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Hi All,
I have a relative that wants to get a GPS. He is really into using Google maps online to scout out spots he wants to hike to. So he wants a GPS that he can put lat/long coordinates into then use the GPS to guide him to those spots. I am not even sure they do that, I use maps and compass. The kicker is that he is older and needs a good sized screen to be able to see what he’s looking at. He’s actually quite blind without his glasses and anything like a 2 inch screen requires him to take his glasses off to just see it very close up, so small screens are out. For him the simpler the better as he is not into fancy bells and whistles. He does use a droid (not apple) phone, so even an app he could get for than might work if it exists. Thanks in advance for any info.
One option
I use Gaia for iOS and really like it. I used it for the first time on the Wind River High Route this summer as a supplement to my paper maps and compass. In a week on airplane mode (GPS still works on iPhone – not sure about android) I still had 70% battery.
I’m not sure if I would recomend a stand alone GPS if he has a smartphone, though I imagine a stand alone unit is more rugged and easier to use with gloves on.
I really like locus pro on android, but I think osmand is an app that is a bit easier to learn. Both are worth giving a try before spending a few hundred bucks on a standalone GPS.
Another vote for Gaia GPS.
Gaia is good on Android too. I also used it in the Winds with similar results.
Maybe Gaia on an Android tablet with GPS would help your friend see larger maps.
The Wirecutter reviews Android tablets here:
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-android-tablet/
— Rex
Yes, I also have a Kindle Fire that I never use and he can use it with the Gaia GPS app, so I will consult with him tomorrow and see if he wants to try it. It might give him a more comfortable view. I looked at his phone today, a droid. He has never even used the web on it, so of course it needed updating, my gosh over 560 MB of updating….:-P….He only uses his phone for well, talking to work people and family. He pays for just 4 G a month on the phone so we need to see if he needs more or can do with what he has. He has a laptop at home, ( and a different internet connection that is unlimited ) and uses google earth to look for interesting places to go so he does have a birds eye view of the terrain for each outing. So I will start him on his phone with Google and see if just using it to locate himself and the destination while he’s out there hiking will work, ( it will be bushwhacking ). He really doesn’t hike that far so it’s not like he’s doing ten mile hikes, five miles at the most. He wants to visit a local ruin tomorrow that is less than two miles from where we can park, so we will see how it goes. If he wants more I will steer him towards the app. He does know how to use maps and compass but maps where he lives are hard to come by, it’s hours of driving to the nearest city where he can get topos. And no he doesn’t order stuff online either. Thanks again for the help.
DM –
Any concern over your older, quite blind relative hiking alone? What happens if his phone battery dies while he’s in the woods? What if he drops the phone into a creek, or onto a rock that breaks the screen?
Would he know how to use map & compass to return safely to his car?
If any of these scenarios give cause for concern, maybe a SPOT Gen 3 or Personal Locator Beacon would make a good Christmas present.
Thanks for your concern. He’s an ex smoke jumper and a survivalist and has an old compass he carries everywhere. He just didn’t like the smallness of the screen on the newest InReach, which I have and showed him. And he never goes hiking without telling someone where he will be and when he will be back to the car or home. (Usually me). I’m more concerned about him losing his glasses, but talked him onto carrying a spare pair today. He did use his phone with google earth today and is happy with that. If he changes his mind and wants a separate GPS I’ll be back to ask about one of those. We jokingly call him the “Cave Man” since he is also a flint knapper.
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