When you want to start working with Garmin BaseCamp, you need some maps installed. You can buy them from Garmin, but you definitely don’t need to.
Follow the next 4 easy steps to install the free maps from OSM (Openstreetmap) onto your PC.
1 – Download the file
- Go to https://www.freizeitkarte-osm.de/ and click on the bottom-left square: Maps for Garmin GPS-Receivers.
- Go to Maps and choose the country you need. If your country is not in the dropdown, choose More Countries.
- Next look at your prefered language and download the GMAP Install Archive (full) for Garmin BaseCamp file.
2 – Unzip the file
To unzip the file you just downloaded, right-click on it and choose Extract Here. Things may look a bit different if you have WinZip installed. If you see no way to unzip your file, please download and install WinRAR first.
3 – Install the map
- After unzipping, you will see two files appear. Open the executable file (the one that starts with GMAP)
- Click Next – I Agree – Install – Finish
4 – Enable the map in Garmin BaseCamp
- Open BaseCamp. If the program was already open, please close and reopen it.
- Click on the dropdown menu just above the map, select the map you just installed. If you don’t see a dropdown menu, click on ‘Maps’ in the top menu and select the map.
- That’s it.
If you have any trouble with the steps above or just advice in general, let me know in the comments!
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Hi there, great site thank you so much!
I downloaded and installed 3 maps, Canada, US and Mexico.
When I open Base Camp and click the Map tab only the Canada and US maps appear. I checked the Garmin folder and the Mexico map was there.
So I downloaded and installed the Mexico map (overriding the first installation), then I opened Base Camp, clicked on the Maps tab and it still does not show.
Any solutions…?
Thanks in advance!
Hi,
Basecamp mandatory on drive c: (pit)…
But how can I install a map on drive d:?
Tks,
This solution worked for me:
To move the map files to an alternate location:
Windows Vista and higher:
Press the Windows key + R
Type %programdata% and press Enter
Open the Garmin folder
Open the Maps folder
Right-click the desired map to move
Click Cut
Browse to the desired alternate location
Right-click a blank area in the directory
Click Paste
Browse back to the Maps folder on the C: drive (%programdata%\Garmin\Maps)
Right-click a blank area in the directory
Select New
Select Shortcut
Click Browse and browse to the location of the relocated map
Click Next
Click Finish
Start BaseCamp or MapSource to view the maps. The maps will be loaded from the alternate location.
Very nice page!
Is there something similar for OpenSeaMap?
I’d love to have some data of Baltic Sea, German Sea (Nordsee) and the English Channel available for my (yes, very old) Garmin GPSmap 62s.
Any help is welcome.
Thanks.
I am a newbie on the Basecamp app so maybe this is a dumb question. When I download your Maps using a Mac with Monterrey installed, after uncompressing they appear as a folder. Can’t open from BaseCamp or double click on it. Could you please advise? Thanks
Ok. I found it. I had to just move the uncompressed folder to the Garmin default location and it appears.
Hi,
My country (Israel) is no on the list of maps.
is there a way I can create a customized map for the area I need?
Thanks
Moshe
How can install this on Mac please?
While BaseCamp is opened, double clic on the .gmap file. This will automatically open the corresponding window in BaseCamp to install it. I just did it and works.
Hi Wouter,
I’ve just installed the BeNeLux states on BaseCamp. Much better than the Garmin Maps. How can I install the same map on the Micro SD which is on my Garmin device? Any tuto that I can follow?
Thanks &
Regards,
Fab
Hi again,
Just as a follow up on my previous post. I’ve read the “Garmin GPS-Device Installation on a micro SD card” explanation. However, I suppose that if I do a copy of the file “gmapsupp.img” and paste it into the folder “/garmin” on the micro SD card, it’ll overwrite the Garmin map. Is there any way to keep both maps?
Regards,
Fab
Hi Fab,
Sorry for the late reply! You can just rename the gmapsupp files as long as you don’t change the extension. For example: belgium.img and france.img.
Good luck! ? Wouter
If you do not like the appearance of your Garmin or the Freitzeitkarten-OSM maps than you can modify/change the TYP-file associated with the map. For this you should have a look at two important tools: JaVaWa GMTK which allows you to associate a different TYP-File with a map and TYPWiz 6 which allows you to edit an existing TYP-File. At least for me this has opened and whole new world in customizing BaseCamp and make it more useful for my needs.
This is also explained here: https://www.freizeitkarte-osm.de/garmin/en/design.html There you can find some alternate designs.
In my humble opinion the Freitzeitkarten-OSM look very nice in BaseCamp when I use the Topo France V4 TYP-file which I have found here https://www.pinns.co.uk/osm/topofrance.html . But each has its own preferences how a map should look like. In the end you can take your time and fully customize the TYP-File to your very own needs until you are happy with the result.
Yes, thanks for the insights! I always change my design to ‘outdoor’ from freizeitkarte-osm. I think it looks good on a Garmin GPSMAP 64.
Without contour lines, the maps are not that useful.
I’ve just installed the Spain and Portugal map and it has 20m contour lines.
Indeed – there should be contours included as far as I know. Good luck!
My downloaded map of the Czech Republic only appears in the Map List when I open the sub folder “Refresh map list”. From there however, I cannot do anything with it. It doesn’t open from this location and does not import into the main Maps List either. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Clive,
I’m sorry I have no idea what might have caused that..
Hope you have figured it out by now.
Good luck ? Wouter
Hi Wouter,
As I wrote early morning in the Dutch comments, I do not see the dropdown menu at the right end of the functions toolbar. It is missing for now in my BaseCamp version 4.7.3. I’m sure that the first installation attempt went thru the the command window, loading all the files.
I guess the problem must be inside the the Freizeit installer. I will proceed to a new attempt, using ENGLISH at all options. Hopefully that makes a difference.
I think that this issue is worth to bring to attention of readers. If suggestions, please continue at the ‘NEDERLANDS’ comments or mail me. Thanks
Don’t worry about missing dropdown menu ! Just click on tab Maps ; that’s it.
Wouter , you might modify the text. Thank you again.
Freizeit developers make nice maps and I’m delighted to use them in BaseCamp.