Backpacker Magazine – Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2010

3 Top Navigation Apps

Stay on track with these three navigation and hiking apps.

APP	FEATURES	BEST FOR
EveryTrail Pro iPhone Android	This app earns high marks for its user-friendly interface and menus. A "Find trailhead" button opens a Google map with turn-by-turn directions. Search and download trips from everytrail.com, or record your own route and view it on six different types of maps. Video clips are automatically geotagged and photos are overlaid on the route and uploaded into the online trip report. $4; everytrail.com/iphone.php	Casual hikers comfortable with basic mapping software but who want more features (like online viewing and sharing) in a navigation app
MotionX-GPS iPhone and iPad	A wealth of GPS-like features and a zippy user interface make this a go-to app for mapping dayhikes and backpacking trips. View your route on three types of maps: topo, terrain, or satellite. Record tracks, mark waypoints, geotag photos, then send the .gpx (GPS format) or .kmz file (Google Earth) to your email or share tracks with friends and family with the MotionX-GPS Facebook app. $3; motionx.com	Hikers who own a GPS unit and expect a similar experience with their navigation apps; techie types who aren’t overwhelmed by loads of menus and options
Topo Maps iPhone and iPad	At home: Choose from a library of 70,000 topos (50 states and Canada), then download the desired (and free) 7.5-minute quads. On the trail: A blue dot marks your location. Collect waypoints, zoom in and out of the map, and calculate distances to selected points. “Although it’s relatively low-tech, it got me un-lost in Canyonlands,” says one tester. $8; topomapsapp.com	Old-school navigators who don’t own a GPS and want access to thousands of digital maps; tech novices who want a basic backcountry navigation tool

Stay Found
With these four GPS devices