Basemap

From Trail-Finder -- Dedicated to getting you outside

A GPS basemap is the map which is included, free, built into a GPS. Early GPS units included on basemap at all. Newer basemaps generally include at least major highways, with some basemaps also including info on facilities available at highway exists, such as restaurants and gas stations.

Highway navigation GPS units, not the ones normally carried by hikers and kayakers, have basemaps which normally include all, or nearly all roads, as well as address information for those roads, allowing for easy navigation to any address.

Better GPS units from most companies allow you to load additional, more detailed maps to use in addition to the basemap. These additional maps let you load full road information, topo maps, points of interest, etc.