS and GPS Devices - see