What’s the best GPS hiking app for my Galaxy S5? BackCountry Navigator TOPO GPS?

Andrew,

Have a ? I used Gaia for the first time last year based on recommendations here and loved it! Although I do see what Bill is saying about downloading maps; that can be a bit of a challenge to see and get what you want and not get too big of an area. Glad to hear that is better now.

Now to the ? For current users, can you just download the latest versions, or do you have to buy the new version app?

Thanks!

@Steve New versions are free. When you go to download it from the Store, the Store will confirm that it isn't charging you (though it seems to be doing so at first). I wouldn't totally rule out us ever doing a paid update to Gaiaw GPS, but we have never done so and don't plan too.

Similarly, you can put Gaia on all of your iOS or all of your Android devices without paying multiple times. For example, if you have an iPad and an iPhone, you can download to both, and use the iPad for planning, and log in to sync data to your other device(s).

Thank you Andrew for answering my ? Glad I went with Gaia- as it was my first experience with app for GPS, and it seems like you guys are on top of thinks.

I loved the different layers for map features, and the GPS was more accurate than my Garmin Legend that I tested it against a few times. I am now going to use a Trent charger to recharge the phone. If I was out longer than 2 weeks ( I wish) I would get a solar charger.

Thanks again

To all those who suggested that the Topo may have been listing elevation in meters- that's possible. I left my phone at home today but will check that when I go home at lunch. Honestly, that never even occurred to me- every map I've ever had of my local area put elevation in feet. But that would make sense.

Andrew……thanks for the download link. So far, I'm enjoying planning routes and downloading map. Also, I just want to say that I've already received quick and helpful support! I will be sure to post a review once I use it for a month in Wyoming (all July).

The key is to make sure that your app will really work in the backcountry. I know that sounds odd, but I've discovered that you don't really know what the app is like until you try using it with your stored maps when there is no GPS, no 4G/3G, Wifi,etc. The fact is that some apps say "Back Country" but they really sell mostly to folks who use them to navigate around town.

I learned the hard way, hopefully you don't have to.

Funny, but I had that exact problem a year ago with BCN. I guess they didn't fix it?

I just wanted to add that I've been working with the Gaia app for a couple of weeks now and the user interface is much easier to work with than BCN, which I've been using for a couple of years. I've been using Gaia on a tablet and a smartphone and it hasn't crashed as much as BCN did on my phone. Map downloads are easier to select too. Add to that the cloud storage where — I think — I can sync maps to multiple devices, and I'm a convert…once I get the chance to test it on a trip of course.

Matt,
can the GAIA app store downloaded maps to the MicroSD slot on Samsung devices???

thanks,
Billy

@ Michael K – I completely hear you about the battery life of the iPhones. (Almost) enough to make me bail on Apple.

I have been a Gaia GPA user in the phone for a few years now and have almost nothing but good things to say about it. I have used it for remote week long backcountry trips without a problem (except the terrible iphone battery). Backing up and sharing tracks between by phone and ipad is really cool. The latest update included vector maps, a bunch of interface updates, and some other nice features.

I have tried other apps (don’t remember if BCN was among them) and concluded that Gaia GPS suited me the most.

The only problem I had was once I put a pin down to mark the location of my rather hidden camp before heading out for the day. I hit “drop pin” rather than “drop pin near me” and ended up with the pin way way off on whatever part of the map I was viewing when I dropped the pin. It took me hours to find my camp.

Billy — I have a Samsung Galaxy Ring and have all the maps saved to a folder I created on the SD card. My Android version is 4.1 so can't speak to anything newer.

Matt… that's a removable SDCard?

It is indeed. It might be the people with KitKat who are having the issue with third party apps writing to cards. I have a couple of apps that can write to cards without issue.

Yes it was the update to KitKat that broke the ability for apps to read and write to the SD card the way they had done before. One should only notice these problems if they are on v. 4.4.

I've been using both Gaia and BCN on my Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini.
I much prefer BCN — wish I'd never bothered buying Gaia first.
A few BCN standouts:

1. Ability to switch between multiple trip databases (i.e., I previously had different gpx regional files with many hundreds of waypoints and dozens of tracklogs created on my old Garmin 60 series and edited in Mapsource, and I can keep them separate in BCN, switching back & forth between them between trips to different regions).

2. Basemap option for aerial imagery with topo lines superimposed (very helpful above treeline).

3. Better compass screen when navigating a waypoint (although still not as good as an old Garmin, and no proximity alert sound).

4. All waypoint names simultaneously viewable on screen (which doesn't seem possible in Gaia, unless I'm missing something).

5. Track recording interval options (ditto).

I have been using OruxMaps for the past 2 years. It seems to be the best map/gps app available, but it is only for Android. It allows you to use many different maps, from Google, Bing, etc offline, as well as maps such as Topo Northwest from http://www.gpsfiledepot.com and also maps from http://www.openandromaps.org Does everything that I can imagine I would want to a GPS to do. Has replaced my Garmins completely.

Also, it is completely free, you can donate if you want, but it does not have ads either way. In my opinion, it is way better than Back Country Navigator or Locus.

Highly recommend it. (I am in no way affiliated with the Dev, who is from Spain)

I'm new to smartphones so forgive me for this question.

How would one "transfer" the app from the link on the email to my Android smartphone?

I have both Gaia GPS and Backcountry Navigator on my Galaxy S5, and both work. I tend to use BCN as I'm more used to it now.

One issue that I think impacts all such software is how Android has evolved to make it harder to make good use of an external SD card. I'm thinking that I, too, in future might bias towards storing maps in internal memory only and just getting used to cleaning things up periodically. Exacerbating this is that sometimes I want to download more than one map type for the same trip.

Otherwise, I suspect that both are fine choices. And indeed, a lot of practice in more benign locales before relying on such software out somewhere remote.

Gaia gives some good customer support…..so several months ago I mentioned about the problem with being able to save to an external card (mentioned previously in this thread). A week ago….they personally emailed me with ->

---

I wanted to let you know that we are now on version 5.5.1 of Gaia GPS. You'll need to have the newest version of the Android Operating system to run this version. With this update you should be able to select the SD card by selecting the menu and then tapping
'Root Folder' under storage and choosing "Move To External Storage'.

Please update Gaia GPS and let me know if there are any other issues I can help you with.

---

That is some great customer support!

The update does look like it works on my S4. Awesome!

John

Thanks for the heads up.
I've just tried on my S4 and it's worked a treat.

Dave

Does anyone know if map files downloaded on BCN can be viewed on Gaia???

Can Gpx files (waypoints and tracks) created on one be viewed on the other?

thanks,

billy

Billy Ray,

Map Files very unlikely, Tracks should work, might require an export from one app and an import into the other due to android file "sandboxing".

Dave