Navigation help

  • HTML tutorial

Benny Nowell

Rank I
Launch Member

Traveler I

233
Lafayette, Colorado, United States
First Name
Benny
Last Name
Nowell
Member #

6896

Is there a place that I can download maps of an area I'm going to and use my non-3g iPad to navigate with. Right now I'm only using my iPhone and AllTrails app. Any tips,tricks or resources would be much appreciated.

-Benny-
#6896
 

Cort

Rank VI
Launch Member

Trail Blazer III

5,197
Grand Rapids
First Name
Cort
Last Name
Beard
Member #

5247

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KD8GQL
I use GAIA on my iPhone and iPad for hasty search and rescue ops until we can get paper maps. If you go pro you get a lot more access. Downloaded maps can be pretty huge and used completely offline.
 

Jeff Blake

Rank V
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

Does GAIA let you plan a trip in advance via address-based waypoints and sync it to you iPhone/iPad? For example, I was wanting to add a waypoint (the address of the local ranger station), and then a waypoint for the camp area. But I could only figure out how to add a waypoint by dragging to a position on the map. Doable, but janky. I guess it's not really a navigation app like Google maps? So is the best setup to use Google maps for address based destinations over highway roads to get to your nearest trail, and then switch to GAIA for offroad stuff and recording your journey?

Ideally I:
- punch in addresses of where I want to go before beginning 'the real trip'. e.g: local ranger station, shell station, groceries
- record the entire route taken starting from home and ending at home
- navigate forest roads / non highway roads (ideally filters out atv/dirt bike / hiking only trails)
- add waypoints like where car is parked, locations of interest, etc
- offline based gps maps

My thinking is that an iPad + google maps + GAIA app is the way to go?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stone74

1Louder

Rank VI
Launch Member

Member II

4,187
AZ
First Name
Chris
Last Name
K
Member #

1437

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K1LDR
Try this site if you want to convert a Google route to a gpx file..
https://mapstogpx.com/

Then you can import it into your favorite off pavement navigation app.

Mods maybe you can move this to the navigation sub-forum.
 

Smokinjoe

Rank V
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,778
Ridgecrest
Member #

10422

TRX app does separate road miles from trail miles you can input your waypoint from your TRX account then sync to IPhone. it does use gpx files also
 

4xFar Adventures

Rank VI
Founder 500
Launch Member

Benefactor

4,826
San Francisco,CA
First Name
Brenton
Last Name
Corns
Member #

0070

I use Google Earth to plot out everything. You can type in regular addresses and get directions (including alternate routes) and input gps points. Then save it all as a .kmz file. I use gpsvisualizer.com to convert to a gpx file and upload that to gaiagps.com and it will sync to your devices.

In Gaia, you tap the + button and a menu of options appears. One of them is Add Waypoint (current location) to mark where you are. I used it a lot a few weekends ago to plot out the boundary of a debris field.