High Sierra Topix

Can anyone recommend a GPS app for the iPhone? There are a lot of apps out there, but I have my doubts about most of them.

Thanks for the help.

Charlie

GPS is integrated into the iPhone. Do you mean detailed map apps?

iCharlie wrote:Can anyone recommend a GPS app for the iPhone? There are a lot of apps out there, but I have my doubts about most of them.

Thanks for the help.

Charlie

Backpacker Mag has an app that is available for both iPhone and Android that's decent - I have it. I know of others that are as good or better for Android, but that's the extent of any help I can give for the iPhone. The key is finding one that you can cache the base layers for use off network.

So, how does it work? Have you used an iPhone in the backcountry for navigation? Is it as good as a purpose-built GPS? Accuracy? Time to first fix? All that stuff?

How about an iPad?

I usually take a cell phone along on trips just in case, and it'd be very cool if I could use the same weight for my GPS! Probably like most HST members, I just use the GPS occasionally, for a "what's that peak" or a "which notch is the right pass" look-see... Well, OK, I also sometimes use it to announce the presence of me and my tribe. You, know, "We're the Fookarwee!" Ahem.

Again, not an iPhone user - I have an Android phone. The app works pretty good. I'm happy with it. GPS is just as accurate as just about any of the recreation-grad handhelds you're probably thinking of. The GPS and display of any of these phones will draw the battery down pretty quickly, which is my only gripe.

Eric, I'm strongly considering an Android (Samsung Captivate) in the near future, I'm curious what GPS apps you've used and what your general feeling is on them? What features you like (do they store maps offline?)

(Sadly, the Captivate has a GPS issue, that Samsung has promised a fix for...I'll trust it gets fixed and I look forward to using the phone to identify where (on a map) I generally hike to when fishing. )

Also, I like the idea of a SPOT for similar reasons.

iCharlie wrote:Can anyone recommend a GPS app for the iPhone? There are a lot of apps out there, but I have my doubts about most of them.

Thanks for the help.

Charlie

I didn't read this post carefully enough: I do have a tentative recommendation. James Associates, in Boulder, CO, is putting out a version of its Mac GPS Pro for the iPhone (and iPad) called "iHike." I've been *extremely* pleased with MacGPS Pro, so I imagine the iPhone/iPad version is also very good. Better, because it includes downloadable maps (they're available at extra cost for MacGPS Pro, or if you're a cheapskate like me you just find them on line). What I like about MacGPS Pro is its no-nonsense, basic functionality, its virutal bomb-proofness, and the fact that James has been very good about maintenance. One thing that attracted me about iHike is that you can download the maps you're going to need whenever you want to, and then you can use the GPS without the necessity (and battery drain) of having a G3 signal.

rayfound wrote:Eric, I'm strongly considering an Android (Samsung Captivate) in the near future, I'm curious what GPS apps you've used and what your general feeling is on them? What features you like (do they store maps offline?)

(Sadly, the Captivate has a GPS issue, that Samsung has promised a fix for...I'll trust it gets fixed and I look forward to using the phone to identify where (on a map) I generally hike to when fishing. )

Also, I like the idea of a SPOT for similar reasons.

There are a bunch of Android apps out there now that would do what you're looking for. Have a look at these to start. All are good, and all store maps offline:

BackCountry Navigator
Backpacker GPS Trails
GaiGPS

so, how is the battery life on a droid or an iphone running gps? can you replace the batteries on the trail? Just asking, as i don't normally take a cell on a trip. Given that someone doesn't have to have it constantly on.. and why would someone need to hike in an iPad?

The battery life of a regular GPS is much longer. So the phone is just a back up to the back up (old fashioned map and compass are still my primary. I have yet to see the batteries die on a paper map).

Last night I loaded about 8 gigs of USGS topo maps in my droid. But they are not really all that useful. You have to zoom in pretty far to get the map large enough to read, and then only a small area is visible on the screen.