Battery Saving Tips

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I have brought my iPhone backpacking since I got my very first iPhone in 2008.  I can consistently get three days of usage with one battery charge.  Often I can make it for four days. Here are the tips and tricks I have learned to make my iPhone extend as long as possible in the backcountry.

It is important to understand what drains your battery.  There are some things that drain your battery much faster than others.  The big battery drains are powering the screen, GPS, and radios (cellular and WIFI).

  1. Airplane Mode. Put your iPhone into Airplane mode while you are out.  This will turn off the cellular and WIFI radios.  As of iOS 9, GPS can still work when you are in Airplane mode.  Toggle Airplane mode on and off is really easy.  Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap on the airplane icon.
  1. Limit GPS Usage. Go into the Settings app then select Privacy->Location Services and change all services to “Never” and only leave on the few apps you want to have access to GPS.  I only leave on the Camera (I want my photos to be GPS tagged) and Topo Maps+.
  2. “While Using” Permission. Go into the Settings app then select Privacy->Location Services and change all services to “While Using” (unless you have a good reason to leave one of them as “Always”). This way apps can only use GPS if you are using the app.  This gives you control over when GPS is used and when it is not used. You will see a blue bar from the app if it is using GPS and the app is not in the foreground. I also make this change for Topo Maps+. This way I know that no apps are using GPS when I don’t want them to. A lot of apps will check in with a server and update their location via GPS. Putting your phone into airplane mode and changing the permission to While Using won’t let apps do this.
  3. Don’t Record – Use Progress Instead. In Topo Maps+ I just check my location, I don’t record trips.  (I record day hikes, but not multi-day backpacking trips.)  Instead of recording your trip use to save battery and still find out how far you have come and how far you have left to go.
  4. Limit App Usage.  When I am in the backcountry I only use the Camera and Topo Maps+. I use both of them a lot, but I don’t use any other apps.  Plan ahead for which apps you plan on using and stick with that plan i.e. don’t play games 😉
  5. Screen Brightness. Turn your screen brightness down as much as possible.  I leave the screen brightness way down when I am taking photos and I turn it up a little bit when I am using Topo Maps+ for navigation.  You can also easily change this by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.  By default your iPhone will automatically adjust your screen brightness.  This means that even if you turn it down, the iPhone will turn it back up in bright sunlight.  You will want to turn this off so that you can have full control over the screen brightness and keep it lower than your iPhone will want to adjust it to.  In the Settings App Select “Display & Brightness” and then turn off “Auto-Brightness”.
  6. Start With 100% Battery. Start following these tips when you leave the house, not just when you get to the trailhead.  Don’t waste a lot of your battery while you are driving to the trailhead.
  7. Power Off At Night. At night power your phone all the way off.  Tap and hold on the power button and then slider over the power slider.
  8. Low Power Mode. In the Settings App select Battery and then turn on “Low Power Mode”. Do this, even when my phone is at 100% battery.

How Overlays Add Detail to Your Maps.

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Each map maker has a unique style to their presentation, but often there are ways we can improve the way a map looks onscreen. Depending on screen resolution, bright light on a sunny day, or screen brightness to save battery life, many factors can all affect our ability to see details on our maps.

For instance, here is a series of screenshots of the Natural Atlas with subtle overlay additions to it.

As you can see, it is incredibly detailed, but because of its light colors it can be hard to see on a sunny day. In fact, it’s a little hard to see here on a white background. Here is a tip that can allow us to quickly see our map details and provide an even more enjoyable app experience in Topo Maps+. Each photo below has one more overlay added to it.

To make these changes yourself:

  1. Tap on the top right folded map icon.
  2. Select the Overlays tab
  3. Toggle on the US & S Canada Hill Shading and Neotreks Slope Map

Make sure the blend mode is on “Multiply” and Transparency is set at around 30%.    

 

Combine Maps in Overlays

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How can we combine individual map purchases to be seamless on the screen?

Let’s say we have separate map publishers or a map bundle with adjoining maps we’d like to connect like the National Geographic’s North Fork: Glacier National Park and Backroad Mapbooks Kootenay Rockies & Southern Alberta. All 3 overlap with each other and I’d like to be able to scroll from one into the next without having to go open a menu and select a different map.
I’m starting at a national level looking at the Natural Atlas base map (though any will work) and nothing specified for Canada.
I’ll tap on the top right folded map icon and select the Overlays tab.
  
I’m going to drag this card up a bit so I can see what I’m doing and then select the Map Overlays.
   
Here I’ll scroll down to the maps I’d like to connect over the same base map and toggle them on.
   
I’ll make sure the map settings are on “Normal” so they are stacked above the base map to be visible.
Now, I’ll close these cards and scroll in on the maps we just connected through the overlays. As you can see the National Geographic map scrolls seamlessly into the Backroad Mapbooks map.
    

Trails Illustrated Maps by National Geographic

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I’m VERY close to finishing the Trails Illustrated Maps by National Geographic for Topo Maps+.

I have been working on this for awhile, but I am finally going to wrap it up. I will be releasing it next week.

Trails Illustrated maps are the most popular and trusted outdoor recreation maps.  With more than 200 maps, the Trails Illustrated map are available for most of America’s favorite outdoor destinations. Each map is created with help from local land managers and is rigorously reviewed.  Each Trails Illustrated map has topographic information, trails, and recreational points of interest.

HOWEVER, I need your help. Before I finalize everything, I need to make sure I have covered everything.

That is where you come in. Please take a few minutes to answer this super-short survey—there is really only one thing I want to ask you …

What is the most important thing for you when you are deciding which map to use for your outdoor adventures? (ie trail accuracy, reputation of map maker, up-to-date information from hiking community, etc). You can answer this question in the comments below.  I will read every response.

Topo Maps+ 5.0

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Topo Maps+ 5.0 is here!

Moved features

A number of features have been moved to new locations in Topo Maps+ 5.0.

Downloading and printing maps is now under Prepare to go offline.

 

My Data has been moved to the menu.

 

Recording tracks and progress on trail are now under Hike.

 

Card Interface

Route, tracks, and waypoints are now displayed in a “card” interface on top of the map.  This new interface makes it easier to access properties, notes, and photos.  You can also move the card up to see more or move it down to have a minimized view.

 

 

If you have multiple cards open or if you want to access the toolbar, you can double tap on the top of a card to see the toolbar and all open cards.

 

Compass and Location

You can access GPS information about your current location and the compass by tapping on the blue location dot on the map or via the hike menu.

Snap To Trails

You can now create new routes by having them snap to trails.  When you tap on the map, Topo Maps+ will attempt to find a route to that location using trails from the Open Street Map and using any trails that you have traced on the map.

 

     

Updated Custom Routes

In Topo Maps+ 5.0 you can now add loops, in-n-out, and spurs to custom routes.  To create a custom route you access it via the Add menu.

List of Trails

You can now see a list of all trails in the area you are looking at by using the trails menu on the toolbar.

2016 US Forest Service Topographic Map

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Topo Maps+ version 4.5 now has the 2016 US Forest Service topographic map.  Like the USGS topo map this map has the backcountry features you need while hiking and backpacking.  It is an updated topographic map with cleaner lines and labels.

 

The US Forest Service map does not cover all of the US.  This video shows you how to use Topo Maps+ PRO to create a continuous US map and how to add hill shading.

You can switch to the USFS 2016 map by tapping on the mac icon in the upper right corner.

 

 

 

 

Choosing and Printing Maps

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Before you head out on your next outdoor adventure make sure you have printed maps. Taking the time to print a map could save your life. This training video is about the different types of topographic maps and printing them. You should always have a printed map with you when you go out and you should never rely solely on your phone to safely navigate the backcountry. Everything covered in this training video can be done using the free version of Topo Maps+.

At the end of the video I introduce the amazing offers I am going to have for you if you choose to purchase early access for Topo Maps+ on the Mac.

I would love to hear any tips and tricks you use to navigate in the backcountry. Leave a comment on this blog post to let me know. I am always looking for new tips to make my experiences even better 🙂