Which Trail App?

[roaniecowpony]

All this talk about GPS and rescue transmitters reminded me that I have a Garmin Alpha 200i hunting dog GPS tracker with InReach built-in. The handheld is a full featured GPS with the ability to use for navigation and the InReach function can be used for casual 2-way texting as well as emergency services contact. I need to get a satellite subscription for it.

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[dragoneggs]

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There would only be a conflict if you try to pair two Bluetooth GPS devices to your phone. CarPlay Maps would use the paired GPS device. Any location services aware app would.

Well when I will really use it I will likely connect it to my iPad for Gaia instead of my phone so no issue!

 

[rivercrossing]

I use "TrailsOffRoad" for the detailed trail descriptions.
I also use "AlpineQuest Off-Road Explorer" as a GPS system for off-roading and for hiking. Lots of map layers and it lets you add more.

 

[donmontalvo]

I use "TrailsOffRoad" for the detailed trail descriptions.
I also use "AlpineQuest Off-Road Explorer" as a GPS system for off-roading and for hiking. Lots of map layers and it lets you add more.

AlpineQuest Off-Road Explorer seems like a nice app, unfortunately they don't offer it for Apple iOS/iPadOS. #sigh

 

[rivercrossing]

AlpineQuest Off-Road Explorer seems like a nice app, unfortunately they don't offer it for Apple iOS/iPadOS. #sigh

Ya that cuts out half the market, which is too bad because it is a good app with a lot of features. Also it is a one time purchase not a subscription which is nice too.

 

[donmontalvo]

Apple just announced some love given to WatchOS 10 for navigation. #wwdc23

 

[GATORB8]

I haven't had time to try or test, but figured I'd bring it up for discussion.

It looks like wired carplay utilizes the phone GPS, but wireless carplay utilizes the vehicle GPS. I'd assume that a wireless carplay dongle would still utilize the phone GPS, but not sure.

May be a way to get a secondary antenna tied in.

 

[ChuckQue]

A dedicated Bluetooth GPS receiver is inexpensive and more accurate/faster than AGPS. The other major benefit is it consumes far less power than the phone GPS does. This enables you to put your phone into airplane mode, giving you much more runtime. Yes, I realize you have charging ability in your vehicle, but for those of us who do hiking or backpacking it’s a great bonus.

@Ratbert I can say from experience I have had moments on the trail where the AGPS was taking a significant amount of time to update and was putting me off course. I have never had that issue with my Garmin GLO. Plus, if you are paring it with an IPad or other non-cellular tablet it’s a much better combo. The Uconnect apps for using Gaia or Trails Off-road are still buggy/unwieldy so I’m finding using the tablet is better.

 

[bjm00se]

I've been a big fan of Gaia GPS since I've used it for hiking and spent quite a bit of time on its long learning curve for selecting maps and especially downloading offline maps.

The cool thing about Gaia is also its weak point - you can download any particular map source you want. So for example, in Death Valley, I could use the NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps.

But the single biggest advantage of any mapping app is its ability to stitch data together from multiple sources into a unified map that stretches across multiple administrative boundaries: e.g. BLM to National Forest to National Park, etc... all on one map.

For Gaia, the map that does this is the "Gaia Topo" which is really optimized for hiking. Whereas the best download maps for gaia for off-roading are the National Forest Service maps, which then have to be switched out if e.g. you cross forest boundaries into BLM lands.

So I recently installed OnX offroad, and guess what - its default map stitching is optimized for off-roading!

I'm keeping Gaia for hiking, but OnX is so much better for off-roading.

What I don't particularly care for OnX's offline download interface. It forces you to either pick a large area at low resolution, or a small area at high resolution. You don't get to pick a large area of interest and then just grind out the whole thing by waiting for a long download.

 

[bjm00se]

This enables you to put your phone into airplane mode, giving you much more runtime.

I really don't want to weigh in on the built-in vs separate GPS debate.

But I do want to point out that the iPhone GPS works fine in airplane mode, as long as you're using it for display of digital coordinates, as in the simple Compass app, or using it in an app that has downloaded maps.

I did this last summer on an extended hike where I could go hours or days without any coverage, while using Gaia, and an app called "FarOut Trail Guides."

Cell towers and coverage are required for mapping apps (e.g Google, Apple) where the maps of the current region have not been previously downloaded into phone storage. Which is true for most people, most of the time.

Works as well or better than a separate device? Don't know - no opinion, happy to concede the point.

 

[ChuckQue]

I really don't want to weigh in on the built-in vs separate GPS debate.

But I do want to point out that the iPhone GPS works fine in airplane mode, as long as you're using it for display of digital coordinates, as in the simple Compass app, or using it in an app that has downloaded maps.

I did this last summer on an extended hike where I could go hours or days without any coverage, while using Gaia, and an app called "FarOut Trail Guides."

Cell towers and coverage are required for mapping apps (e.g Google, Apple) where the maps of the current region have not been previously downloaded into phone storage. Which is true for most people, most of the time.

Works as well or better than a separate device? Don't know - no opinion, happy to concede the point.

Oh absolutely. I just noticed that using the separate receiver resulted in much, much better battery life when I was backpacking. When I was only using my phone, it was very power hungry running the GPS app full time for route tracking.

Is the separate receiver necessary? No, but it’s very very useful and for $100 it’s a very unfair comparison to a $10k watch. I found it to be a cheap way to add accuracy, utility and reliability to my navigation needs.

 

[txj2go]

Oh absolutely. I just noticed that using the separate receiver resulted in much, much better battery life when I was backpacking.

How does this compare overall since you are carrying a second device that also has a battery that needs to be charged? Do the combined 2 devices last longer than just the phone and an external battery similar in size to the separate GPS receiver? (FWIW I've noticed that my Garmin Inreach set on extended tracking runs a long time on its battery, and that includes sending signals to the satellite network every 30 minutes.)

 

[ChuckQue]

How does this compare overall since you are carrying a second device that also has a battery that needs to be charged? Do the combined 2 devices last longer than just the phone and an external battery similar in size to the separate GPS receiver? (FWIW I've noticed that my Garmin Inreach set on extended tracking runs a long time on its battery, and that includes sending signals to the satellite network every 30 minutes.)

The battery lasts a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever had to worry on a trip. When using it in the Jeep I just leave it plugged in on the dash, so that’s even less of an issue. The device itself is very small and lightweight. I just strap it to one of my shoulder straps on my backpack.

It’s definitely faster than the AGPS is when in zero cell coverage areas.

I do plan on getting an InReach soon so it may get retired.

 

[SadRobot]

I've been using TOR and just recently bought a subscription and I feel like the follow feature is pretty nice. I was having issues with the app closing out and quitting though. I just heard it works with carplay so I'll try it out again this weekend.

I downloaded Gaia but haven't quite figured out how to use it yet.

Alltrails I use for hiking. Mostly to read the trail reviews as most of them are pretty hilarious.

 

[txj2go]

I do plan on getting an InReach soon so it may get retired.

When I'm traveling I always have the Garmin Inreach Mini with me so it could take the place of the separate GPS receiver. When I'm traveling alone I take the Inreach with me anytime I step away from the Jeep, if with someone else I take it when we go a significant distance away from the Jeep.

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