[pct-l] Digital maps

[Denis Stanton]

If you can search back on this list you will find an extensive discussion somewhere around 25 September 09, on the subject of iPhone apps for the PCT

My personal favorites, each with their own advantages, are MotionX GPS, Gaia GPS and Topo Maps.  The first two are good for setting and finding waypoints and for recording your track (up to a point, see below).  Topo Maps allows you to download totally zoomable and panable hi-res USGS maps ahead of time and if you lose the trail you can open the app and touch the "show me where I am" button.  This last function saved me a lot of wasted effort when I came down from a snowy Glen Pass and didn't know where to pick up the trail.  The biggest problem with using smart-phone devices is the battery life.  Using the iPhone to record your route will drain you battery in 2 - 4 hours.  I put a lot of effort into rigging solar panels.  Some may feel this is not their idea of enjoying the wilderness.

Denis Stanton


On 5/01/2010, at 3:24 PM, Adam Parker wrote:

> Has anyone used their camera or similar electronic device as a map display?
> I think topo maps of the entire PCT could easily fit on a memory card, and
> then be displayed on screen if it has enough resolution/zoom/pan.
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