32
What Android hiking app do you trust when there's no cell service? (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/androidapps@lemmy.world
13 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I've been looking into Android hiking apps, especially how they behave once you lose cell coverage.

I compared AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Komoot, Outdooractive, Wikiloc, OsmAnd, Hiking Project, and FarOut, and the offline experience varies a lot more than I expected.

For example, AllTrails and Gaia GPS put offline maps behind paid plans, Komoot gives you one region free, while OsmAnd is much more offline-first. Hiking Project is also an interesting completely free option, although its coverage is much stronger in some regions than others.

I wrote up the full comparison here:

https://pixeltrackhq.com/blog/best-hiking-apps

For people who actually hike outside reliable coverage: which Android app has been the most dependable for you?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 3 points 2 months ago* (2 children)

I've never seen the point of all these apps; the only 3 i think are worth caring about is comaps, osmand (both of these basically do the same thing), and especially trailsense if you don't mind something which is more of a toolbox than a navigation app.

But really the important thing is having a phone with as good GPS hardware as possible, ideally you'd bring a proper separate GPS reciever that can plug into the phone. Modern GPS can be so good that you'll get at least a rough position even in forests, and when you have your position everything else becomes relatively trivial.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •