View Full Version : GPS App for Iphone
Chowder_17
09-24-2016, 18:31
Before I shell out a lot of money for a hiking GPS, I have a perfectly good iPhone. Any one have any recommendations for the best GPS app? Thanks in advance.
Guthook's AT App
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Gaia GPS
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
jjozgrunt
09-24-2016, 21:29
+1 Guthooks
fiddlehead
09-24-2016, 21:40
Since this is a general gear forum (and not specifically AT), I feel OK with some thread drift to ask the question:
Has anyone used this Gaia app for European mapping?
I am looking at the Balkan countries in particular and have a GPX track of the trail, but am wondering about the off-line downloadable maps.
Anyone?
(wish they had a trial period before I go and gamble on $20 to check it out)
I would also really be interested in some Asian countries topo maps but fear that google maps is going to be my best bet on most of these lesser trekked places.
couscous
09-25-2016, 07:32
For the AT, Guthook's App
For Africa, Asia, Middle East I used one of the following for offline maps
MAPS.ME – Offline Map with Navigation and Directions by MY COM
https://appsto.re/us/A53BE.i
MotionX GPS HD by MotionX™
https://appsto.re/us/xttfw.i
Maineiac64
09-25-2016, 11:32
For the AT I really like guthook, lots of good info about water, shelters, etc. I really like that it shows you the distance remaining along the trail to a given spot and shows the elevation views. Maybe Gaigps does this too but I seem to only be able to get it to show me the "as a crow flies" distance remaining. I use gaigps off the AT and like being able to download maps, routes, etc. One time where it showed a trail crossing should be it was way off, said we had passed it, but we found it like 1/2 mile up. I have found that it varies in calculation distances between routes and tracks. I mapped a route that said was 8 miles recently and hiked it and it tracked 6.5 miles which is a pretty big deviation.
Since this is a general gear forum (and not specifically AT), I feel OK with some thread drift to ask the question:
Has anyone used this Gaia app for European mapping?
I am looking at the Balkan countries in particular and have a GPX track of the trail, but am wondering about the off-line downloadable maps.
Anyone?
(wish they had a trial period before I go and gamble on $20 to check it out)
I would also really be interested in some Asian countries topo maps but fear that google maps is going to be my best bet on most of these lesser trekked places.
Fiddlehead,
I'm using Backcountry Navigator, running the free European maps (4UMap).
While the maps are not perfect, they are still good enough for hiking.
I didn't find out how the maps download for offline usage would work in BN, but am usually running the maps from the cache, that means I zoom and pan through the section of trail for the next few days before leaving town or coverage area.
For the Middle East I'm using Google Earth in the same way.
A SIM Card from a local provider is mandatory anyway.
hikernutcasey
09-28-2016, 08:51
+1 on Guthook if you are hiking the A.T.
We just did a little weekend section in Virginia and didn't want to spend the money for just the 3 days but once out there I couldn't believe how much I missed having it. It is so nice to be able to know exactly how far you are from a certain point on the trail.
Guthook's on my smart phone was the only GPS I needed on the AT. It saved me many times when I got off trail. Is very easy to see where you are, how far you have to go, how big of hill you are going up and where the next water sources or shelters are. Only negative is that you still need a paper guide as there is no information about resupply. Big positive is that there is a comments section on every waypoint. If a water source is dry there was generally a comment about it on the app.
WAZE is an awesome, free app! Use it to/from work daily (Ellicott City to DC) and it never disappoints. Based on input from users it routes/re-routes around traffic congestion, construction, etc. Only minor squawk would be that they should display top two rows (distance/description (street, etc., of next turn) in a white/yellow text to make them more visible when wearing sunglasses. Recent 'upgrade' made it more difficult to discern when iPhone mounted on dashboard.