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Bmyers5000
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Joined: 28 Jan 2016
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johngo
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Joined: 29 Jul 2015
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johngo
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 Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:12 am |
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Hey, thanks for pointing this out.
One question: does it show your position by using a GPS on the map or is it simply an app for viewing maps?
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:26 am |
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That looks cool. I use US Topo Maps Pro for downloading topo maps for use offline on my tablet, but I paid $10 for it.
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Helix
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Joined: 24 May 2005
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Location: Snohomish Co |
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Helix
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Wed Feb 10, 2016 10:34 am |
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Backcountry navigator pro has worked well for me. Lots of map sources and layers of detail available. It also has a good system for recalling waypoints that you can assign with pictograms, tracks and taking notes with pictures. It is a very handy package. You do pay for it but it isn't all that bad. I think it was $15 or 18.
Such is life in the West. And the farther West the more the such.
Such is life in the West. And the farther West the more the such.
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
Joined: 20 Mar 2012
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
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Wed Feb 10, 2016 10:42 am |
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johngo
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johngo
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Thu Feb 11, 2016 4:24 pm |
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I would suggest paying for something that has a few more options than simply loading a topo map.
Gaia GPS is highly recommended. It comes in both android and iPhone flavors..
It does cost $20, which yes, is expensive for an app, but it makes your phone a full-featured backcountry GPS that in many ways outperforms top-of-the-line dedicated receivers.
Try search on YouTube for < Gaia GPS > to see some good tutorials and overview of the core features.
And all you want to do is to view a map on your phone, here's another suggestion:
Go to Caltopo, make it PDF file map of your area of interest with whatever layer and scale you like, save it as a PDF, and then email it to yourself.
All smart phones have the capability to save and display a PDF file, and with this technique you don't need an extra app to do it.
My 2 bits.
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HitTheTrail
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Joined: 30 Oct 2007
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Location: 509 |
+1 for Gaia. I have been using it for several years and find it more than adequate as a navigational GPS. Also, if you just want to view a map get the Green Trails app. then download (buy) the maps you want. Most around the Cascades are just $0.99 each.
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MultiUser
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Joined: 16 Feb 2011
Posts: 190 | TRs | Pics
Location: United States |
Completely agree. Gaia with maps downloaded and in airplane mode works great. I find the open source maps to be very complete as far as trails go.
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Frodo Barefoot
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Joined: 09 Apr 2015
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I've been looking into Gaia vs Backcountry Navigator. Anyone have any recommendation? I used to use MyTracks by Google and they are discontinuing.
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pianodirt
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Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Posts: 206 | TRs | Pics
Location: glenoid fossa |
Another vote for Gaia GPS. I have been using it for years and it just keeps getting better. My main like about it is that it WORKS! It's also user friendly. I have tried several GPS apps for Android (only Gaia for iphone, because it just works) and I had problems with all of them except Gaia. Gaia has been very responsive in support when I have emailed them. The worst of them all was the Green Trails app for Android. Perhaps they have updated it since I used it years ago, but it was basically useless except to view a green trails map on the phone. Gaia has the ability (with some geek tweaking) to use scanned maps as a source. I tried this once on Android using the MapWarper feature to import a Green Trails map but never was able to get it to work. Haven't yet tried it for iphone.
Gaia allows for downloading USPS Topo maps (for free) to use on the phone offline, which works like a charm. I think other apps allow this, but Gaia really is a polished product that works well.
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Alpine Wizard
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Joined: 15 Dec 2015
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Hi all,
New to using GPS devices for hiking/backpacking, have a couple questions if anyone is willing to give input.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of using Gaia on my phone versus CalTopo on my Garmin GPS unit? Is it worth it to buy the maps for the Garmin if I choose to use it or should I stick with the free stuff?
I'm pretty sure the GPS app would still work even if my phone does not have service, is this correct?
I would be using my GPS initially for fairly well traveled trails to gain familiarity BUT I do enjoy going off trail and would like to do it more often as I gain experience. As an example we are going to the Enchantments in June and I would like to visit Druids Plateau/Cannon Mt and would need to be off trail for a bit, what would you recommend for this type of trip?
I should note that I am in the process of learning to use a map/compass effectively, I do not think my GPS will always work perfectly or solve all of my navigation issues all of the time.
Thanks for any advice!
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007
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Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Fri Apr 08, 2016 1:03 pm |
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| Quote: | | What are the advantages/disadvantages of using Gaia on my phone versus CalTopo on my Garmin GPS unit? |
Been discussed in other threads a lot, but mainly battery life is better on dedicated GPS units. Phone GPS apps tend to have a better interface.
| Quote: | | Is it worth it to buy the maps for the Garmin if I choose to use it or should I stick with the free stuff? |
If your GPS supports it download free NW maps from Switchbacks.com. The Garmin maps such as US West are ok, but expensive and not updated regularly.
| Quote: | | I'm pretty sure the GPS app would still work even if my phone does not have service, is this correct? |
Yes.
| Quote: | | What would you recommend for this type of trip? |
The Switchbacks downloadable map has many user trails and decommissioned roads you won't find on other maps. The content is user submitted so quality and completeness varies from area to area.
I really like the Garmin BaseCamp desktop app to manage the hundreds of GPS tracks I've accumulated. It will work with GPX files that you should be able to get from any device. It has a very useful "view on Google Earth" feature.
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pianodirt
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Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Posts: 206 | TRs | Pics
Location: glenoid fossa |
| Alpine Wizard wrote: | | I'm pretty sure the GPS app would still work even if my phone does not have service, is this correct? |
Yes, Gaia works offline, which is how I tend to use it. You can download free maps (there are several free map sources) including ones from CalTopo directly to your phone. Then placing Gaia in "offline mode" and/or turning on your phone's airplane mode, you can navigate just using the phone's GPS system paired with the map. Depending on your internet connection and size of the map you're downloading, it can take a while. We have very slow DSL where I live and downloading a 1.7GB map took a full day (18+ hours).
Not sure which Garmin unit you have and all the pros/cons, but the main drawback for phones is battery life. With limited use (keeping Gaia set to "no GPS until activated"), I can get about 1.5-2 days worth of use from my iphone 5 before the battery dies. I power it down at night and sleep with the phone in my bag to preserve battery (cold saps it). With the Garmin, you likely can just swap out with fresh batteries. My old Android was easy to switch out the battery, so I would bring 2-3 extra charged batteries on a longer trip. For iphones and new androids, you can also get a fairly lightweight external battery back that you can use to recharge your phone at night. Note that making a track in Gaia (and probably a stand alone GPS like a Garmin) dramatically increase battery usage, so I generally don't make tracks unless it is a short dayhike.
There are/were (I don't recall if they were all resolved) battery use issues (draining too quickly) on some models of iphones and ios versions. Gaia has a good article on extending battery life: https://help.gaiagps.com/hc/en-us/articles/216160317-Reduce-Battery-Loss Be sure to read Adventure Alan's post (at the bottom of the Gaia link) about additional tips, I found these very helpful.
Bottom line, a smartphone with a GPS app will likely be cheaper overall, but there is more twiddling involved to get it to work like you want. A Garmin is more likely to just work straight out of the box, but at greater expense. The standalone tool is useless except for backcountry travel or geocaching...you can't make phone calls on it, etc.
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Alpine Wizard
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Joined: 15 Dec 2015
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Thank you both! That is some great information and I really appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge.
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