Tips on using your Garmin Zümo XT/XT2
Garmin XT/XT2: Install (free) maps on your device
Map information
To use (external) maps on your Garmin, it’s good to understand what types exist:
| Type | Description | Routable |
| OSM Base Map | The standard OpenStreetMap map: roads, paths, places, POIs. No elevation data (no relief or contour lines). | Yes |
| Base map with DEM | The OSM Base Map with elevation data (DEM = Digital Elevation Model). Shows shaded relief (visible hills/mountains), but usually few or no contour lines. Great for general terrain overview. | Yes |
| Garmin contours | Only (or mainly) contour lines, often provided as a separate overlay. Very useful for off-road, hiking, and motorcycle routes to precisely see climbs and descents. | No |
- The naming 'Base Map', 'Base Map with DEM', and 'Contours' is not used consistently by all map providers (can be confusing).
- Garmin can only have one routable map active per region. Having multiple routable maps active simultaneously prevents Garmin from calculating routes.
- The OSM Base Map can be safely combined with Garmin contours, since contour lines are not routable. However, combining OSM Base Map + Base map with DEM adds two routable maps, which will cause routing problems.
- Garmin devices also include a built-in “basemap” besides the main map. This usually covers the entire world but is very limited: only major cities and a few main roads are shown. The basemap should remain on the device and doesn’t need to be replaced.
- Because every map provider uses their own style (colors, line thickness, shading), the same area can look different per map. By toggling maps and overlays on and off, you can find the combination that best suits your needs.
Downloading maps
There are plenty of OSM maps available online. Here are my favorite sites:
| Map | Url | Notes |
| OpenStreetMap Wiki | https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download | Overview of all OSM map providers |
| AlternateLibres | https://alternativaslibres.org/en/downloads.php | My favorite OSM Base Map |
| OpenTopoMap (OTM) | https://garmin.opentopomap.org/ | My favorite contour map |
Note: Always use the “International” version of maps (Garmin cannot handle non-Latin scripts properly).
Installing maps
- Download the maps you want to install.
- Extract all zip files and rename the .img file (usually gmapsupp.img) to something unique (e.g. gmapsupp-base.img, gmapsupp-dem.img, and gmapsupp-contour.img).
- Create a folder on your Garmin SD card and name it 'Map'.
- Copy all *.img files into this folder.
- Insert the SD card into your device and turn it on.
- Go to Settings -> Map Display -> MyMaps and enable all maps you want to see.
- View the map on your Garmin and zoom in closely to verify it works.
- Open any GPX track and convert it to a route on the XT/XT2: if that works, navigation is functioning properly.
Note: For older Garmin devices, the above steps usually work as well, but you may need to reset the Garmin to see the new maps.
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