The history and culture of hiking are based on a connection with nature and a minimalist approach to electronic technology. However, hiking has gradually become more social, and the use of mobile applications has become even more widespread. Shortly, this trend will certainly continue to grow.
Below is a selection of hiking apps that have received the most positive feedback from users. This selection is designed to help all hiking fans make their training process the most comfortable and productive.
Why do software services matter on the hiking route?
Here are some reasons why software services matter on the hiking route:
- Navigation assistance. Apps and GPS services help hikers stay on the correct path, reducing the risk of getting lost. For example, detailed maps of hiking routes including GR20 Corsica are readily available. They make it easier to plan and follow the trail. For the GR20, having some hiking experience in steeper terrain is advisable. This trek requires scrambling, the use of chains, and navigating a ladder (in the Northern section) to tackle the rocky landscape and mountain ridges. To face this challenge self-guided, you must be a confident mountain walker and, most importantly, able to read route notes and locate your position on a map when needed.
- Safety alerts. Software services provide real-time updates on weather conditions, potential hazards, and trail closures. Thanks to them, hikers are well-informed and can avoid dangerous situations.
- Emergency response. In case of an emergency, hikers can quickly send their location to rescue teams using their mobile devices. This significantly reduces response times and increases the chances of a successful rescue.
- Fitness tracking. Many apps offer features to track fitness metrics. Hikers can monitor their progress, set goals, and stay motivated throughout their journey.
- Resource planning. Apps can help hikers plan their resources, such as water and food, by providing information on available facilities along the route.
By leveraging the following software services, hikers can enhance their overall experience.
Meteoblue Weather & Maps
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
Find over 6 million locations: search by name, postal code, or coordinates, or use the GPS module to find your current location. The app gives you essential weather details such as temperature, precipitation, and wind. Also, it has unique features like predictability and cloud layers at different altitudes for improved precipitation forecasts.
Star Walk 2 Ads+: Konstelacje
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
Star Walk 2 helps you identify constellations during evening hikes or backpacking trips. Discover celestial objects, track their movement across the sky, and locate specific stars or planets. The latest version features a real-time sky map, 3D constellation models, augmented reality, and a section for astronomical news. Whether you’re an astronomy enthusiast or exploring with kids, this app is perfect for you.
Hiking Maps – PeakVisor
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
Ever wondered about the name of that distant peak during a hike? The PeakVisor app uses your phone’s camera and advanced 3D technology to identify the names and elevations of over a million peaks worldwide. It can also pinpoint mountain huts, viewpoints, and hiking routes to many of these peaks. You can even upload old photos to identify peaks in them. With PeakVisor PRO, you get all these features offline as well.
Rock Climbing Guide | 27 Crags
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
The main goal of Rock Climbing Guide | 27 Crags is to simplify the process of finding the best place to climb. Here, you will find high-quality photos and detailed descriptions of more than 10,000 locations and 150,000 different routes. Each user can create their own personal guide on the official website.
Subscribing to the premium mode of the app gives you access to more than 100 high-quality maps of popular climbing spots from all over the world. In addition, you will have a great opportunity to use “27 Crags” offline as well.
Knot Guide
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
The app is a guide to tying rope knots, useful for climbers and hikers when organizing insurance or securing objects. This pocket catalog contains 105 types of knots from 17 relevant categories, the list of which is constantly updated.
You can save information about the knots you are interested in so you can quickly return to view them later. High-quality photos with simple step-by-step instructions and the ability to search by name/category make Knot Guide very convenient and thus indispensable for all fans of active sports.
Vertical-Life Climbing
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
Vertical-Life Climbing offers mobile guidebooks for indoor and natural terrain climbing created with local developers, authors, and publishers. The app allows you to log your climbs, complete tasks, and follow the progress of like-minded climbers.
Attractive color schemes and photos, thoughtful navigation and quality visuals, and offline access to over 133,000 routes and boulders make this app an indispensable companion for every climbing and hiking enthusiast.
Rakkup
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
The app offers its users guidebooks for US regions. They can be downloaded to any device and used even offline. Any of the available guidebooks can be bought, tested, or purchased for a while.
Rakkup guarantees the convenience of a professional guidebook in the palm of your hand by utilizing already available published guidebooks. The app’s interactive map’s convenience and simplicity make it more effective than similar printed versions that are gradually losing relevance.
Boulder Trainer
Cost: $3.99
Boulder Trainer is a customizable training application that can become your personal portable bouldering coach. Its main task is to help in the correct and effective organization of classes while monitoring exercise performance and adherence to the schedule.
Boulder Trainer initially includes the basic types of workouts on most fingerboards (43 items) but also allows you to add your own custom-made training equipment. Thanks to the app’s flexibility, you can create your own sequence of workouts.
Beastmaker Training
Cost: $1.99
The Beastmaker Training app provides several pre-programmed workouts for the Beastmaker 1000 and Beastmaker 2000. Along with the scheduled workouts already offered, you can customize your own timer by selecting hang times, rest intervals, and number of reps.
The interface of the timer itself is simple and easy to use, and its clock is easily recognizable even from a long distance. The background color in the app changes from green (for exercise) to red (for rest), each time accompanied by pleasant piano music.
Cairn: The Trail Safety App
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
This app will help you stay safe and secure while jogging, hiking, climbing, walking, and other outdoor adventures. With Cairn, you can easily share your upcoming plans with loved ones, find places with available mobile connectivity, download offline topographic maps, and record/review your route.
The app works simply: you let someone close to you know where you’re going and when you plan to get back. If you don’t check in at a pre-arranged location at the appointed time, “Cairn” will immediately notify your emergency contacts.
Knots 3D
Cost: $5.99
Knots 3D is an application designed as a reference book. It contains an abundance of high-quality images of a variety of knots and loops and detailed instructions on how to make them. You will definitely be pleased with the application’s convenient categorization and scope, which makes the search much easier.
All types of knots collected in this application are presented as 3D illustrations with a high degree of interactivity. Users can tie and untie a knot with their fingers and use the rotate function to view everything from any angle.
Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps
Cost: free (includes in-app purchases)
Gaia GPS is a modern navigation application that replaces any portable GPS device in the field. It works in offline mode. You can download an unlimited number of maps, set routes, record distance traveled and altitude gained, cross-reference to other maps, and save all data on an online server.
This application offers a wide range of customizable settings and features for navigating remote terrain. You can also share your routes with other users.
Conclusion
As technology continues to evolve, so too will the tools that hikers rely on. Let`s repeat the top apps for hikers:
- Vertical-Life Climbing
- Rakkup
- Rock Climbing Guide | 27 Crags
- Boulder Trainer
- Knot Guide
- Beastmaker Training
- Cairn: The Trail Safety App
- Knots 3D
- Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps
- Meteoblue Weather & Maps
- Star Walk 2 Ads+: Konstelacje
- Hiking Maps – PeakVisor
Embracing these advancements doesn’t detract from the purity of the hiking experience; instead, it adds a layer of safety, convenience, and connectivity that enriches every journey. Whether you’re a seasoned trekker or a weekend warrior, integrating these tech tools into your hiking routine can open up new possibilities and enhance your adventures in ways you never imagined.
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