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gps apps

KnuckleDragr

KnuckleDragr

Active Member
Looking to get one on my phone preferably a free one. I want to make my stands a waypoint along with where I park. I then want to plot my entry route so I can follow it in the dark.( new property, not quite familiar with the timber in the dark yet)

I figured you guys might be able to save me some time weeding through the crappy apps and steer me to a good one.

I tried one once, but the waypoints where way off and it wasn't very user friendly.

Also the signal sucks in this area so I wonder if a phone app will even work?
 
I would like something similar for shed hunting purposes so I can easily see areas that I missed. When you are in the woods it is hard to figure that out at times!
 
I use Backcountry Navigator Pro.. Not free but only costs like $10 and it transfers over to every new phone I've had through my google account. It has good aerial maps and you can mark way points and track.
 
KnuckleDragr said:
Also the signal sucks in this area so I wonder if a phone app will even work?
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I was involved in a recent discussion on another forum about using these apps for phones. It appears that most cell phones now have GPS satellite sensing built in, so it doesn't require cell phone calling service. Still, IMO, the phone was designed primarily for texting/calling, not sure how much effort they spent engineering the GPS side of things.

That said, for the android platform: My Tracks was mentioned. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.maps.mytracks&hl=en

For the iphone, this app was recommended: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/earthmate/id519247758?mt=8

I do not have any experience with these apps. UPS just delivered my new Garmin eTrex 20 yesterday. I ordered from TheGPSstore.com last Friday after selling my Garmin eTrex H. I wanted a GPS that accepted microSD cards and USB so I could download maps.
 
KnuckleDragr - I don't know of any apps off the top of my head that provide what you are looking for. You want to be able to make a route and then re-follow it on your phone at a later time? Not a bad idea, I just don't know of an app that does that.

IowaBowHunter1983 - I use "My Tracks" for the same purpose you are talking about. Every time I start a new walk, I just start the app. Make sure your GPS is on and it will lay a trail out on the map of everywhere you went. Every time you turn it on, it creates a new file for that outing. If you make multiple trips to the same location you can highlight each of those files and open them all in google earth on your phone and look at them all at once. It works pretty slick.
 
Another vote for Back Country Navigator. As already said you can down load and save different types of maps to your phone like topo, national forest and goggle earth type pictures. Then use your phone's GPS even when you don't have cell service. I've used in the CO back country with no problems. Android only last I looked. When I got it they did have a 30 day free trial.
 
mplane72 said:
Another vote for Back Country Navigator. As already said you can down load and save different types of maps to your phone like topo, national forest and goggle earth type pictures. Then use your phone's GPS even when you don't have cell service. I've used in the CO back country with no problems. Android only last I looked. When I got it they did have a 30 day free trial.
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Curious what battery life is like using your cell as a GPS.
 
I have a Galaxy 4. In CO I never left it on for a whole day but I'm confident it would make it, just used it as needed. I also put it in Airplane mode to save battery. I did carry my old Garmin in my pack just in case but never needed it.
 
Thanks for the replies so far! Keep them coming. I really don't care if its fancy at all with topos and such. Just want to keep from fumbling around in the dark until I become more familiar with the property. Pretty easy to get turned around in the really thick stuff.
 
More specifically, using Back Country Navigator; I used it to kayak into land locked public hunting parcels in the dark down a river. I had already been there in the daylight doing some scouting and marked waypoints at a couple different trees that I wanted to hunt. There are steep cliffs and bluffs everywhere and I never once had an issue with GPS signal. There was only one way up a steep ridge to get to one location and I was able to find it in the dark with the GPS. Also, after hunting until dark, I had a vehicle parked down stream about 3 miles on a stretch of river I had never been down at a dead end road that I couldn't see from the river. I would have definitely missed where I had to get out without the GPS because I couldn't see crap. Another good thing about it was once I was up in the stand I was going to hunt, I texted the coordinates that I was at to my dad and wife and they were able to type them into google maps and see exactly where I was hunting in case something happened.
 
The boys bought me a USB "battery pack" for my cell phone for my birthday. I was always worried about draining the cell phone in the stand as signal dropped in and out. I carry the battery with me now just in case. I guess I'd recommend that as well if you are using your cell as a GPS.

For the Garmin, easy to carry a couple spare AA batteries.
 
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