Basecamp

Basecamp is free and can be downloaded from here 
While some of the tracks on my maps are routable, many are not. Too get more routible tamping tracks I suggest you also download the free DOC tramping tracks from here

Once you have downloaded and installed basecamp we can get started, so lets open base camp and create your tramping “workspace”:
– In the “library” right click “my collection” and click to “add a folder” – call it “tramping” Here is where we will place all the tramping stuff we want to do.
–  Now right click on your “tramping” folder and click to create a new “list” call it “Trails” This is where we will place marker points that represent the ends of any track we might use and any huts and finally routes.
– If you want you can repeat the process to create a list for “camps and huts”, and “tracks” but I find a single list easier to use when creating routes.

Route making workflow
Setup:

– Select the Topomap (click “maps/Free Open GPS TOPO ADDON”)
–  Find the DOC trails which represent your proposed route
– Make sure your “Trails” list is highlighted.
– Switch to waypoints mode (the red flags) If you can’t see the red flags button right click on the menu bar and make sure that “Drawing tools” is selected While you’re at it make sure “device transfer” is selected too.
– Select the red flag waypoint button and place marks at the beginning and end of each track section and at your desired camping spots or huts. A little red flag with a three digit number will appear.
– Click on the name (“001” for example) and edit the marker. Call it something appropriate and change the symbol. The trail head symbol is at the top of the symbols selection box. The huts or “lodge” symbol is a nice one to use for huts.

Make routes:

– Change to the RC DOC maps: click “Maps/NZ TRAMPING tracks DOC only”
– Hopefully if the trail was visible in the topo map it will also be visible in RCs maps. If not, I’m afraid the software won’t be able to do the whole route-along-the-track thing but that’s ok it will still give you a “as-the-crow-flys” distance.
– Switch to routes mode (The green boxes). A box will appear with a drop down list. From the drop down list you can select “tramping”.
– Now you can click and drag the first of your “trail head” objects from your library into the “start box”.
– Now do the same for your final destination.
– A new box will open and you can add intermediate points. Using the green ‘plus’ button. For example you may have marked a nice picnic area where you want to stop for lunch. There’s even a nice picnic area icon to use for these.
– Click recalculate and all the distances along the trails will be plotted for you.
– Now you can click “create track”. If there was no routable track for any section now is your chance to edit the track so it follows the route you want to take.
– From track you can create an “adventure”. Give the “adventure” an appropriate name and save.
– The “adventure” wraps up all the different parts and can include photos and videos. How fun is that?

Finalise:

– Now switch back to the topo map.
– Right click on your new “adventure”
– Click next and set a difficulty and add a photo if you want. You can get nice ones off NZ tramper.
– If you have a Garmin account you can now add birds eye imagery even “publish” your adventure.

Print your map

– If you want to print the route you can do that now to: make sure your adventure is selected and click file/print
– Use page setup to select how many print tiles you want to print and whether you use portrait or landscape.
– Use the zoom keys on the main print setup page so you can optimise the look of your map.
– One of the cool aspects of the map printing is that it will put NZ TM grid coordinates at two corners of the map and show the

Send your route to your GPS receiver

– Finally you can send all of this to your GPS receiver and use it on your tramp
– Click on the left of the little pair of green and blue boxes