On my recent hikes, navigation is a job made much easier thanks to a splendid (iOS) app: MotionX GPS.
Many national and country parks have well-demarcated walking trails that make it possible to not get lost even without a map and a compass or a GPS device (not that going without is ever recommended!), but other areas – like the peaks, or even the tame Chilterns where I was over the weekend – are slightly trickier. Very often, rather than a designated route from point A to B, ramblers have to devise their own original challenges and find their own way through a confusing network of footpaths. These paths frequently branch out and hikers are free to pick the most parsimonious, or the most scenic, routes. This is where MotionX GPS comes in handy. It shows you all you need to know about the terrain and landmarks, including any inns in the nearest town where you can drop by for a quick bite!
I’ve used MotionX GPS on a few treks in the UK, Hong Kong, and Australia, and it’s proven itself to be very reliable. I’d use it in Singapore as well, but there it’s a novelty, not a necessity.
The features I like the most are:
• Map downloads – allows you to pre-download tiles and layers (you get to choose the level of detail for street, topo or cycle maps), good for when you’re not guaranteed good data coverage out there
• Live tracking with stats – record movements on a map, time elapsed, distance, speed, max speed, live speed, ascent, descent, altitude charts
• Create waypoints along the way, or even before a trek
• Saveable tracks – and share them on social networks, or export tracks to Google Maps complete with track stats
• Geo-tag photos taken along the way
• Live voice coaching
• Allows multi-tasking – runs in the background even when the app screen is not ‘active’
• Accurate GPS – in my estimation it’s no more than perhaps 20m off, even in horrid weather and torrential rain
All that and more for just £0.69, which is a right bargain. It’s not just for walking, but with its customisable modes it is suitable for a whole host of other activities: skiing, snowboarding, cycling, running, sailing, rowing, flying and geocaching.
The only con I can think of is its ferocious battery consumption so a portable phone battery pack/charger is definitely essential.