Tracks or routes on your GPS

[Quixotica]

I use an eTrek 35T with the v6 TOPO AU/NZ upgrade. I have mainly used it for off-track bushwalking in the past, but now using it a lot on-bike. Just wondering how most people use theirs please? Do you just upload GPX files manually and 'follow the line'... or do you convert tracks to routes in BaseCamp, therefore allowing turn by turn directions? It all kinda does my head in to be honest :-) I find the conversion to routes 'averages' the route a bit, and doesn't follow the track 100% Not sure if that matters real-world or not.

Am I right in assuming that routes would take up more memory? The main advantage of routes to me is that I can leave the GPS in power-save, and it will wake up for a turn by turn instruction. That way, I feel like I could get better battery life. If I'm not following a strict course (ie. in a bikepacking race) then the re-routing is great, but then in a race, I imagine that would be dangerous :-)

Any other suggestions for following GPX files on a Garmin eTrek? Any intermediate steps that would make things easier... for eg. RidewithGPS, Komoot etc.? I've read a few posts here asking similar questions but they are a few years old - so wondering what may have changed.

Thanks heaps.

[dh024]

I prefer to just follow tracks. They actually take up more space than routes on the GPS, but I can visualize my path much better (routes get all wonky sometimes with off-road courses). The trick is to always pay attention to your GPS when you approach an intersection - then visualize on the map which way to go.

Tracks are also much better in the backcountry where you might lose sight of an overgrown or poorly defined trail. I have followed a track on my GPS screen a few times when it was hard to see where the actual trail was on the ground. With a route on a gps, it just "connects the dots" between turns, so you can't do this. Routes and spoken navigation does work well on roads when touring, however.

[Quixotica]

Thanks dh024. Appreciate that. The more I try and create workable ?routes?, I realise it?s just too hard. Will go back to just using tracks as you suggest. Thanks heaps.