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Mandalorian
12-14-2015, 20:29
I'm thinking about FINALLY getting a smart phone. My question is about how accurate/well does the Map my hike app really work on the trail. Mainly does it become spotty and/or inaccurate depending on the canopy of trees. (Thick canopy no data??)
Also what other things would I find cool/useful on the trail?
Anything else I might need to know?

donthaveoneyet
12-15-2015, 08:58
I use the MapMyWalk app (same thing, basically), but mainly for fitness hikes (most mornings before work). I don't bother with it for longer or recreational hikes. My daily hikes are typicall 6-10 miles, on trails that are under forest canopy probably 60-70% of the time. I find the app to be pretty reliable and accurate. I've compared it to my Garmin (Oregon) several times, running both on the same hikes, and found minor differences (a few hundredths to maybe a tenth of a mile or so), generally attributable to the fact that all of these devices have some variation on accuracy. I upgraded to the pay version not long ago, got rid of the ads, and now can run a HRM at the same time. I have the app set for readouts every mile, so I can know how fast I am hiking. The website automatically keeps track of mileage, times, calories burned, etc. I think it's a decent app. I just don't see using it for long distances - uses too much battery and not really needed on marked trails.

bemental
12-15-2015, 10:11
Battery intensive over long periods of time, but should be suitable for a few hours.

Because smartphones use multiple sources of coordinates for accuracy, and YMMV, but I've found them to be relatively (10-20 meters) in heavily canopied trees.

nsherry61
12-15-2015, 12:48
FWIW, the accuracy of your phone's GPS is really the dictator of tracking accuracy in poor signal areas like under heavy tree cover. The app can play a role in how it manages the data stream and the few noisy data points. For instance, I've found that BackCountry Navigator on my Android manages poor signal better than my old Garmin GPS because it does a better job of ignoring noisy data. But, ultimately, if it's garbage in, it's garbage out, so you phone GPS quality is really key.