If you are like me, you can’t go backpacking every weekend. When you do get out you want to make it the best outdoor experience possible. One of the biggest keys to having an awesome trip is planning.
I spend lots of time planning for each day on my backpacking trips. I want to know how far will each day be, what will the elevation gain/loss be, what will the terrain be like, and what will I see?
This training video is part 2 where I will teach you how to plan your next outdoor adventure. Most of what I teach in this video can be done using the free version of Topo Maps+ on the iPhone.
I would love to hear what you do to plan your outdoor adventures. Leave a comment on this blog post to let me know. I am always looking for new tips to make my experiences even better 🙂
Hey Steve. I used Topo Maps as my primary GPS while elk hunting in the Selway Wilderness. The app worked fantastically, just as well as my hunting partners dedicated GPS’. I’m going back this year and Topo Maps will be my guide.
Scott,
I really need to get over and do some backpacking in the Selway Wilderness. I hope you have a great hunt this year!
Hi Steve,
In my role as a Hare for the Phuket HHH I am often making the trails for others to follow. So when I am out doing my on ground recon missions in the jungle (following my desktop research – google earth and topo maps +) I will leave a breadcrumb trail behind me as a backup if I lose my topo maps GPS signal. Its only happened I think twice in 2.5yrs of doing what I love but it can happen, so my breadcrumb of markings along with my fresh machete cutting/clearing gives me great confidence of never getting lost. In all honesty, I am never more than 5klms from a rural road or fire trail, so not a big issue for my purpose but it is surprising to note that even after doing all my desktop preparation and sometimes crossing old known trail segments the trails under foot don’t always align. So its best not to rely solely on your research. Rob
Rob,
It sounds like you have a great setup for making sure you don’t get lost! I have found the same thing about the trails on maps, sometimes they are just approximations.
Thanks again for making such a great app! I use this app on every trip. I am really excited about the notes feature! Do you have a rough estimate for when you will be releasing your desktop version? I know you said before “soon”, but is that a week, a month, a few months? Is this desktop version going to be a standalone or a web based app?
The early access release is scheduled for this Thursday! The full release will be this summer. It is a native macOS desktop application.