New iPhone App Hiking Guide Looking For Testers

[Linesman]

I am looking for testers for a new iPhone app set to be released soon. Shorts Guide is designed to help you hike on the AT and beyond, with over 5000 miles of trail, 680 trails, and 4000 waypoints included in the 65MB package. The app does not use any data, cellular, or internet; it is an offline, monolithic app designed for airplane mode and never any downloading.

Shorts Guide uses the phone's GPS receiver to instantly place you on trail to the nearest hundredth of a mile. Or you can manually chose a location for the app to "go to". Either way, the app will display a list of waypoints in front of and behind you, and show you a map to get a visual sense the trails around you. If you are lost in the woods the app will instantly tell you your distance and bearing from the nearest trail point.

The AT is the central trail in the App, but it also includes data for the BMT, the LT, the LP, the Condor Trail in California, and the C&O Towpath, as well as hundreds of minor trails throughout Appalachia.

Please PM me your email address if you have and iPhone and are interested in being one of the first users of the app. Shorts Guide will sell on the App Store for between 5-10 but I would like to give testers a free copy.

Any questions?

IMG_5016.PNGIMG_5017.PNGIMG_5018.PNGIMG_5019.PNGIMG_5021.PNG

[Ethesis]

I'm interested. Guess I'll send you a pm.

[salsi]

I am interested as well

[Linesman]

If you use multiple email addresses, please PM the one that you use for Apple services.

[johnspenn]

Will you make this available for Android users as well?

[Linesman]

Will you make this available for Android users as well?

In an ideal world I would have an android version out in a few months. But it depends on the reception the iOS version gets. I am not a programmer by education. If this app helps people I will be pleasantly surprised.

Now might be a good time to say that I am providing this app to testers WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY. It may contain false information, or quit working at any moment.

Can an admin change the dancing banana?

[dcdennis]

How is this different than AllTrails or Guthooks etc...? None of them require anything more than GPS signal either.....

[Linesman]

How is this different than AllTrails or Guthooks etc...? None of them require anything more than GPS signal either.....

I haven't used AllTrails, but I used and liked Guthook on my PCT hike. Guthook has a few problems though.

First, you cant view the whole trail at once. Want to look at the waypoints in one section while you are in another? You have to switch back and forth between the modules. With my app there is no fuss - it simply finds the closest AT point to you instantly. If you are on a trail, it recognizes that and updates the list of waypoints (screen shot #2 above).

My app also takes less space than Guthook. Maybe a big deal for you, maybe not. In addition, guthook requires internet for his maps to render, or that you download large map tiles. My app provides basic, functional maps with no overhead.

My app allows you to go to a specific mile, and the app updates as if you are standing at that milepost. Here is a sequence of four screenshots showing how this works:

IMG_5027.PNGIMG_5028.PNGIMG_5029.PNGIMG_5030.PNG

Purple signifies real time information from GPS, grey manual mode¹.

There are more features you will find if you try it. And I hope you will - right now it's free. The testing period lasts 60 days, but for people who test it i will provide a code for the whole app free when its on the app store. There are probably some bugs to iron out before then, but I have used the app a lot and it does work.


Footnote:

1. The app contains 680 different trails in this menu. Adjust the "picker threshold" slider to see more insignificant trails.

[salsi]

Looked at it some today quite enjoyed it and it looks great. I don't know how feasible it is, but if you could add the distance to the next thing of that type I think that would be great rather then having to do the math. will test it out more tmmr.

[Linesman]

Looked at it some today quite enjoyed it and it looks great. I don't know how feasible it is, but if you could add the distance to the next thing of that type I think that would be great rather then having to do the math. will test it out more tmmr.

Thanks. And yeah thats a great suggestion. The only issue would be that something like SpringerShelter is on the Springer Mtn Shelter Spur, not the AT. A basic distance to next function could only show the distance to the next waypoint of that type on the same trail. So if you are on the AT at ColdSpringShelter, the next shelter would show up as CableGapShelter because that is the next 'Shelter' waypoint that is literally on the AT.

I could go through and change the type of the shelter spur waypoints to 'Shelter'. I'll think on it.

[FreeGoldRush]

Curious what your data source is for the app. Did you create the data for shelters, road crossings, etc. by hiking the trail or are you using a publicly available data set? If so, which one?

[Linesman]

Curious what your data source is for the app. Did you create the data for shelters, road crossings, etc. by hiking the trail or are you using a publicly available data set? If so, which one?

Good question! Mostly the latter. I thru hiked in 2011, and have hiked maybe 100 miles while preparing this app, but most of the data is taken from a variety of data including satellite data, ATC data, USGS topographic maps, google, etc. In my tests, the data has been accurate. I hope to do more 'feet on the ground' data gathering this summer.

[linus72]

ill try it!

[Linesman]

ill try it!

Pm me your email address

[ldsailor]

I would be very interested in trying an Android version. If you have something in a couple of months, that's when I'll be doing a LASH from Marion, VA.

I second the request for distance listings. That is the most used feature on the Guthook app I use.

[Linesman]

Distance listings.. I think I have something like that, look at the second screen shot in my first post. When gps is on, those grey numbers turn purple and update in real time.

I hope to make an android, but not likely be out before your hike.

[Linesman]

Wish I could edit. I think you mean distance to next shelter, water etc. I'll try to incorporate something like that.

[ldsailor]

Wish I could edit. I think you mean distance to next shelter, water etc. I'll try to incorporate something like that.

Yes, that is what I mean. It's a much used feature in Guthook.

[llittle_llama]

PM sent


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[saltysack]

Could you try to resend as I never got it...could send to my gmail if want..
[email protected] a section in Va later this week I'll give it a test....im having issue sending pm as box is full but not letting me delete any...


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