BaseCamp, Garmin - December 9, 2021

Garmin BaseCamp

Garmin BaseCamp is Garmin’s free route planning software for both PC and Mac users.

In this first video we look at Garmin BaseCamp for Mac users (Windows version below).

In this second video we look at Garmin BaseCamp for Windows users.

Garmin BaseCamp enables you to pre plan your activities and also to manage any data you have on your Outdoor GPS device.

How to download Garmin BaseCamp

Garmin BaseCamp is a free download, and you can download Garmin BaseCamp from here.

View more detailed maps in Garmin BaseCamp

With Garmin BaseCamp you can not only view the base maps but also the more detailed maps you have on your GPS device.

In the UK this will be the ability to view your pre-loaded Ordnance Survey maps that you have on your Garmin GPS device.

You can view your Ordnance Survey maps in Garmin BaseCamp by plugging your GPS into your PC or Mac using the Garmin supplied USB cable

Search for a location in Garmin BaseCamp

In Garmin BaseCamp you simply search for a location by typing it into the search bog in the top right-hand corner.

If you are online, it will get some of the results from that connectivity, the key thing to remember though is to select the map you want to interrogate from the drop-down menu – Maps, at the top – once you have selected the map set the search results will also show from the data on your map card.

Planning a route in Garmin BaseCamp

What is a route?

A route is a collection of waypoints that have been joined together, but in BaseCamp this is even easier as we have a route tool.

It is a simple task to create a route in Garmin BaseCamp, just use the new route tool and every time you click on the map you will create a waypoint.

We recommend if planning a route in a ‘direct’ manor you create a waypoint at the major corners of your proposed walk or cycle route. If you are in the UK, using an TOPO PRO Ordnance Survey map card and you are within a National Park you do also have the ability to use the ‘turn by turn’ route planning option.

Please be aware that when planning a route you are limited to the number of waypoints or viapoints you can have within it, this depends on the routing option you have chosen.

Once you have planned a route you can look at the route properties which also includes the elevation data within it.

Importing routes into Garmin BaseCamp

You can import routes from third party websites into Garmin BaseCamp. These are routes/ tracks that other people have planned or previously walked/ ridden.

Once you have imported these routes/ tracks into Garmin BaseCamp you can edit them to your personal requirements.

When looking for routes/ tracks to import you are looking for a .gpx file.

In another article on GPS Training, we look at some good sources of .gpx files and please don’t forget we have a GPX library in the online resource which has the .GPX files for many of the long distance trails in the UK.

Managing the internal storage on your Garmin GPS in Garmin BaseCamp

Within Garmin BaseCamp you can manage the content of your internal storage on your Garmin GPS device.

This will enable you to delete past walks and also to transfer them, to the hard drive on your PC/ Mac, this you will do using the folder and lists in the ‘My Collection’ folder in Garmin BaseCamp.

Updating your Garmin GPS using Garmin BaseCamp

Garmin BaseCamp also gives you the ability to update your unit to the latest operating system.

Summary of chapters in the video above.

00:00 - Intro about video

00:30 - Downloading Garmin BaseCamp

01:20 - First look and overview of Garmin BaseCamp

03:40 - Looking at the GPS when plugged into your PC

03:55 - Searching for a location in Garmin BaseCamp

04:15 - Planning a route in Garmin BaseCamp

05:05 - Looking at the properties of the planned route

05:50 - Importing a route into Garmin BaseCamp

06:35 - Looking at the internal storage on your Garmin GPS in Garmin BaseCamp