Map Apps

The maps for Backcountry Navigator are like $15… one time fee.  The pro app itself is something like $15 and the map is an additional fee.

Once you pay for the map you can download it and cache it as much as youw ant for offline usage.

I’ve done it about a dozen or more times so I dont’ think there is any limit.

I just download them into “map packages”, one for every region I go.. This way I can delete a whole region or move it ot an SD card.

One key point.. you REALLY should use map packages becuase they’re much much much faster than storing everything in one big directory.  Map packages use a real embedded database where the default storage does not and it can get very slow.

But love Backcountry Navigator. I haven’t used anything else but BCN is pretty darn good and good enough to not warrant me to switch.

I use a Mac, but this gets high marks around here from Android users

http://www.oruxmaps.com/index_en.html

For basic coordinates, try https://findmesar.com/ as it supposedly embeds itself into your phone’s application cache for offline use.

I have a few iPhone apps (Spyglass, Theodolite, Pro Compass) that display coordinates and don’t have mapping as their primary function, so I imagine the Android world has similar.

-J

For offline maps I use Orux or go to Caltopo and use PDF Maps…

If your coming from paper maps and want something comparable to basic chart plotter GPS, then I’d recommend the free iOS app called Maplets. You download individual maps, as you would with a collection of paper maps, and your location appears on the map. Nothing more.

Thanks for the input everyone.  The more I think about this I have come to the conclusion I just want an app that will tell my what my UTM coordinates are.  That is all I need.  Turn on my phone get my UTM coordinates and that is it.  Decided I don’t need to download any maps.

I found an app called GPS Location.  Bare bones app that displays the lat/long and UTM of your current position.

I’ve used Gaia on an iPhone, and never had any sort of charges for downloading maps.  There is a Pro version that has some sorts of charges, but you don’t need it just to use as a GPS.  One benefit for Gaia is that it’s behavior is well know and a lot of users have posted a lot of info on how to configure it for good battery life, etc.  I have never used BCN, so I cannot compare them.

You can get your location on an iPhone without an app (in lat/long only, IIRC) but I don’t know about Android.  If all you want is your grid (i.e. no mapping) then there’s an app called MilGPS that does that: it just displays your grid location in giant digits.  It’s simpler and faster than the big mapping apps, so I tended to use it for quick spot checks with my paper map.

It seems like a shame to not have a map.  You can have downloaded maps of the entire U.S.  To have that many paper maps would weigh a ton.  And see where on those maps where you are currently.

Just the coordinates would be good to tell SAR where to come an find you in an emergency, but that’s a small part of total functionality.

Not to pick nits, Jerry, but… you do have a map.  Your paper map.  Just look up your grid on it.

I used MilGPS for rare verification of position, but generally enjoy map-and-compass work, so it’s part of what I do for fun while hiking.  MilGPS worked fine for that, and takes up a lot less memory.  IIRC though they were planning on expanding it into something with more functionality, including maps, like Gaia.

Nowadays I have an InReach, so I’m using Earthmate by default.  Which isn’t bad, but also isn’t free (unless you count that it’s free with purchase of an InReach).

yeah, I usually have a paper map, but I rarely look at it.  For each trip, I have to remember to get the appropriate maps for each trip.  Sometimes I just have a large scale paper map.

GPS has map of everywhere I’d ever go.

When I originally posted I was thinking of Gia or BCN but decided to stick with just paper.  I think a simple app that will give me my UTM coordinates is all I need.

Jeff,

No need to pay for Gaia, BCN, Locus Maps, etc.

Oruxmaps is open source, free, better than most the paid apps, and very well supported.  Use it and GPS status toolbox, to do simple stuff like get coordinates, (it also tells you margin of error), and if your feel like it, download topo maps from Caltopo, USGS, forest service, or openandromaps. And have a full function mapping GPS on your phone.  Battery drain is low and in there event you want to track something, measure distance, mark way points, etc you can.

Of course you can also print maps from Caltopo who will then correspond perfectly to the map on there screen.

Peace