I have been an avid hiker of the Pacific Northwest for round a decade. I am additionally very unhealthy at navigation. Making issues worse, Google and Apple Maps are each principally ineffective should you’re on a hike: They do not have knowledge for many trails, and their offline performance is usually restricted to driving directions, which is not helpful should you’re mountaineering removed from any cellphone towers.
Fortunately, there’s an incredible various in Natural Maps, which I’ve used on hikes for years now. This free and open supply utility is offered for iOS and Android, and I am but to stroll on a path it did not have knowledge for. Even higher, it really works offline, and may be very simple in your battery life. I’ve used it for a number of days throughout a backpacking journey and did not even must recharge. (Airplane mode helps with this so much.) Natural Maps additionally has a superb privateness coverage: There isn’t any monitoring and no adverts—interval.
The mapping knowledge comes from Open Avenue Maps, an open supply undertaking that permits anybody to contribute mapping knowledge. Whereas a platform like this runs the danger of missing knowledge, folks have evidently been contributing trails. I’ve actively used Natural Maps in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and even Croatia throughout a trip final yr. If I am out on a path, I can see precisely the place I’m within the context of the remainder of the path system, ask for turn-by-turn instructions, and rapidly learn the way many miles I’m from my automobile.
Even higher, Natural Maps works completely with none type of web connection. Google and Apple Maps each supply a diminished model of their utility if you’re offline: You are able to do the fundamentals, however options like search and turn-by-turn instructions solely work in a restricted means, if in any respect.
Utilizing Natural Maps for mountaineering
Getting began is easy. First, obtain the appliance. You can begin utilizing it instantly should you plan on having an energetic web connection, however the actual enjoyable occurs should you obtain the area you are going to take a hike in. Faucet the three-line button within the bottom-right nook, then select Obtain Maps. You possibly can obtain as many areas as you need. I are inclined to preserve all of Oregon and Washington on my cellphone, which takes up round 600 MB.
When you obtain the maps you want, it does not actually matter whether or not you’ve gotten an web connection or not: The applying works completely both means. The search performance, your saved places, even turn-by-turn instructions all operate as wanted—perfect for if you’re out on the path.
Credit score: Justin Pot
And there are just a few hiker-specific options. You possibly can activate elevation contour traces, which is one thing Google and Apple Maps do not supply. You will note the elevation change outlined if you ask for instructions, which incorporates complete up and down elevation with a chart that summarizes the beneficial properties and losses. That is nice if you wish to understand how rather more uphill mountaineering you might want to endure (which turns into necessary to me very often). All this, mixed with a a lot better knowledge set for mountaineering, make it clearly superior for hikes.
Natural Maps is not simply for mountaineering. You need to use the app for strolling and driving instructions, and it’ll work properly sufficient. That mentioned, it’s lacking actual time visitors and transit knowledge, nonetheless, so I normally keep on with Apple Maps after I’m in a metropolis. Nonetheless, I like having dependable maps after I’m miles from the closest cell tower, and the path maps are second to none.
Now, Apple is including mountaineering options to Apple Maps with iOS 18 this fall, so that might change issues for hikers on iPhone. Till we see how Apple’s official Maps replace performs, nonetheless, I’m sticking with Natural Maps.
