This is 2018, using paper maps as your primary navigation is pretty archaic. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t carry and know how to use them. GPS’s/Phones die or fail easily, but are a great form of primary navigation. They are super accurate, can track your routes, leave waypoints, have multiple overlays in the mapping, and all fits in your pocket or mounts on your dash.
I’m a big fan of Gaia GPS app on my phone. I’ve used a stand-alone GPS before and just wasn’t a fan of the limited options and the need to manually sync it to a computer. On my phone I can download a .gpx or .kml/.kmz files straight from the internet to my app and not worry about syncing on the road or away from the computer. What’s also very nice about Gaia is that there is a desktop website that you can use to preplan your trips and import files through the site (works especially well when importing files in bulk), then it automatically syncs instantly to your phone making it hassle free. I’ve spent a ton of time using the desktop site and just go on my phone to download the mapping offline for the areas I need, and it works so much better than trying to do everything on your phone (especially when you have dual monitors on your computer). I’ve used a couple cheap apps that I liked, but Gaia is far better than what I’ve used in the past.
What are you using to navigate on the trails and how do you like it?
I’m a big fan of Gaia GPS app on my phone. I’ve used a stand-alone GPS before and just wasn’t a fan of the limited options and the need to manually sync it to a computer. On my phone I can download a .gpx or .kml/.kmz files straight from the internet to my app and not worry about syncing on the road or away from the computer. What’s also very nice about Gaia is that there is a desktop website that you can use to preplan your trips and import files through the site (works especially well when importing files in bulk), then it automatically syncs instantly to your phone making it hassle free. I’ve spent a ton of time using the desktop site and just go on my phone to download the mapping offline for the areas I need, and it works so much better than trying to do everything on your phone (especially when you have dual monitors on your computer). I’ve used a couple cheap apps that I liked, but Gaia is far better than what I’ve used in the past.
What are you using to navigate on the trails and how do you like it?