Gaia GPS: One Backcountry Navigation App to Rule Them All
The outdoor mapping app, launched in 2009, is now as necessary as a pair of hiking boots.
Find the best GPS unit for your hiking and backpacking trips with expert advice from Backpacker Magazine. Our gear experts test the latest GPS units in real backcountry conditions so you can feel informed when choosing the best navigation device for your next expedition.
The outdoor mapping app, launched in 2009, is now as necessary as a pair of hiking boots.
Make sure that you are prepared and have a solid GPS in hand before venturing into the backcountry.
Do-it-all GPS
This GPS unit is rugged, reliable, and comes with preloaded maps.
DeLorme has finally made one tool that serves as a GPS device, backcountry messenger, and rescue beacon.
With the latest tech tools, you can plan trips better and more easily, stay safer on the trail, and instantly put your summit hero shot in front of the whole world.
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
New Elite program from map partner Trimble Outdoors serves up best-in-class trip planning tools, exclusive map data, and mobile app extras.
Our editors map their favorite trips on custom-centered topos. Order today!
Tips from our experts and readers about traveling in deserts and canyon country
A perfect starter GPS unit, with a great price and minimal drawbacks.
Your electronics will never run out of juice with this portable battery charger.
This GPS is perfect, however you get from A to B.
The sleekest, best GPS watch yet.
Never get lost with these navigation tools.
From GPS data to navigation apps and printed maps, we have you covered and can get you ready for your next adventure.
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
A backpacker-friendly smartphone or GPS case that doesn't block signals
A top-performing GPS unit with photo-location capabilities.
Send and receive with the ultimate backcountry communicator.
We've teamed up with map partner myTopo to create custom, pre-planned adventures printed on waterproof topo paper. No need to buy and carry multiple maps. Bonus: PRO Maps sync with your handheld GPS, your smartphone, or your tablet for a complete in-field mapping experience. Our archive is over 100 maps strong and growing.
Join a long line of enlightened travelers who have navigated the wilderness–and discover a whole new world that lies beyond well-marked trails and guided trips.
Gadgets to help you lop off the miles.
Three hiking-focused apps - for iPhone, iPad, or Android.
Never get lost again, with these four GPS units and three hiking apps.
This budget-friendly, no-frills device delivers basic safety and positioning without adding weight.
You’ll get in-car voice and off-trail navigation on 1:100K USA topo maps, plus a 5MP camera that snaps crisp, geotagged images.
A compact, durable unit with sophisticated features like barometric altimeter.
An all-in-one unit that captures GPS, photos, 320x240 video, and audio.
Plan hikes and backpacking trips, plus other outdoor adventures like never before on detailed, interactive topo maps and aerial photos.
Learn how to plot your own digital adventures with precision--then print the maps and prep your GPS.
Learn the basics of using GPS devices and watch amazing Google 3D flyovers in our special navigation focused video center.
Learn how to make custom maps, navigate any terrain, and the ins-and-outs of GPS devices and mobile apps in our comprehensive navigation center.
Don't let iPhone fanatics fool you: There are tons of great outdoor apps for the other operating system.
Load up your smartphone or iPad with these backpacker-friendly apps.
Outfit your mama with the perfect overnight gear.
Manage your social network from anywhere
Learn everything you need to know to get from point a. to point b.
A compass that floats.
Here's a high-tech trifecta: Navigate the backcountry and call for emergency help and stay connected with those at home.
Here's a high-tech trifecta: Navigate the backcountry and call for emergency help and stay connected with those at home.
Here's a high-tech trifecta: Navigate the backcountry and call for emergency help and stay connected with those at home.
Attention e-hikers: Upgrade–and power–your gadgets with these five finds.
Able to recharge off of any USB port
Easy to read touch screen with a tough hard-shell
A basic sighting compass that is lightweight, durable, and unsinkable.
Stay on track with the best GPS units. Plus, awesome navigation apps.
Stay on track with these three navigation and hiking apps.
Never go missing with this personal locator beacon.
Geocaching just got easier with this palm-size GPS unit.
The pinpoint accuracy of this GPS system will keep you on track even in the most narrow valleys.
These applications might not qualify as the 10 Essentials, but they're pretty sweet to have on the trail nonetheless.
Navigate across scree, snow, and rivers without getting blocked or lost.
5 ways to embark on your own cartographic adventure
Just because you can't see in front of you doesn't mean you can't navigate.
Skirt forests and mountains with ease with these tips and gear.
Learn how to stay on track and find water safely in the desert and canyons.
Triangulate, forge through wind, and learn the tides with these water-bound navigation tips.
When your route takes you off-trail you can still be on course with these navigation tips.
Field-proven skills for wild weather and terrain.
Check out The Backpacker Editors & Contributors's author page.
Starting May 17, we'll give one away every weekday for a month on our Facebook page--if you can be the first to post the correct answer to our daily map trivia question.
A wristtop altimeter, compass, and accelerometer.
These waterproof maps are unruffled by rain, sleet, and snow.
A groundbreaking GPS that just won't break.
Want to map and share your own adventures with the click of a button? Looking for instant access to thousands of GPS-enabled hikes? Look no further than GPS Trails. Just download the app and turn your phone into the ultimate navigation device and portable trip database.
If you think you missed the age of exploration and discovery, you haven't tried the latest mapping tools.
Now you can call in a rescue–or simply send the OK signal–from anywhere.
This one-glance watch was built with the input of renowned alpinist Conrad Anker.
This durable and accurate timepiece is also a bargain.
This watch boasts all the bells and whistles of a great training watch and GPS device.
Map your route and much more with this high-tech wrist watch.
Learn to figure out where you are (even in a whiteout) and prevent, or stop, a snowy fall.
The Lowrance Endura Sierra comes chalk full of street and topo maps.