[pct-l] Best gps iPhone app?

[Bill Burge]

Hi!

For an app that tracks AND caches maps, Gaia GPS is definitely in the  
lead.  The MotionX GPS manner of caching maps is not controllable  
enough (view the area in a particular map mode and the map is cached)  
and while MotionX GPS is very cool (lots o' bling), unless you NEED  
all those additional features AND take the time to learn them, not  
very useful.

Topo Maps app does not track, but does have a fairly decent way to  
load maps and does use 1:24K maps as well.  With no function for  
loading tracks or waypoints, this is just a "where am I?" kind of  
app.  Long hikes can benefit greatly waypoints, and maybe stored tracks.

Tracking a hike is not a prime function on something like a two week  
hike.  It's also very hard on power consumption.  Following tracks and  
finding waypoints like campgrounds and water sources can be very  
useful.  I'm looking forward to trying the track record feature on  
some day hikes.  I'm also looking forward to loading in some long  
sections of tracks and waypoints for the PCT (or some of my Jeep  
ventures) when that capability is fully fleshed out.  For this forum,  
that is more the use of a GPS app.

Keep going on Gaia GPS.  With the current state of the app and the  
indications of where it's going in the next few revisions, it is WELL  
worth the $3.  It might actually bump the other GPS apps off my phone  
(though right now, Topo Maps makes a partner).

('nother idea, it looks like the zoom level of the "porthole" map is  
fixed and can't be changed.  It would be nice if it followed the zoom  
level chosen by the user on the full screen map mode.  Maybe have a  
setting like "Porthole zoom follows map zoom" On/Off, and/or let the  
user set the zoom.)

Bill Burge
bill at burge.com



On Sep 27, 2009, at 3:35 PM, Anna Hentzel wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> Just saw this thread, I've been subscribed to this list for awhile,
> some year I'll actually hike the whole thing :)
>
> I'm another one of the authors of Gaia GPS, and actually all three of
> us did the 51 mile hike on the PCT, while we were waiting for Apple to
> approve our app.
>
> I think the biggest advantage of the app right now is the myTopo maps.
> I don't think any other GPS recorder app right now offers offline topo
> maps, and the topo map specific apps don't have tiles from myTopo or a
> continuous google maps style display. They were fantastic on our hike.
> They show the PCT and we too ended up off trail and were guided back
> by the app.
>
> We're working on the features Bill suggested, and I'll let you know
> when we get them launched. If anyone else gets a chance to try out the
> app, we'd love your feedback.
>
> -Anna
>
> On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 12:31 PM, Bill Burge <bill at burge.com> wrote:
>>
>> Gaia GPS $2.99
>>
>> This one may be going places.  I sent email to the CTO/lead  
>> programmer
>> of the group responsible for the app to ask about track/waypoint
>> loading and he says it certainly on the radar and will probably be in
>> the next release (after the one that Apple is reviewing right now).
>>
>> He also told me that he and one/some of the co-founders of their  
>> group
>> just got back from 51 miles of Sections J and K!
>>
>> I offered the suggestion that after they get that going, it might be
>> to select tracks and/or waypoints and say "download the maps for this
>> items" and you would have maps for most of the PCT if you have the
>> Postholer waypoints and the PCTMAP.net tracks loaded.  :-)  (Be on
>> WiFi and plugged into power, this would take a while!  ;-)
>>
>> So this one is probably a good investment, at less than the cost of a
>> pint of (good) beer!
>>
>> BillB
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sep 23, 2009, at 9:21 PM, Bill Burge wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> OK, I added this one (Topo Maps) to my phone and while looking  
>>> around,
>>> found this one as well:  Gaia GPS
>>>
>>> Looks promising, so I grabbed it as well.
>>>
>>> Topo Maps stores 1:24K topo maps and that's pretty cool.  I recently
>>> spent a decent chunk of dough to get 1:24K maps for my Garmin.
>>>
>>> The Gaia GPS app is real new and has easy export of tracks and
>>> waypoints and the number is only limited by available memory (so  
>>> they
>>> say) but there doesn't seem to be an import function.  I'm also not
>>> sure what resolution the maps are for download.  The interface is
>>> pretty slick.  Without an ability to import tracks and points, it  
>>> will
>>> not be a good single app solution.
>>>
>>> Topo Maps is $6.99
>>> Gaia GPS is $2.99
>>>
>>> Maps for both do not have an additional cost.
>>>
>>> BillB
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sep 23, 2009, at 1:46 PM, Denis Stanton wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Laura
>>>>
>>>> I'd like to add one more to the detailed and excellent analysis  
>>>> from
>>>> Bill
>>>>
>>>> I used Phil Endecott's 'Topo Maps' app on my last section hike and
>>>> highly recommend it.
>>>>
>>>> I was daunted by it at first and it took me a while to appreciate
>>>> what
>>>> it does.  It is not a substitute for Google Maps as it doesn't  
>>>> have a
>>>> searchable index of every place name you can think of. In the  
>>>> version
>>>> I used on the PCT in June it could only search by map name.  This
>>>> seems to have been expanded a lot and it now seems to have a list  
>>>> of
>>>> geographical points of interest.
>>>>
>>>> It is not a substitute for MotionX GPS as it doesn't have all the
>>>> average speed, distance to waypoint, estimated time of arrival etc.
>>>> calculations
>>>>
>>>> Don't be put off (as I was at first) by what it doesn't have.  What
>>>> it
>>>> does have is fantastic.  It has the ability to download and store  
>>>> any
>>>> of the thousands of USGS 1:24,000 and Natural Resources Canada
>>>> 1:50,000 maps.  The maps take a while to download (5 or 10 minutes
>>>> each for me) so you do this BEFORE you leave home.  The maps are  
>>>> then
>>>> securely cached so when you are on the trail all you need is the  
>>>> GPS
>>>> signal (free from the sky above), not the cell-phone connection  
>>>> (from
>>>> the cell tower which is probably out of range).
>>>>
>>>> On my trip in June I did the Rae Lakes Loop.  I spent an evening at
>>>> home downloading 20 or so maps covering the whole trip from Road's
>>>> End
>>>> to Vidette Meadows, Rae Lakes, Woods Creek and the PCT as far as  
>>>> VVR
>>>> just in case.  This was a moderately laborious task because each  
>>>> map
>>>> takes a while to download and then you have to follow the PCT  
>>>> across
>>>> the map and figure out which map you want to get next.
>>>>
>>>> Having done this the Topo Maps application became my best friend on
>>>> the trail.  Just click a button to place yourself accurately on  
>>>> these
>>>> really detailed maps that have the PCT clearly marked.  Some other
>>>> maps are really made for motorists and don't bother much with  
>>>> serious
>>>> trails, but the USGS 1:24,000 are the ones you would be carrying  
>>>> all
>>>> the way if you could afford to buy them all and manage the weight
>>>>
>>>> I came over Glen Pass in light snow.  The trail was buried knee- 
>>>> deep
>>>> and although I could see the Rae Lakes in the distance I have to  
>>>> make
>>>> my own way down.  I post-holed until I felt it was safe to slide  
>>>> and
>>>> then sat down and glissaded happily down the hill.  Incidentally  
>>>> this
>>>> was a much nicer experience than last year when I tried something
>>>> similar on the north side of Forrester, got out of control and
>>>> discovered to my cost that you can't self arrest by planting your
>>>> only
>>>> hiking pole in the snow between your knees as you slide.
>>>>
>>>> When I got the end of the snow I had no idea where the actual trail
>>>> was.  I came off the snow into a maze of scrubby bushes and small
>>>> trees, patches of snow and lots of streams.  I thought the most
>>>> likely
>>>> place for the trail was on the stony ridge away to my right.
>>>> Another
>>>> hiker following a similar trajectory down the snow called out to  
>>>> ask
>>>> if I knew which way to go and I suggested the ridge looked likely.
>>>> Then I took out the iPhone, opened Top Maps and touched the "show  
>>>> me
>>>> where I am button".  A couple of seconds later if dropped a blue  
>>>> dot
>>>> onto the map and I could see the red line of the PCT was nearby  
>>>> on my
>>>> left.  I shouted back "I think it's about 20 feet that way", walked
>>>> around a patch of scrub and that's exactly where it was.  That one
>>>> moment easily repaid the $6.99.  I could have wasted a lot of  
>>>> energy
>>>> climbing onto the wrong ridge.
>>>>
>>>> I see Phil has added a lot more features since my last hike.  I  
>>>> look
>>>> forward to trying it out.  There are many other GPS apps that are  
>>>> fun
>>>> and interesting.  This one could really be a life saver.
>>>>
>>>> Denis
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 23/09/2009, at 5:11 AM, Laura Newman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Any recommendations? Thanks, laura
>>>>>
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