smart phone gps, for old fart

[bearheart]

My cellphone service says I must get a new phone, my antique flip phone ain't gonna work no more. I have wanted a gps for years as wandering logging roads in hunting season can get confusing , especially coming out at night. So, my kids recommend a iPhone 7+ (big screen for old eyes). Is there a gps programme i can get that will work off network and allow me to do routing and way point function?A programme that will have maps for western Canada?

Thanks, and assume I know nothing about using smart phones when giving advice, because I do know NOTHING about smart phones!

[IronNoggin]

Check into this: http://www.adventurealan.com/iphone-gps-map-backpacking/

Several Buddies use the Gaia app, and they have all given up their stand-alone GPS units since they started with it.
I plan on collecting a new phone soon, and will be going this route myself...

Cheers,
Nog

[Husky7mm]

I like maps 3D pro gps app, its basic and easy to use, and 3D. It works off line if you down load that area. I wish it had satellite imagry. The map app that comes with ur iphone is pretty handy too.

[Husky7mm]

My friend uses the BC backroad adventure app and likes it.

[steve-r]

Check into this: http://www.adventurealan.com/iphone-gps-map-backpacking/

Several Buddies use the Gaia app, and they have all given up their stand-alone GPS units since they started with it.
I plan on collecting a new phone soon, and will be going this route myself...

Cheers,
Nog

Hey Nog, thank for the link. I had a quick look at the sample topo for Canada West that they offer....for the areas I hunt, and a number of roads and trails seem to be missing. Do they have updated topos somewhere else?
BC Backroad maps on my Iphone seem more current.
Also, the free map app from Avenza, which uses free topos in pdf form from GeoBC , seems to be more current.
Gaia looks great if it can use current maps.

[MB_Boy]

Hey Bearheart....Look at the Google Pixel phone too. I find everything about it better than iOS (Apple).

Who is your provider? Telus gave me it for free when I turned in an old Blackberry from 10 years ago...And got some virtual reality goggles to go with. (Hours of entertainment)

[adriaticum]

I would suggest you stick with the simplest of the phones and get a simple GPS device like Garmin Etrex.

[Kopper]

OP, im not sure Gaia is for you. Gaia, at least the version I run is severely lacking in the road network department. It'll show mains but you're sol if you want to see secondary and spur roads. The satellite imagery of the app is also crappy imo as you can't be zoomed in very close at all.

I use Gaia because it doubles as a gps for the reasons important to me. Such as planning and following routes up mtns, putting waypoints on animals across rivers and valleys, and of course finding the truck. I save good routes/waypoints for future use. The data recorded in the track is also nice to have for future trips.

Yes it it does work offline/out of service. Expect to get <1 day on a full charge if you're constantly recording a loop but I usually can go a few days or more if not recording. I always carry a portable power charge when overnighting.

Sorry no personal experience with other apps as I need no other. A friend uses the BC Mapbook with his android device and I am super impressed with the road networks it displays.

[two-feet]

My cellphone service says I must get a new phone, my antique flip phone ain't gonna work no more. I have wanted a gps for years as wandering logging roads in hunting season can get confusing , especially coming out at night. So, my kids recommend a iPhone 7+ (big screen for old eyes). Is there a gps programme i can get that will work off network and allow me to do routing and way point function?A programme that will have maps for western Canada?

Thanks, and assume I know nothing about using smart phones when giving advice, because I do know NOTHING about smart phones!

just download google earth on your phone and look at the area you are going to while you are still in service. Then when you open it up in the bush the maps will all be there. Then you press the little arrow at the bottom of the screen and it shows you exactly where you are. I was using this 400km from the closest cell tower. Then you also have a camera on you as well.

[Blockcaver]

The Gaia program works great for me. Using it on a iPhone 7. Aerial photo resolution is
as good as you get on the computer or certainly seem to be. Cheap and you can add it 5
devices for the one time cost of $20 when we purchased it. It's been on our iPad and 4
different iPhones at the house.

[twoSevenO]

just download google earth on your phone and look at the area you are going to while you are still in service. Then when you open it up in the bush the maps will all be there. Then you press the little arrow at the bottom of the screen and it shows you exactly where you are. I was using this 400km from the closest cell tower. Then you also have a camera on you as well.

The problem is that phone batteries suck. You get one day max. So you have to carry some type of solar charger with you as well. That adds weight and cost. But, considering how shi**y my garmin extrex is, it might just be worth it.

[twoSevenO]

I would suggest you stick with the simplest of the phones and get a simple GPS device like Garmin Etrex.

Do not, for the love of god, get an etrex 10! It is slow, it is crappy, and it comes with no memory, so you can't load additional maps on it. I use it so that I can find where i left the jeep, but that's about it .... It was a waste of $100 to be honest.

[Bonz]

tried almost every gps there is for the iphones, best was gaia i found also
you can pre load any maps you want to the cell also

[Bonz]

leave the location service off while your out there, just turn it on when you want to check it and drop a flag,. saves the battery alot, theirs good small chargers out to for them. can get 3 to 5 charges for about 50 buck battery pack.

[twoSevenO]

tried almost every gps there is for the iphones, best was gaia i found also
you can pre load any maps you want to the cell also

Do you know if it can be installed on 2 android devices, or is it just for one device?. Or is it straight from app store and $20 for each device?.

[leannejason]

I use Gaia app on my smart phone, with maps pre-downloaded for area i'll be in. For long trips i use a simple bushnell back track gps, cave man simple but works every time.

[ajr5406]

Do you know if it can be installed on 2 android devices, or is it just for one device?. Or is it straight from app store and $20 for each device?.


I don't know about Gaia, but I installed HuntBuddy BC on my Android and then when i switched over to my iPhone it came along too which was a nice surprise. I think it should work the same for Gaia - as long as you bought it on one, your ID should be the same and it should come along to the second phone.

[Bonz]

Do you know if it can be installed on 2 android devices, or is it just for one device?. Or is it straight from app store and $20 for each device?.

im an iphone guy. and only have 1. not sure. for me mine sis in my apple acct, i can add it or remove it as i want. nevcer tried putting it on a diff cell, i think its related to the acct for my iphone though
see if i can find that out for ya

[Bonz]

I don't know about Gaia, but I installed HuntBuddy BC on my Android and then when i switched over to my iPhone it came along too which was a nice surprise. I think it should work the same for Gaia - as long as you bought it on one, your ID should be the same and it should come along to the second phone.

thats odd that it worked on 2 diff operating systems, never seen that possible for any apps

[Bonz]

looks like you can have it on as many as you want.just plug usb into pc or laptop, and log in with the 1 acct that purchased the gaia


https://help.gaiagps.com/hc/en-us/articles/216160137-Adding-Gaia-GPS-to-an-Additional-Device

[Bonz]

http://blog.gaiagps.com/free-data-sync-in-gaia-gps/

[Bonz]

i also use this one..has some cool abilities. not realy a gps idea.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/theodolite/id339393884?mt=8

[elch jager]

If you are an old phart you may want to reconsider being shackled to the teat that is called Apple.... as an older conspiracy theorist with a mild persecution complex, I cannot join the ranks of lemmings that forfeit their personal information to the nefarious overlords... just saying.

If you want phree and reliable offline GPS with both vector mapping and ortho imagery... osmand is tough to beat (don't waste your time with the recent iOS version... it is beyond weak) It is open source, based on open street map and has a very large development community that contributes to the base code. It was made for Android primarily and recent attempts to recreate for iOS have been slow and lackluster.

http://osmand.net/


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand&hl=en

I run an old Samsung S4 on my person and have a Samsung tablet in the vehicle - they are cheap and reliable. You download the entire Canadian vector base maps and save to the devices. Before your trip to a new area, while on-line at home, you enable ortho imagery, zoom to the area you will be in and save those tiles at the desired resolution you want (make sure you have enough memory).

The app does take a bit of learning and practice to get fluent with it, but it is far from rocket science. And it works like magic... my hunt partners have all been amazed at the pre hunt scouting of off the path spots i have found using this system.

[Bonz]

and you think apple is the only one handing out our info? they all do,

[MB_Boy]

I haven't had a close look at it but I have Navionics for the "marine" side of things but when I purchased it I was also given a "Hike and Bike" app to go along with it. It looks pretty good but I don't have much of a reference in other apps to compare it to.

http://www.navionics.com/en/hike-and-bike


I recall a buddy mentioning Maps 3D as a decent app too.

[twoSevenO]

If you are an old phart you may want to reconsider being shackled to the teat that is called Apple.... as an older conspiracy theorist with a mild persecution complex, I cannot join the ranks of lemmings that forfeit their personal information to the nefarious overlords... just saying.

If you want phree and reliable offline GPS with both vector mapping and ortho imagery... osmand is tough to beat (don't waste your time with the recent iOS version... it is beyond weak) It is open source, based on open street map and has a very large development community that contributes to the base code. It was made for Android primarily and recent attempts to recreate for iOS have been slow and lackluster.

http://osmand.net/


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand&hl=en

I run an old Samsung S4 on my person and have a Samsung tablet in the vehicle - they are cheap and reliable. You download the entire Canadian vector base maps and save to the devices. Before your trip to a new area, while on-line at home, you enable ortho imagery, zoom to the area you will be in and save those tiles at the desired resolution you want (make sure you have enough memory).

The app does take a bit of learning and practice to get fluent with it, but it is far from rocket science. And it works like magic... my hunt partners have all been amazed at the pre hunt scouting of off the path spots i have found using this system.

Have you used Gaia? Wondering how Osmand would compare. How are Osmand's "off road maps" The link shows mostly city streets etc..

[Salty]

bearheart I'd recommend just getting the iPhone and call that good for now it comes with mapping. I've got an ancient 4s, barely supported any more and the map function that it comes with is pretty handy. And it works out of the service area BUT you need to bring up the map of the area you're interested in while you are in phone service, once its downloaded on your phone its there even if you're out of service, just click the map function let it load and there's a nice sat photo image with the lil blinking light showing where you are including roads and road names you can zoom in and out plan routes etc etc. You can add on the fancier programs and stuff later if you want but like I say what they come with is quite useable.

[elch jager]

I have not used Gaia. I did look at their info on the web and decided to go with osmand. Can't comment on what I haven't used and don't really recall why I choose osmand over gaia.

In osmand, the forestry roads are all in the vector base maps and are surprisingly up to date and accurate. I hunted through regions 4-2,3 as well as 5-2,15 and 3-12 and everything was spot on. I downloaded the ortho tiles for each hunt area and placed pins on spots of particular interest. Likewise in the field I could drop pins where i found a moose highway or awesome clear cut with promising sign.

95% of users are city dwellers looking for something to guide them in big cities... I have no use for that. There is also quite a biking and hiking community that have driven the backwoods use and development. It is free so I thought I would download and try... if it was disappointing I'd delete and try Gaia... I have been impressed so I stuck with it.

[XPEIer]

GPS KitHD,,,, basically Google Earth with you at all times. You may need to cache some imagery if you want fine fine details, but for general roads etc. it is great. You can tracklog, take a photo and it is embedded right into the track. Get home hit the email as KMZ and open it in Google Earth and the photos are there as well.

xpeier