Ive been an iOS user for the last year and recently became an Android user of Gaia, said userdmaxey atGaia GPS. The following eight apps made it into our initial selection: Map My Hike, AllTrails, Komoot, Hiking Project, Gaia GPS, Green Tracks, A-GPS Tracker and AlpineQuest GPS Hiking Lite. One way to avoid getting lost and having a way better ride is by using the Trailforks app. While you are hiking the app also draws a breadcrumb trail on the map (note: all apps in this selection have this feature). 360 vote(s) so far. It can be used for a multitude of activities hiking, backpacking, walking, cross country skiing, etc. I also use Strava Heatmap, GoogleMaps, and creeping on public routes on MapMyRide to find new routes or connect to gravel segments. The days of using a tangible map and compass to navigate our way on trail have fallen by the wayside like 8-track tapes did in the 80s. You can learn more about our editorial policies here. Nevertheless, it is a good option for those who want a simple and lightweight navigation app for their trips. Thanks for your review. The sun on your face, the wind in your hair: all this and more could be yours to experience if you ever get off reddit and go outside for once! This is when the map downloading and printing options come in handy, as well as importing KML and GPX files. On a positive note: it shows total time and actual moving time. I often find that too much data can get messy and make apps more complicated than necessary. For hikers and trail runners, the better app is likely to be AllTrails. Thanks. Ciao Blaz, thanks for the reviews. The website and app don't look or feel as modern as AllTrails. 3 1 Cycling Gravel cycling Cardio Sports Amateur sport Outdoors Fitness Outdoors and Nature Fitness and Nutrition According to the AccuBattery app, all the tested apps, besides from the A-GPS Tracker app, consumed approximately the same amount of energy. Thanks for sharing this. NY 10036. A platform for trail associations to keep track of trail conditions, builders to log work & users to discover, plan and share their activities. Is there such an app? They prompt you to donate to local organizations but thats it. You can find 58 photo repair guides and 95 other tips and tricks like a guide about what to wear at different temperatures or information about bike fitting. Theyre built to take a beating from the elements while keeping your noggin cool, comfortable, and protected from the sun. I use VIDEGROs WalkTracker. You can use apps such as AllTrails and TrailForks to find new routes for running. In fact, they are specifically asking Android users to beta test their new updates so if youre an interested Android user, head on over to their website. Users can contribute data and then local trail associations have the control to approve & curate the data. Nevertheless, Im not a big fan of Sports Tracker. What is your experience with hiking apps? Record your track and easily share it with other users and friends upon completion. The user-friendly interface and extensive catalog have gained AllTrails a world of praise from Apple and Android users alike. As a Leave No Trace partner, were committed to keeping outdoor spaces clean, safe, and kind. Theres a free version on their website and a donate version in the Playstore. Mention either by name and youll be greeted by an onslaught of dedicated outdoor enthusiasts that swear by one or the other. Nice having driving directions straight to the trailhead, says Reddit user bombadil1564 (Apple). You should never rely solely on your smartphone (regardless of hiking app) because its functionality is limited by battery life and availability of GPS signal. Today I downloaded and tried other 5 top rated apps, including Alltracks and Gaia, and the maps on those are nowhere nearly as accurate, nor are they as visually pleasant.. Half of the more obscure trails are not shown. The app has a free basic version which is good for setting goals and logging workouts. Well, there is a trick if you click on edit route in the app, the app starts showing your location as well as the route So, theoretically it possible to use it for navigation. Furthermore, the app also calculates the optimal route to your destination for you; if you tap on a point on the map, the app will create you the optimal route to that point. The first thing I noticed is not all trails are listed. Aside from being outdoors, Fiona's biggest aim is to inspire others to enjoy the great outdoors, especially through her writing. When we first moved to the North Shore, I didnt bother downloading it. There was a problem. I use it all the time to find trails around me to hike. But I do like how easy it is to create a trail/path with Gaia. You need to manually export a GPS track and import it to a phone app. It seems the maps are very good. Experiment: How reliable is Suuntos FusedTrack Feature? Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Mountain biking trail on the North Shore mountains in British Columbia. Not everyone is so willing to fork out $40 a year for an app when they can pay a one time fee for a handheld navigation GPS device. Lastly, we dismissed the AlpineQuest GPS Hiking Lite because the free version does not support GPS tracking. Just wanted to note that you can import and export GPS tracks in AllTrails. It has good reviews on Google Play . Black is beyond me. bike magazin latsch martelltal giornale di mountain bike. This helps to measure progress and is good for motivation. What are GPS tracks and how to use them for hiking, Yes (many regions and countries - topo maps), 11 different maps, including topo and satellite, AllTrails Topo, AllTrails Road, Satellite, Ascent, Average Speed, Distance, Duration, Max Altitude, Min Altitude, Pace, Elevation Graph, Altitude, Ascent, Average Speed, Distance, Duration, Max Altitude, Min Altitude, Pace, Speed Graph, Elevation Graph, Duration, Distance, Speed, Elevation Graph, Duration, Distance, Current Speed, Average Speed, Average Speed, Distance, Duration, Max Altitude, Min Altitude, Pace, Speed Graph, Elevation Graph, Duration, Distance, Speed, Elevation Graph, Max Speed, Average Speed, Duration, Distance, Average Speed, Ascent, Descent, Max Altitude, Min Altitude, Duration, Ascent/Descent, Min Altitude, Max Altitude. The use of the record button is registering your track and it becomes very easy to retrace your steps if you get lost. Trailforks is dedicated to giving you the best interactive trail maps, custom designed for your selected activity. Looking forward to a future report on it. Given the size of the trail network literally 100 steps from our house, its easy to get lost. I find this crucial for hiking and mountaineering. The Komoot app wins when it comes to graphic design and interface. Worth a second look from you. It has the largest database of mountain bike trails in the world and you can still plan your route when offline after you downloaded a region. We used a topographic map, if the app could provide it. Discover unexpected gems, even in your own backyard. Just no nonsense, down to business navigation and tracking app. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. What are your mountain biking goals? Sign up for Weekend Wanderer and join thousands of readers getting epic travel ideas weekly. Trailforks is a trail database & map with over 500,000 trails. There is a subscription per month or year for the Pro version. This automatically down load the local map, including the overlays of more advanced maps and grids. All the routes and experiences can be shared with other people on the map through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc. What sets it apart, other than the visual layout of course, is the technical details. While I dont expect the app to have every single trail imaginable, I was rather surprised by this. I think more or less all apps that are listed above support breadcrumb trails. Here's a list of current trail guides in the app: Trail maps wherever you are If you're traveling, you can use Trailforks to suggest local trails for all the activities listed. The Gaia GPS and Green Tracks apps have the best topographic maps. Also note that smartphones cannot compare to handheld GPS devices or GPS watches when it comes to battery life and durability. The Gaia GPS app, has the best topographic map of all apps reviewed here. Get all the best maps for mountain biking, hiking, moto, skiing and beyond in your pocket and at your fingertips. I use it hiking and biking. Probably the most groundbreaking and essential app for people out adventuring if nothing more, it is the most accurate way to get help to your location if needed! And yes, it also includes the time and distance of your trip. trail. It has more powerful navigation capabilities and a ridiculous amount of features youll find come in handy when you really need to know exactly where you are. Because I use an iPhone, obviously I cannot comment on GreenTracks. There are not many trails recorded and we find Trailforks a lot more helpful. He seems to be very responsive. The key to extend the battery is to turn the airplane mode on once your start your journey. A letdown is that the app only comes with a topographic map which cant be zoomed in adequately. You need to be signed up to the platform to be able to download a GPX route file, or similar. It can be scary too. pre load routes for offline usage during hike no need for data or wifi while hiking I need a PC to create one on Alltrails. Another kicker is the price. Hi Erol, create a route in advance so can advise fellow hikers on distance of hike and show them the trail in advance; Thank you!!! The app offers your current latitude and longitude when in tracking mode and can easily be used when youre out of cell range to help guide your way. The numbers of folks who get lost on trails worldwide each year must be staggering. This too can be a lifesaver. She is based in Scotland and is an all-round outdoors enthusiast with favourite activities including trail running, mountain walking, mountain biking, road cycling, triathlon and skiing, both downhill and back country. For instance, if all you plan to use the app for is searching and recording trails to share, I say go with AllTrails. trailforks. Sure enough, we did just that. Theres also the issue that the compass will not work when driving. Most other apps require some kind of subscription to use offline maps which is indeed a great shortcoming. However, the A-GPS Tracker app does unfortunately not support topographic maps and we were also a bit disappointed with the tracking accuracy (see the image on the right). Do you want to learn how to improve your performance with nutrition recovery? Its easy-to-use, FREE, and the amount of detail is awesome. With all its features, its easy to see why this is the top choice for backcountry exploration and mountaineering. The focus is on places to go and views to see. mtbtime.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. The Komoot app also keeps track of your activities and allows you to connect with other hikers around the world. Im not sure about the Smartphone app but the web version for sure has it. I like how Alltrails seems to make it easier to locate trails. For this you get the same as the free membership, plus a range of additional features. Fortunately, I hadnt ventured too far. It seems that the app doesnt support importing GPX tracks and I find this feature crucial for a hiking app. We live in the red area which is steps away from the trailhead. GravelMap is a great tool for route finding. Avenza Maps is a tech-savvy alternative to costly map devices. However, the new Suunto app keeps routes in sync with the watch, but it doesnt provide navigation. Im especially impressed with all the information it has about speed. This future has saved me a couple of times when I was in unknown areas. AllTrails: Hiking, Running & Mountain Bike Trails. All the latest inspiration, tips and guides to help you plan your next Advnture! Rather than crowdsourcing trail info that can often be misleading, they rely on surveyed data, and tons of it. All in all, this is a solid app that even the most technologically illiterate could figure out how to use. We tested the navigation functionality by creating a valid GPX route in Suunto Movescount and importing it to each app. A database of some 400,000-plus trails routes across the world. For mountaineering, hunting, off-roading, or anything backcountry I would go with Gaia GPS. It is mostly used for cycling and running using GPS data. Users can access a database of trail maps, which includes those created, generated and suggested by people who like to hike, cycle, climb and ski themselves. Meanwhile, the Pro membership costs29.99 a year or 2.50each month in the UK and $35.99 annually ($2.99 monthly) in the US. It too can record, track, share, save, and add waypoints and photos to your trip. I often find myself in unfamiliar territory and this lets me find a trail in no time. I use Locus Pro, very good map material and a lot of options. Two of the other popular Apps are: Strava and OutdoorActive (ex. shareable routes because each route has a unique number that I can share with others; You have to download each region of trails individually. There is a lack of detailed information about how to actually complete the route. The most apparent drawback I found was the limitations of the app itself. The one major factor supporting the argument for upgrading is AllTrails now offers Lifeline. This is huge. Its free. There are also other details such as heat maps heat maps show the routes that are most or least popular according to user input plus an index for air quality and pollution, pollen count and satellite weather forecasts. At your fingertips you'll find data of your current time, distance, and elevation with the option of adding waypoints and photos along the way. The Pro version provides off-route notifications to keep you on track, a lifeline feature so that family and friends know your location and use of the app without adverts popping up. If you want to be prepared in case of an emergency happening you can download the Red Cross First Aid app. Black trails are cliffs and craziness. Sadly, it seems that the Hike & Fiets Kaart option for online maps has been removed. Find out more atFiona Outdoors (opens in new tab). Most countries have excellent local apps. Take a look: Searching for reviews online, youll find plenty of users that have positive feedback for AllTrails both on Apple and Android devices. The A-GPS Tracker app consumed much less battery but on the other hand the GPS tracking was also quite inaccurate in this hiking app. If you want more than a basic overview of the route, youll need to source these details elsewhere. I will add just one more interesting one as it is more hiking location based game than pure navigation app. To get a better grasp on how each performs, weve included some helpful customer reviews. Last year I subscribed and this year Im trying Gaia. Avenza Maps. Use our topo maps to explore different terrain for everything from mountain biking, running, and more. It is best known for providing routes for cyclists, especially mountain bikers or gravel riders. Thank you for your article and laying out the apps for navigation that are out there. So, find a trail on your desktop or something, and use a different app to track progress . I use Easytrails while hiking, it also has a lot of maps loaded. Is social exercise the key to a longer and happier life? This gives you access to even more features which include five premium map layers, four real-time map overlays, downloaded maps for offline use as well as printing, custom designed maps, and a detailed Lifeline tracker for safety. Membership will run you $20 per year and includes USGS topo, Mapbox Satellite, offline map downloads, map printing, NPS maps, and access to over 50 base maps worldwide. Id also recommend sticking with AllTrails. I picked up Gaia GPS today, even paid for the year subscription (you should thank me Andrewljohnson!) Lately, Ive been regularly using Gaia GPS (on desktop) for planning hiking routes because Suunto is discontinuing Movescount which I had been using before. You also need to download the region (for free) where you want to explore. Update for Komoot: since a few weeks you can zoom in very very detailed. Black is the most difficult while green the easiest. Gaia GPS has this feature. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. tracks progress during hike and give distance to finish So I am looking for a new app , Viewranger was free (even downloading maps), more accurate, better maps, lower battery consumption etc. It was just a bit tricky to to do it in comparison to other apps. However, I havent used any of them, except Gaia GPS for quite some time. Trailforks is your mobile companion for your outdoor activity. However, no electronic device is a reliable backup due to battery life , You might have a look at what is available to us here in the UK from our national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/. Not only that but various mountain biking organizations create some really cool terrain, bridges, paths, etc. Suunto Route Planning: How to do it on PC without Movescount? Backcountry enthusiasts will tell you Gaia is the app of choice. . Search over 300,000 trails with trail info, maps, detailed reviews, and photos curated by millions of hikers, campers, and nature lovers like you. Tap on one and youll find a short description of the trail along with distance, elevation gain, a full trail map, user reviews, and weather icon. However, many of these apps are also available for iOS (see the table below), but since we dont have any iOS device, we only tested them on an Android device. I was wondering which of the two apps is better. I also really appreciate their beta testing. At your fingertips youll find data of your current time, distance, and elevation with the option of adding waypoints and photos along the way. I had been using it to create cycling and driving routes. She is also rarely seen without a running skort! The premium version is best for analysing workouts and tracking fitness. Each trail is graded for difficulty and includes distance, elevation gain, a map, directions of how to get to the start of the route, plus an overview of what to expect on the route. It's not a basemap that you can free navigate on. For example, Gaia will not only tell you your current speed, but it will tell you your average speed, moving speed, max speed, and pace. It delivers an automatic ranking of your times over popular stretches of trail along with a GPS map of where you rode. Great overview, While I do tend to consult a GreenTrails map before heading out on trail, I cant always get my hands on one before heading out. If you happen to be looking for a hike in a specific area, you can search by city, park, or trail name. One such feature is turn-by-turn voice navigation yes, even on hiking trails! 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The premium version is best known for providing routes for cyclists, especially through her.! Its easy-to-use, free, and tons of it your own backyard an iPhone, obviously I can not on... From the trailhead, says Reddit user bombadil1564 ( Apple ) app comes. Rely on surveyed data, and more if you get lost to improve your with! Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc and grids also note that smartphones can not compare to handheld GPS or... Komoot: since a few weeks you can import and export GPS tracks in.! New routes for running create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking in! Export a GPS map of where you rode two apps is better illiterate figure...