Battle of the Apps: Gaia GPS vs AllTrails vs ViewFinder...

This applies to off-roading for sure but also in general (I use Gaia for fishing/hunting, knowing where private/public prop is for example).

Anyone have a preferred app? I seem to find Gaia the best overall but certainly a learning curve.

 

I use Gaia for everything other than researching hiking trails. For hiking I use AllTrails.

 

My go-to app at the moment is Backcountry Navigator Pro (on Android). My hope in the future is that Backcountry Navigator XE (Android + iOS) evolves into it's replacement.

While BCN Pro isn't the easiest to learn out the gate, it seems to have the most power/flexibility to me, and once you learn it, the controls are easy enough to do (unburied) while driving, which is nice.

I wrote up a three-part series on route planning where I use Google Earth, Maps, and BCN. Feel free to check it out and ask questions if you have any...

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Oh that is awesome, even though it seems that is not on iOS the other info on there regarding google maps etc is great!

 

Gaia is my go to

 

Here are a few related threads that might be useful:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-apps-for-off-road.555437/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/what-navigation-device-do-you-use.616316/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/best-gps-for-off-roading.391795/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tablet-strictly-for-gps-use.534885/

 

Thanks! Great info in those for sure, was reading some but some were a bit dated (or really geared for android folks) as well...or a lot has changed I would say in the app realm over a few years. Anyway, seems Gaia is the typical consensus for iOS.

Actually, I will add another question out there for Gaia users:

How have you found the best way to use it in certain scenarios (off-road/hiking/hunting or fishing/biking/exploring)? There are so many maps, map options, what to download for offline use in each of the above situations, it really can be overwhelming.

 

I use Gaia pretty obsessively, both for route planning and also for navigating on the trail. Warning, novel incoming:

For route planning, my layers look something like:

(I've manually added Google satellite and map layers)

Depending on the kind of terrain I'm in I'll alter the opacities as necessary the logic is:

• Google Maps as a base layer to help orient myself vs cities/towns/highways in the area of the trail
• Gaia topo to give me a topo layer outside of USFS land
• Google Sat Hybrid (which has both sat and labels for roads/towns/etc) for a high quality satellite layer - I prefer to use this when route planning so I can see what the terrain looks like, but not always possible in heavily forested areas.
• The USFS 2016 map is amazing when on USFS land, and it becomes my main layer when satellite is too obscured
• The USFS Roads and Trails and MVUM layers help me understand which roads from the USFS maps are legal to drive on, and help outline the shape of roads on the satellite layer.

All of that is route planning. When it comes to what I download to actually take with me on the trail, that is trickier. Gaia Topo is useful here because you can zoom in really far and still get reasonable file sizes. Satellite is huge and hard to take with you, but I usually try to get some satellite from a higher perspective just so I have *some* overview of the terrain. The USFS with MVUM overlay is my bread and butter when on USFS land.

 

amazing, thanks so much for this, especially how you use your layers!

 

np! Let me know if you have any questions, especially on the route planning side.

 

I may damn near mimic those layers but add in public/private which has been invaluable to me for fishing streams in CO where its virtually impossible to find out if you're 'legal' or not.

 

Some good tips here too, including how to add Google layers.

https://thingstolucat.com/2019/03/17/navigation-with-gaia-gps/

 

good info, thx

 

Gaia is my favorite, worth the money. I use it for backcountry skiing as well.

 

Got Gaia for the ability to use Canadian Backroads Mapbooks as a layer feature. They hold some amazing information about back country roads/trails.

 

For a thread revival can someone help
Me understand giai? I have never really understood how it works. And now that my wife and I are ready to start adventuring into our own back yard I’d like to learn more about. Also is the 19.99 version good or do I need to spring for the 39.99

 

I'd like to know as well. I think I'll add the $40 version. I have BCN Pro already and have used it in the past, but like to look of the Gaia interface.

 

I thought this was a pretty good tutorial

https://youtu.be/yKkoEwCmZpw

 

There are discount codes out there. I remember using one. If you need it I could probably dig it up. Some person on youtube is sponsored which is where I got it from.

 

OnX