GPS in Africa

[Moody808]

Is it worth brining a GPS on safari to Africa. Was thinking of something with in-reach satellite comms for emergencies, hoping some of the safari veterans can let me know their experiences on how worthwhile this might be. Thanks!

 

[DmacD]

I brought one with me to Namibia in 2018. We did a self drive tour after the hunt was done. It was invaluable for that portion of the trip. It wouldn't take an address as we know it though. I had to look up the coordinates of any place I needed to go, and plug it in that way. Worked very well.

 

[Rafiki]

I just used my cell phone can't see why to use anything else.

 

[Moody808]

I just used my cell phone can't see why to use anything else.

Wasn't sure how good the cell coverage would be, especially in the bush, or how much roaming costs might end up being etc

 

[Hogpatrol]

Years ago, I took a Garmin to mark where I killed animals and to transfer the coordinates to Google Earth. I've downsized my gear since.

 

[mdwest]

I think it depends on where you are going, and who you are going to be with..

For example.. the place I routinely hunt in South Africa is only a 35 minute drive to a reasonable hospital, in a fairly large town / small city.. cell coverage is good most everywhere, and there are good facilities/amenities very nearby.. I don't see a need for inreach or any sort of back up communication system.. between my US cell carrier, my PH's local cell carrier, my wifes cell carrier (different than mine), etc.. whatsapp, texting, making calls, using the cell GPS, etc is all easy to do and we're all connected pretty much all the time.. my PH also has a solid radio network and can easily communicate with the other PH's, the skinners, the trackers, the lodge staff, etc.. at the push of a button..

If I were chasing Bongo in the Congo however.. things would be very different.. not only is there much less cell connectivity, medical threats and physical threats are also very different...

Parts of Africa I don't mind traveling to with just a cell phone.. other parts Im going to have an inreach device on me.. others still Im taking my starlink mini with me..

It just depends..

 

[Moody808]

I think it depends on where you are going, and who you are going to be with..

For example.. the place I routinely hunt in South Africa is only a 35 minute drive to a reasonable hospital, in a fairly large town / small city.. cell coverage is good most everywhere, and there are good facilities/amenities very nearby.. I don't see a need for inreach or any sort of back up communication system.. between my US cell carrier, my PH's local cell carrier, my wifes cell carrier (different than mine), etc.. whatsapp, texting, making calls, using the cell GPS, etc is all easy to do and we're all connected pretty much all the time.. my PH also has a solid radio network and can easily communicate with the other PH's, the skinners, the trackers, the lodge staff, etc.. at the push of a button..

If I were chasing Bongo in the Congo however.. things would be very different.. not only is there much less cell connectivity, medical threats and physical threats are also very different...

Parts of Africa I don't mind traveling to with just a cell phone.. other parts Im going to have an inreach device on me.. others still Im taking my starlink mini with me..

It just depends..

Thank you, this makes a lot of sense.

 

[Red Leg]

I have never brought one. If I am driving somewhere on roads to, from, or in towns and cities, google maps works really well. My SATCOM phone has GPS capability when I am in a true wilderness area like Mozambique, and the phone home capability is far more important to me than GPS.

 

[Nhoro]

Most camps have satellite WiFi. You can also buy a local sim in most countries at the airport and have cheaper non roaming rates. I have Mozambique,zambia, South Africa and Zim sims. You can also use some apps which don't need Internet to work like Avenza (I use that on my phone for trail runs) and Gaia. They are accurate to about 50 m so absolutely great for finding the car etc.

 

[Rafiki]

Wasn't sure how good the cell coverage would be, especially in the bush, or how much roaming costs might end up being etc

GPS doesn't require cell coverage.

 

[WyoBull]

I use OnX and will waypoint the lodge and kill sites on it just because it is fun after I get home to look at the map on my computer's large monitor and see where we were etc.
Other than for fun, there is no reason you "need" a GPS in Africa.

 

[JimP]

On my last hunt I plotted on Google Earth all my kill locations.

I should of been a little more attentive on how we got to them but I got it all taken care of after quite a bit of searching. My biggest problem was using images on Google that hadn't been updated in quite a while.

On the phone, my service is with Verizon and according to their web site I should of been fine. I prepaid for 10 days of service and tried it out a couple of times. All I managed to do was to get myself charged for three days. I couldn't make calls but I did get the text saying that I was charged for a days use. I eventually just gave up on it and used my phone for taking pictures and updating my friends and family on the WWW that I had access to at the lodge.

 

[Mekaniks]

I carry my Inreach every where I go, and have used it all over the world....

Do I really need it while hunting in Africa... probebly not...

Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it....

 

[Rafiki]

On my last hunt I plotted on Google Earth all my kill locations.

I should of been a little more attentive on how we got to them but I got it all taken care of after quite a bit of searching. My biggest problem was using images on Google that hadn't been updated in quite a while.

On the phone, my service is with Verizon and according to their web site I should of been fine. I prepaid for 10 days of service and tried it out a couple of times. All I managed to do was to get myself charged for three days. I couldn't make calls but I did get the text saying that I was charged for a days use. I eventually just gave up on it and used my phone for taking pictures and updating my friends and family on the WWW that I had access to at the lodge.

Couple of things. First don't waste your money on cell cards, just use WhatsApp. You can call anywhere in the world on WhatsApp because it's uses Voice/IP tech. All you need is Wi-Fi.

We have Wi-Fi in camp via a sat dish, that's in the middle of TZ bush.

Second, if you use your cell phone to take pictures the coordinates are included in the image info. Like you I used Google Earth and the image cords. Works with anything that accepts GPS cords of course.

 

[mrpoindexter]

Years ago, I took a Garmin to mark where I killed animals and to transfer the coordinates to Google Earth. I've downsized my gear since.

I just take a photo of the animals where they lay with my iPhone and it geotags the coordinates.

 

[spike.t]

Most camps have satellite WiFi. You can also buy a local sim in most countries at the airport and have cheaper non roaming rates. I have Mozambique,zambia, South Africa and Zim sims. You can also use some apps which don't need Internet to work like Avenza (I use that on my phone for trail runs) and Gaia. They are accurate to about 50 m so absolutely great for finding the car etc.

Yup but remember they lapse after I think 90 days if not used in most countries....

 

[spike.t]

Most camps have satellite WiFi. You can also buy a local sim in most countries at the airport and have cheaper non roaming rates. I have Mozambique,zambia, South Africa and Zim sims. You can also use some apps which don't need Internet to work like Avenza (I use that on my phone for trail runs) and Gaia. They are accurate to about 50 m so absolutely great for finding the car etc.

Yeah use gaia ..but have had it for some reason think I was in a suburb of Mexico City when on takeri....had to chat with the people and we figured it out....had to turn off the WiFi as the sat wifi was doing something weird, and only use the satellites gala use...very weird

 

[Red Leg]

On my last hunt I plotted on Google Earth all my kill locations.

I should of been a little more attentive on how we got to them but I got it all taken care of after quite a bit of searching. My biggest problem was using images on Google that hadn't been updated in quite a while.

On the phone, my service is with Verizon and according to their web site I should have been fine. I prepaid for 10 days of service and tried it out a couple of times. All I managed to do was to get myself charged for three days. I couldn't make calls but I did get the text saying that I was charged for a days use. I eventually just gave up on it and used my phone for taking pictures and updating my friends and family on the WWW that I had access to at the lodge.

I use Verizon’s international plan. Ten bucks a day voice and data, and works everywhere I have been in Europe, Africa, or South America where there is any coverage roaming or otherwise. I also use WhatsApp, though primarily for data - voice is not always the clearest - no charge for that.

 

[JimP]

Second, if you use your cell phone to take pictures the coordinates are included in the image info. Like you I used Google Earth and the image cords. Works with anything that accepts GPS cords of course.

I tried that, even with location data turned on it didn't work.

I use Verizon’s international plan. Ten bucks a day voice and data, and works everywhere I have been in Europe, Africa, or South America where there is any coverage roaming or otherwise. I also use WhatsApp, though primarily for data - voice is not always the clearest - no charge for that.

That's what I had and it was a no go. All I accomplished was to spend 10 bucks and then get a text from Verizon that I was good for the next 24 hours, but I still couldn't make phone calls.

 

[Safari Dave]

If you have an iPhone 14 or later, it will send text via satellite, if it doesn't get normal cell coverage.

If you download the maps of the areas you are going to hunt prior to travel, you should be fine.

However, I never rely only one means of emergency communication.

I have a PLB, if things get dire.

"Two is one, and one is none" - in a real emergency.