# Trail miles tracking gadgets



## MustangMom (Jun 22, 2018)

There is a recent thread about phone apps for trail miles tracking but I think I may need a completely separate gadget. My phone battery is on its last leg and I don't know if the next phone I get will be a smart phone. Are there gadgets out there that will keep track of miles and maybe routes? I am going to be joining the American Competitive Mustang Association and I need to be able to track my trail miles for competition.


----------



## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Don't know about stand alone contraptions. Do they even make NOT smart phones any more??


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

How about just a regular GPS? Something like this:


https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-eTrex...ywords=garmin+gps+etrex&qid=1604873983&sr=8-3


I actually have this one but it doesn't look like they make this exact model anymore:


https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-eTrex...ds=garmin+gps+etrex+20&qid=1604874063&sr=8-15


They let you track miles and make routes, download topography maps, etc. They take a little learning, but if you are motivated I don't think they are that hard.....no harder than a smart phone. 

Funny thing is, because I was motivated, I really took to using a GPS. I may not know all the functions, but I have a basic understanding and I really like it. Smart phones on the other hand, I have been really dragging my feet. I have a smart phone but just use it as a regular phone, and sometimes camera/MP3 player. But never for the internet, I like my big computer screen for that! 


But I've met at least two other people that bought GPS's and never learned to use them. I just don't think they had the motivation. But I love knowing I can mark a special place and find it again, or mark where the horse trailer is parked and know we can find our way back. It's easy to get turned around in an unfamilar place so it's piece of mind.


And yes, if I remember to reset it at the beginning of a ride, I can track my mileage, miles per hour, total ride time (including stops), it even tells you the time of sunrise/sunset, elevation and some other fun functions. So yeah, I love mine! And you aren't dependent on cell phone service either because it connects directly to the satellites.


PS. I'm not sure if the first one I posted will let you download maps off the internet. I think that's why I went with the next model up. It will take a little readying to see what is the right one for you. I was on a budget.......but still wanted maps!


----------



## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

trailhorserider said:


> PS. I'm not sure if the first one I posted will let you download maps off the internet. I think that's why I went with the next model up. It will take a little readying to see what is the right one for you. I was on a budget.......but still wanted maps!


I'm a bit of a map freak, like to know where I'm going, know where I've been, so I did look into stand alone GPS's a while ago. But that was the biggest sticking point - you also had to pay for maps!(not saying they're all like that) And they're pointless without maps. I figured that since my phone already has a GPS, that Google Maps & others are free to use, that most apps seem to use this these days, what was the point in spending substantially more on a GPS as well - & one more thing to fit in my saddle bag - or more frequently, bumbag, as I often ride bareback.

I use 'Life 360' app so that our family knows where eachother is, and I use My Tracks app when riding, so I can track distance, speed, etc. Only glitches in the system is if we're out of reception, Life 360 can only tell my husband 'when last seen' - hope it never comes to needing a search party! And I often forget to turn it off immediately I finish a ride. Often drive home & then remember - so speed & distance of ride are... a little off!


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

loosie said:


> I'm a bit of a map freak, like to know where I'm going, know where I've been, so I did look into stand alone GPS's a while ago. But that was the biggest sticking point - you also had to pay for maps!(not saying they're all like that) And they're pointless without maps. I figured that since my phone already has a GPS, that Google Maps & others are free to use, that most apps seem to use this these days, what was the point in spending substantially more on a GPS as well - & one more thing to fit in my saddle bag - or more frequently, bumbag, as I often ride bareback.
> 
> I use 'Life 360' app so that our family knows where eachother is, and I use My Tracks app when riding, so I can track distance, speed, etc. Only glitches in the system is if we're out of reception, Life 360 can only tell my husband 'when last seen' - hope it never comes to needing a search party! And I often forget to turn it off immediately I finish a ride. Often drive home & then remember - so speed & distance of ride are... a little off!



Yeah, I forget to turn off the GPS too. Or turn it on and forget to reset the numbers, so everything is combined including miles in the truck! 

I really don't use any apps and have never tried Life 360. It sounds pretty handy. Mostly I am in cell range, but not always. I have found places out on the national forest, in and out of ravines, that cell phones just can't reach. It just depends on where you ride and where you live.


I know I didn't pay extra for my maps, but I think I had to download them off the internet. But that's why I got the slightly more expensive GPS. I bought my GPS many years ago and when I went and looked them up on Amazon to paste the links I was surprised the prices haven't gone down at all......as a matter of fact, I think I paid around $120 for mine. You would have thought, years later with cell phones and all, the prices would have come down a bit.


----------



## AragoASB (Jul 12, 2020)

I just go by how tired I am.


----------



## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Garmin has many different types of stand-alone GPS units, depending on how much stuff you want. I used a 310xt for many years but recently upgraded to an Instinct (which is also a watch, so I wear it all the time). Both of those offer basics data (distance, speed, elevation, etc) and also have a breadcrumb map feature showing where you have been, so you can turn around and backtrack if you are lost (or zoom out to figure out which way to go if you are exploring).


----------

