Review: Satmap Active 10 satellite navigation

There are plenty of in-car sat navs, but Satmap ignores this route with the Active 10 - a device aimed at orienteering enthusiasts and featuring detailed maps direct from Ordnance Survey (OS).

Simple road maps of the UK are provided, but the big draw is its use of OS maps. However, this also means you pay a hefty premium and, despite its high price, the device doesn’t come with any OS maps - instead you buy individual regions on SD card (1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scale maps are available for regions covering the whole of Great Britain starting at £29.99).

There are no turn-by-turn instructions, but when you’re on foot you don’t need this level of direction.

Instead it shows you exactly where you are and, by plotting various waypoints, allows you to follow a route accurately, indicating altitude and distance travelled as you go. A trail shows you where you’ve been and you also get a useful electronic compass.

The chassis is both waterproof and shockproof, which means the 3.5in screen isn’t touch-sensitive. The six rubber buttons, which require a firm press, are assigned different functions relating to the menu you’re in.

It can be powered by three AA batteries, with a lithium-ion pack and 12v in-car connection optional extras. During testing, after around four hours’ usage the remaining battery indicator still showed three bars out of four, but it then popped up with a critical battery alarm about one hour later.

It has its flaws and you’ll end up spending a lot if you want OS maps for the whole of the UK, but if you’re regularly hiking or walking cross country the Satmap Active 10 is a great, if expensive companion.