As the weeks pass the stock of dumb-phones that cell carriers are offering shrinks more and more. It seems that more and more people have a smart phone, I have a driod from verizon wireless and love it. The Android market offers lots of apps geared toward hiking. The GPS in many smart-phones are as good as hand held GPS receivers, many have an electronic compass and as long as you have cell service you can get up to date weather including radar maps. A smart-phone can be a great tool on the trail…
Here are my top 5 FREE hiking apps for android:
1. Hi-HikerPro
Hi-Hiker Pro is a all in one tool which is really all the different devices needed on the trail. It includes a pedometer, stopwatch, compass, flashlight, maps, altimeter, GPS tracking, weather forecast and emergency call. You can save your different sessions and import/export your trips as a GPX files to visualize your them on Google Earth.
2. My Tracks
My Tracks developed by google enables you to record GPS tracks and view live statistics – such as time, speed, distance, and elevation. Once recorded, you can share your tracks, upload them to Google Spreadsheets and visualize them on Google My Maps.
3. Peak.AR
Peak.AR offers a panoramic augmented reality view of the surrounding peaks. It uses the compass and GPS receiver in the phone to let you know what peaks you are looking at and how far away they are. Sometimes lacks accuracy but still pretty neat.
4. AlpineQuest GPS Hiking (Lite)
AlpineQuest GPS Hiking (Lite) is a maps program, you can store maps on your SD card so they can be accessed without network access. USGS TOPO maps can be made and saved via the AlpineQuest website. AlpineQuest will also track your route and allow you to save waypoints if you buy the full version of the app.
Not really made for hiking but I’m including it here because it is a great tool for loved ones. With Wheres My Droid you can set up a phrase so when it is text to you it will auto reply with your location. I like this because Miss HuskyHiker can see where I am on the trail as long as I have network access. Great peice of mind for loved ones if you often hike alone.
And always remember to keep your phone on silent when hiking, nothing is worse than a ringing phone in the middle of the woods especially when you are trying to snap a shot of a deer or neat bird on the trail…
by Falcon Guides. Husky Hiker wants to get out more and lose some weight… Do you want to get outside, hike more? Enjoy the weather? I’m all about motivating you to get out and do more and maybe drop some pounds in the process. HuskyHiker.com will share hiking tips, weight loss tips, trips and other adventures… All Aboard!
hey – these sound like great apps. Just got a droid a couple weeks ago, so I’ll give them a try!
thanks
robin
@walkingawake
I’d also recommend Bear Aware which has all the info on what to do if you encounter a bear. Comes with Panic Mode that activates a strobe light, plays loud sounds and opens a 911 dialer screen.
This sounds like a great app. Now, if the bears would only wait to charge until you have the chance to open this app and read about how to prevent a bear attack. Also, I don’t think I would use a strobe light to fend off a bear. Loud sounds either. These things only aggravate bears, particularly protective mammas.
Responsible hikers should learn how to deal with bears before they encounter them. Pepper spray is a good defence, and usually, but not always, works.
I agree a book like Bear Essentials is a must read for anyone planing on spending some time on the trail in bear country…
Excellent App ideas for hiking with a smartphone. The only thing is, on multi day hikes, I turn everything off to conserve battery power. I’d rather have the phone available for emergencies and not dead because I used some apps.
I’ve just found A4Hike which is just fine for hiking.
I took a quick look at A4Hike – seems ok but lacking key things like maps…
I’ve used the “My Tracks” app and found it a great way to stay on top of my location. For me it’s better than shelling out $300 for a GPS receiver.
you should review runkeeper.com for hiking as well. it has a hiking selection, I’d like to hear what you think of it…
I want to downroad.
Hi There,
Only just came across your blog now but really good apps thanks for posting. There was a couple there i wasnt aware of but i agree that Hi Hiker Pro should be up the top of the list it does a hell of a lot!
Cheers Stu