Best offline navigation app for android?

OruxMaps, all day long. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.orux.oruxmaps

Here is a screenshot I took during a ride. The map was pre-loaded, as well as the pre-recorded route (blue track). The red track is the route I did that day.

I created the map with free software (Mobile Atlas Creator) using tiles pulled from the U.S. National topo map data base. You can also pre-load Google Earth KML overlay tracks and waypoints. In the pics below I made a map covering the PCT north of Yosemite (Sec. I) and the corresponding KML file of the trail which I got from Halfmile's website. You can query the waypoints, some of which have narrative.

You really don't need a GPS to hike the JMT… plenty of sings… just follow the most deeply eroded trail and the hordes of people.

But if you really need your gadget fix for hiking then:
Backcounty Navigator (BCN) or Gaia
there are posts here on Backpacking Light in which people argue for both… just use the search feature.

billy

signs; not sings… though it's so beautiful you will likely sing your way along the JMT :)

billy

A bit of advice. Some folks don't actually test their "favorites" offline, and so they give glowing reviews of a product that's not going to work for you. So be careful that your choice will do all the functions you want when in "airplane mode". And that it won't run your battery dead using the GPS.

I've used both BCN and Gaia offline — by which I presume is meant "outside of range of cell towers". Of course you need a smartphone with a real GPS chip, but these are pretty common these days.

Running out of power is certainly possible; I suggest taking care that the GPS (along with bluetooth and cell radio) is off most of the time, and learning how to do power management well for your phone in general.

Practicing that is part of the practice needed to make this work out. You also need to practice with the app. The user interface for a GPS app makes perfect sense to the designer. Sometimes to the user it's not at all intuitive, to the point that sometimes you know just what you want to do, it's do-able with the software, but you have to poke around quite a bit to figure out how to do it. To have any confidence in one of these things you really want to use it a fair bit up front, just in local walks around your house at least, better with pre-loaded maps on a hike or backpacking trip away from home.

Well, I'm hoping I won't need it, but since I'm bringing my phone anyway for a camera and I'm notorious for my bad sense of direction, I figured I'd use it as a backup GPS too. I just talked to someone who got lost on the JMT for two days because of a really bad storm, so better safe than sorry! We'll also be going quite a ways off the marked trail for a restock and possibly a side trip. Of course we'll have a map too but GPS always makes me feel a little better than relying solely on my map skills. I don't plan on having the gps running for the whole trip, just having it as a backup option in case the need arises.

Thanks everyone! I'll try one or two of those and see which works best!

Pretty difficult to get lost on the JMT unless it is snowing. I hiked it in 1971 with just large scale USFS maps and no compass was ever needed (although I had one).

We'll also be going quite a ways off the marked trail for a restock and possibly a side trip.

Even for those who aren't planning on leaving the trail, if they need to bail out or head into a town, having maps that show the surrounding areas could save them some grief if their plans need to change.

I use View Ranger on my Smartphone, but also carry paper maps and a compass.

I use Locus Map Pro and Gaia. Locus Map Pro (there is also a free version) has a few advantages over Gaia such as the ease of importing routes and the rotating map view, whereas Gaia has the advantage of easy synching over different devices and the option of satellite imagery.
For some reason, Locus never seems to get mentioned on here.

Locus is hands down the best GPS/Maps/Navigation app for Android.
There have been many improvements regarding Navigation recently.
There is currently a big discussion how navigation should be further extended
(either through GPX Waypoints as turnpoints or .tcx files).

I use it for example for mountainbiking. Load the track, add turn instructions where I need them and configure Locus so it turns the display on 15 secs before a turn, telling me where to go. This can also be done through audible signals (2 beeps = left, 1 beep = right, etc).

It supports WMS for including maps through a WMS webservice which is quite handy for sattelite imagery, overlays (e.g. slope steepness) etc

I hadn't heard of Locus. That turn alert feature would be great for bikepacking, adventure cycling, etc. It could have saved me an extra half mile yesterday when I took a wrong turn to the car (at the end of a grueling 27 mile ride). :)

I have some instructions from a few years ago on how to make routable Garmin maps for trails, using a collection of PC applications. It was tedious to say the least.

An easy way to integrate turn instructions is planning with bikeroutetoaster: http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI

You can either import an existing track or create it there. In addition it allows to add turn instructions, either automatically when planning, or manually afterwards (this is what I do).

You can then export it and use it in apps that support this (e.g. Locus, although a bit beta at the moment, see Locus forums) or Garmin devics that support .tcx instructions.

From my experience, oruxmaps gives me the most control for the best price and has tons of free map options.

Cost of oruxmaps-free

Cost of gaia – about 20

Cost of back country navigator-about 10

Cost of locus-about 10

The one area where orux may not have the edge is turn by turn instructions. However, for me, that is not how I use a map or gps hiking. Maybe riding or driving, but at hiking speed, I only need to reference for curiosity sake or at a few points.

Also, I like the more "paper map" like interface in oruxmaps and the ability to use Google terrain offline. These are just preferences.

Oruxmaps and locus maps also gave the option of using maps from openandromaps.org which has been helpful to me especially when traveling.

Do any of these apps offer a way to record a hike and then offer navigation assistance if you want to track back following the route you took from the start? Something like the track back feature found in the Garmin Fenix/Epix watches?

I use BCN. Track back feature? Well, if you selected to create a track of your hike you don't have to do anything but turn around and observe the location indicator as you walk back the track. Or. If you have set waypoints along the way you can use the 'go to' function to direct you to any previously set waypoints. billy

Thanks, I downloaded BCN and will give it a try. I'm hoping to find an app that if you decide to turn back on while recording a hike, will help retrace the exact route taken back to the start. Something that guides you as to how "off-course" you might be from your original route out. It looks like most of these apps are free or offer a trial. I'll download a few and give them a try out in the field.