79 Multiple Basecamp Databases

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Organising your stuff


BaseCamp has a long list of modifications and bug fixes that it has introduced since the first release. The latest (as of 21/08/21) is version 4.7.4, obtainable from here, along with the list of all of the changes. Riveting reading. Something else to do if you happen to be waiting for paint to dry.

But one feature that crept in a few years ago is worth knowing about. You can specify where on your hard disk you wish to have BaseCamp store its database of your routes.

So Basecamp now gives you the opportunity to set up a number of different databases, each one entirely separate from the others - so you needn’t have your planned tour of Europe mixed in with your trip through the Dales. They can be completely isolated from each other in separate folders or on different hard disk drives.


Where is this feature?

In the Edit Menu, click Options and then click the ‘General’ gear icon. Pic 1

The ‘Database Options’ section shows the icons that allow the user to perform the actions shown in Pic 2. The drop down list displays a list of all of the database that it knows about - ie the ones that you have used.



Adding a New Database

First you need to create folder in which to store your databases. Within that, I prefer to have a sub folder for a group of routes - say for a year, or for a single long trip, although you don’t have to do this.

My folder is on a separate hard drive in E:\BCDatabases,
So I navigate to that and select ‘Make a New Folder’, and I name the folder Pic 3 the same as my Database. Pic 4 That way I know which Windows Folder relates to which database.

Moving a Database


It is possible to copy a database from one location to another:



Make sure that you have a folder in which all of your databases will be stored (eg BCDatabases, as before).

In Basecamp, create a new database. Give the database almost the same name as the one you want to move, and select ‘Make New Folder’ with exactly the same name as your new database. Exit out of the ‘Edit Options’ Dialogue and BC will want to restart. Let it.

Exit and Close Basecamp.


In your file explorer, locate your new MyNewDatabase folder. If there is a folder in there called ‘Database’, delete it and all of its contents (its Ok, Basecamp just created it). You are going to paste in the folder for your old Database instead.

Locate the folder containing your old database and navigate to the ‘Database’ folder. Copy this folder.

Back to the MyNewDatabase folder and paste the Database folder in the location where you deleted your previous one.

Restart Basecamp. It will start with your newly created database name which contains your moved database contents.

The new name will be in the drop down list. So will the old name - which is why you named it slightly differently.

Deleting a Database

Removes the database from the list. It does not appear to delete the actual database file.


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The information on these pages has been acquired from personal experience of using and testing the behaviour of Basecamp and my Zumo XT. I have no links with Garmin, and these pages should not be regarded as instructions. They are presented for interest only. The contents of these pages must not be shared, copied, transmitted, redistributed or re-published in any form without my permission. (C) JHeath 2021.