Hey all!
I travel 7 months of the year as a nature photographer. I do an immense amount of planning, and go where the photo is no matter how hard to reach! I use both Google maps offline mode and Gaia GPS, so I have one device that goes in the car, motorcycle, or hiking trail. I download massive areas into the google maps offline mode, you can fits about 7 large states before you hit the limit. I make each map as big as possible, with a little overlap between Maps. One offline map is about half a state in size. Google maps is important because it allows you to route to a destination, and shows all the businesses(gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores). I have many categories for waypoints (thousands of waypoints). I value google satellite view. If you are connected to internet, and you view an area in satellite view, the data will remain until you close the app, even when offline. I leave my app open for weeks sometimes. Yes you can look away from the app. I use Gaia for topo info, and mainly for tracking my routes. Whenever I visit a new unpaved road or trail, I open the app and start recording a track. This way I know where I have already been, and crucially, how to get back out the same way I came in. I label them and write comments about the track as well. I use apple notes(outstanding) for keeping all my locations organized over the years. When I find a photo location, I take a photo with my phone, copy it and Google maps GPS coordinates into the note, and write all the necessary details below. I copy the coordinates, not a link, since you need an internet connection to make a link work. I have a note for each state in the US, and each country elsewhere. Both Google maps and Apple notes use the cloud to save my data(free). As a result I can work from my laptop, and everything will automatically be on my phone when I hit the road. Gaia GPS allows you to save your tracks to the cloud in case you lose your device. I spent years refining this process, and I am very happy with it now. I only wish Google maps would allow you to change the look of icons based on the group they are in... I also love not having to use a Garmin device, which I find bulky for hiking, low tech, and overpriced.
I travel 7 months of the year as a nature photographer. I do an immense amount of planning, and go where the photo is no matter how hard to reach! I use both Google maps offline mode and Gaia GPS, so I have one device that goes in the car, motorcycle, or hiking trail. I download massive areas into the google maps offline mode, you can fits about 7 large states before you hit the limit. I make each map as big as possible, with a little overlap between Maps. One offline map is about half a state in size. Google maps is important because it allows you to route to a destination, and shows all the businesses(gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores). I have many categories for waypoints (thousands of waypoints). I value google satellite view. If you are connected to internet, and you view an area in satellite view, the data will remain until you close the app, even when offline. I leave my app open for weeks sometimes. Yes you can look away from the app. I use Gaia for topo info, and mainly for tracking my routes. Whenever I visit a new unpaved road or trail, I open the app and start recording a track. This way I know where I have already been, and crucially, how to get back out the same way I came in. I label them and write comments about the track as well. I use apple notes(outstanding) for keeping all my locations organized over the years. When I find a photo location, I take a photo with my phone, copy it and Google maps GPS coordinates into the note, and write all the necessary details below. I copy the coordinates, not a link, since you need an internet connection to make a link work. I have a note for each state in the US, and each country elsewhere. Both Google maps and Apple notes use the cloud to save my data(free). As a result I can work from my laptop, and everything will automatically be on my phone when I hit the road. Gaia GPS allows you to save your tracks to the cloud in case you lose your device. I spent years refining this process, and I am very happy with it now. I only wish Google maps would allow you to change the look of icons based on the group they are in... I also love not having to use a Garmin device, which I find bulky for hiking, low tech, and overpriced.
