What do you GPS/Navigate the trails with?

Gonna be doing a lot of road trips to Baja, Utah, Northern California, Arizona, Etc in the future so I'm curious to see what you guys use to navigate off the pavement?
Something with actual trails would be ideal instead of just google maps in satellite view searching for dirt roads.

I've been reading up on GAIA GPS a bit and it seems like it's one of the most popular platforms out there because you can use it on your phone/tablet with offline mode. Does anyone use this?
https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeet

I've also used Garmin handheld gps's in the past and they are cool but I was wondering what other people are mostly using?

(I searched and didn't find a dedicated threat for this)

 

I'm interested in this also.

 

I am no expert by any means, BUT....

I would download navmii (free app) to your phone or tablet. You can download all 50 states for free to be used OFFLINE!!!!. A couple of years back on a major road trip I drove for a few hours without signal and decided to close my map on my iphone WOOPS! And of course when you do this the map cannot connect to the internet. I remembered I had navmii installed and fired it up. Navmii worked like a charm only using the GPS chip and saved my bacon. Some trails are on the navmii map so you will have to look.

if you have an old iPhone that is not connected to service you can still install navmii on that device and it will work (i have it installed on an old iphone 4s and it works like a charm). I have an iPad air that has the cellular chip (cancelled the service) and it works great also.

There will be many options but this is a good backup for when cellular signal is not available and you need directions in a hurry.

 

This is also a problem when navigating with Google Maps in the offline mode.

Atlases like these have proven to be pretty good in the past:

$40 Washington Atlas & Gazetteer (Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/089933329X/

Use the atlas for planning.

Combine that with an offline GPS app. I've been using CoPilot GPS for a few years now. It works well enough for routing offline and is based on the NMEA database. Sometimes small trails do not show up and sometimes there are trails shown where they don't exist. This has not been a big deal to me.

You do need to plan the route someplace else, like ridewithgps.com. Then export the route, convert it to a CoPilot GPS file type, then go to town.

I like Gaia, but I'm not a fan of the subscription for offline mode. My advice is to experiment in the free modes, then choose the one that works for you. I don't mind one time buy ins, subscriptions are not worth it to me.

 

Gaia is excellent. Worth the money in my opinion.

 

Wi-Fi only iPad with Dual 160xgps receiver and Gaia for mapping.

 

I have experienced Zero issues in offline mode using Navmii. It even auto corrects if you take a wrong turn. the app and maps are 100% free

 

Electronics and apps they use are excellent tools, but the maps and atlas’s are also good tools. I might suggest that an orienteering class and a good compass and the ability to read and use them would make for a very safe trip. You might want to check out your local ranger stations as well they can provide you with FR(forest road) maps as well. A good hand held Harmon is what I use hiking in the wilderness. Reading maps is a list art, it’s also something you can pass down to your children.

 

Earthmate.

I use Satellite Topos, NOAA, and USGS

 

I like the free app "HERE WeGo", you can download maps and it works off line, I use an old andriod phone w/o a cell plan. Actually like it much better than a regular GPS.

 

Been using BackCountry Navigator for.... years. Hiking, mountain bike, hell, even when i explore new routes one the big bike, i use it to log..... tons of available maps for offline, etc.

Last I knew, not an iphone platform though.

Edit, oh and there is the trusty compass and paper.. been trying to teach that to my 2 oldest kids...

 

Google Maps...

 

I use Gaia GPS mainly with the NeoTreks layer and MVUM maps overlay. The main reason I like Gaia is I can use my desktop to plan routes and set waypoints from home and it will sync to my tablet and phone. You can also use your browser on the desktop to find public routes and save them over to your database. I will then download the maps of where I am going and good to go. never had a problem. I do like the satellite maps in Google the best but I will find stuff that way then transfer the lat lon to waypoints in Gaia.

 

Awesome to hear. So I have a question for you since it seems like you've used Gaia enough.
Is there a way to share routes with fellow hikers/off roaders? for example, let's say we both live here in San Diego and you've gone on some trails so you saved the route. Can you send me that or upload it to a public database type thing so others can enjoy?

 

There are 2 ways in Gaia to share your routes, one is to make it a public track or you can share a route privately with just a small group of friends here is the info on that.
https://help.gaiagps.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003525667-Sharing-Your-Data

here is an example I just went into Gaia and generated this link for Ophir pass that i recorded this past summer
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/l96wjVPKjawlCPKwX8uesZ4P
you could have your friend load that link and select add to their map. this could be a recorded track or a track that you manually create for planning.

 

Ok, that's awesome! Thanks for the insight. I'm assuming you obviously pay the membership? (if so are you regular or premium?)

And so to make it clear, I can use other peoples routes as long as they share them with me like you just did but there is no database that I can just search for "San Diego trails" for example?

 

Yes, I pay for the membership (premium) mainly because I want the NeoTreks layer and the MVUM (Motor Vehicle Use maps) but there are a lot of maps that are useful.

On the Browser version, there is a setting to show public trips (see image attachment i just chose a random National forest in southern California) which shows all public trips overlayed on the map. you can just find what you want and add it to your map for mobile use. you can also search for public tracks by name like "mojave road" "Alpine loop" "Pacific Crest Trail" etc and then save what you like.

 

Here is something you probably haven't seen: US Geological Survey HISTORICAL topo maps, some going back into the 1800's. https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-s...ted_con=0#qt-science_support_page_related_con

I use these to augment my Navionics card on my Lowrance units in the boat. Transport the info off the historical map onto the Navionics card. Like Sam Rayburn Reservoir impounded in 1966. Any map before that is dry ground, and highly useful in locating bottom structure that nobody else is privy to. I'm fishing old wells and concrete slabs that are not on the current USGS topo maps. It's nice to have all the tech at your fingertips, but download one of these and start looking at it and you see the area in a different perspective, the way it was 75-150 years ago. For sure you will have background info that nobody else has.

 

I have actually played around with the Historic Topo's on Gaia very cool

l

 

I have used a large number of mapping apps. Gaia, Backcountry Navigator, Here We Go, Google Offline, Canada Topo, Windy Maps to name a few.

My current favorite by far is Orux Maps:

• offline use for all maps and layer if you download the maps
  
• shows topo, trails, hiking routes, mountain biking routes etc.
• can configure it to show multiple map layers including Google Earth aerial, Garmin, Backroads Navigator maps
  
• is very fast even on slower phones
• has a large pdf to serve as a user manual (as opposed to some of tha paid apps which expect you to figure it out themselves or only provide some lame-o wizard that teaches you the very basics).
  
• is incredibly configurable
• is free - no startup payment or subscription needed

https://www.oruxmaps.com/cs/en/

No iphone - android only.