[pct-l] Half Mile PCT

[John Casterline]

Very thorough, thanks.

On Sun, Sep 19, 2021 at 12:55 AM Town Food <pctl at marcusschwartz.com> wrote:

> It's probably still possible to get it installed, but it's officially
> discontinued, and the data hasn't been updated since 2015.  I also
> haven't hiked the trail in a few years, but my impression is that the
> current de facto standard is the Guthook apps.
>
> Guthook's apps improve on Halfmile's app by adding actual maps,
> elevation profiles, photos of waypoints, and user comments.  The
> comments are very useful when you want to know the status of a water
> source -- they get updated whenever you find an Internet connection, so
> you can often see reports just a few days old about flow rate and other
> such details.  They're also useful as a sort of a second opinion to the
> data the app provides (e.g. Guthook tends to underexaggerate how many
> tents can fit in a given tentsite).  It still has a Halfmile-style list
> of waypoints by mile, if you prefer that over a map with icons on it.
>
> Gaia GPS has been popular for people who want something more like a
> traditional map than an app.  I haven't used it, and can't comment.
>
> I used OSMAnd for traditional maps.  It's not specifically for the PCT,
> it's just a generic mapping app that works without Internet and happens
> to have the PCT on it.  I like that it can be customized to have a lot
> of features I like for hiking, such as contour lines, hillshades, and
> colorization for steepness (I find it easier to judge steepness at a
> glance with colorization than with contour lines).  It can even display
> icons for Wikipedia articles about points of interest near you, and
> display the articles without an Internet connection.  This can be nice
> if you enjoy learning about where you are during your downtime.  A map
> can tell you that the mountain you're looking at is "Mt. Adams", but
> OSMAnd can tell you how the Bridge of the Gods legend explains Mt.
> Adams' flat top (short answer: Mt. Hood hit him over the head while
> vying for the love of Mt. St. Helens).
>
> Organic Maps is a newer competitor to OSMAnd.  It doesn't have as many
> features yet (e.g. no Wikipedia articles), but I find its display easier
> to read.  Trails in particular are drawn with a bolder line, and don't
> disappear so quickly when you zoom out.  It's also faster than OSMAnd
> (though possibly because I have a million features turned on in OSMAnd).
>
> I've heard Avenza Maps recommended.  You buy/download PDF maps that have
> GPS information embedded in them, and it displays your location on the
> maps.  This means that Avenza doesn't provide the maps, they just make
> the app, and various maps are available from third parties.  This can be
> useful if you prefer navigating by maps made by National Geographic or
> the Forest Service or such, but don't want to carry paper or have to
> guess about your location on the map.  So far as I'm aware it doesn't
> have any hiker-specific features like marking campsites and water
> sources, or labeling locations by trail miles.  I personally find Avenza
> not so useful for thru-hiking, but good for tourism and day hikes, since
> they have maps for practically everywhere, and sometimes there are
> special-interest maps available.  Finding maps you actually want in
> Avenza's store is somewhat of a problem though, because there's a lot of
> "map spam" in the listings.  I find it easier to find the map I want on
> their website on my computer, then search for it by name in their app on
> my phone.
>
> This email is a bit long-winded, but the short answer is:  Use Guthook's
> apps.  If you prefer traditional maps instead of a purpose-made hiking
> app, there are several choices.  Of course, apps weigh nothing, so you
> can also try them all.
>
>   -=Town Food
>
> On 9/18/21 8:22 PM, John Casterline wrote:
> > I used Half Mile's PCT app when I hiked the tail a few years ago.  Is
> that
> > still available?
> >
> > What similar app(s) is as good or better than Half Miles?
> >
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-- 
John Caster____

 lungcancerhike.org

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