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Daryl
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Daryl
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PostMon May 07, 2012 6:22 pm 
Anyone have a topo app on their phone that they like? I'm looking at Backcountry Navigator, seems to have a lot of map sources and lets you download maps for when you are out of signal range. Or is there something even better?

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gavin37396
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PostMon May 07, 2012 11:54 pm 
I have an iPhone and the app I use is just called topomaps. You have to download the maps to your phone prior, but my gps picks me up even when I'm out of service so I can use them. I make sure to download adjacent sections of the map just in case. Has worked well for me in the past but of course YMMV.

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Dayhike Mike
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PostTue May 08, 2012 7:49 am 
I use Gaia on the iPhone. You can download tiles from all over -- not just individual quads. Way easier to do for large areas at a time than with Phil Endecott's Topo Maps.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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gavin37396
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PostTue May 08, 2012 9:11 am 
Looks like the Gaia app is also on sale right now for 9.99. Looks pretty sweet, I must have missed it when going for a topo app.

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trails
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PostTue May 08, 2012 10:16 am 
I'm a fan of Viewranger. I have Gaia as well but like the other a bit better. The downside for both is the battery drain. Wow, you can almost watch the battery meter count down.

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delvxe
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PostTue May 08, 2012 11:40 am 
Another happy Gaia GPS user here. Just got back from a week in Utah and used the app pretty extensively. The battery drain issue makes route recording not feasible. I got about four days on a charge without managing batter life too much and without recording my route. With recording, you won't get a day.

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Daryl
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Daryl
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PostTue May 08, 2012 11:56 am 
Checked out Gaia. It looks like it does everything and it's $5 now (android). That may be the route i take. Thanks!

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Magellan
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PostTue May 08, 2012 1:23 pm 
So funny! Same app $5 on Droid and $10 on iphone.

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Daryl
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Daryl
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PostTue May 08, 2012 2:24 pm 
Apple is evil rant.gif

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vibramhead
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PostTue May 08, 2012 4:27 pm 
I've now tried 6 different GPS apps on my Droid Razr, and have settled on Viewranger as best. I tried Gaia, Backcountry Navigator, Locus Pro, Alpine Quest, and Orux. What makes Viewranger best is the maps. Most apps just use open source maps like Open Cycle Map and MyTopo, but Viewranger has their own versions with hiking trails displayed in red, making them easier to read. Their version of USGS Topo, with red trails, is clearer than MyTopo, and their USA Topo, which looks like Google Terrain, is much better because it displays roads, boundaries, etc. It's only $8, which includes unlimited downloads. And like most of these apps, you can store the maps on your phone for offline use. Of the other apps, I think Locus Pro was best. And the free version has most of the features of Pro, so you can check it out. Another great app is PeakFinder USA West. It's not exactly for navigation, but it uses your GPS & compass to display a line drawing of all the topography around you, with labels for every peak and hill. The data is stored on your phone, so you can use it off line. It's just really cool to hold up your phone facing a landscape, and see a label for everything in front of you. Well worth $4.

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Daryl
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Daryl
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PostWed May 09, 2012 6:14 am 
Great input! I'll check those out. Thanks!

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Joey
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PostWed Nov 07, 2012 12:15 pm 
Now that I am planning to get a used iPhone 4S, the next issue is which GPS app to use. The app has to let me load both topos and aerials for use offline. Here are 3 iPhone apps that have this feature: 1. Gaia - $9.99 plus $19.99 annual subscription for some features. http://www.gaiagps.com 2. Trimble Outdoors Navigator Pro - $4.99 http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/Products/TrimbleOutdoorsNavigator 3. Multiplans - $2.99 http://multiplans.net/en_CartesTopo.htm I know about Multiplans since Vincent (the developer) and I have traded a number of emails chatting about techy map stuff. His site has lots of well-written info on how to georeference images and load them into his app. This guy is based in Europe and so far I don't think he has done that much to push Multiplans in the USA. If you want to check it out, here is the iPhone app store link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/multiplans-offline-maps/id357418686?mt=8

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btspman
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PostWed Nov 07, 2012 1:52 pm 
Gaia GPS. I've tried a lot and I love this one.

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Joey
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PostWed Nov 07, 2012 2:04 pm 
btspman wrote:
Gaia GPS. I've tried a lot and I love this one.
I need good quality aerials when my soon-to-be-acquired iPhone is offline. The Gaia site has a post by Andrew (the developer) explaining why the quality of the aerials they are hosting is not so hot. Gaia is working on a tool to let you georeference your own aerials, but it sounds on their site like that tool is not ready for primetime.

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Daryl
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Daryl
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PostWed Nov 07, 2012 3:21 pm 
Seeing this thread again. I realize I should have came back and said I ended up with view ranger and I have been very happy with it.

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