Utilizing Your iPhone's GPS for Wilderness Hiking: A Step-by-Step Guide
In the heart of Greenland's Arctic Circle Trail, where cell service is as elusive as the elusive polar bear, a hiker recently found a reliable companion in the Gaia GPS app. This versatile tool, designed for outdoor enthusiasts, proved to be an invaluable asset during a 10-day hike, providing navigation, tracking, and even battery-saving features.
The author of this article, on his recent expedition, used his iPhone's GPS for navigation. To ensure uninterrupted service in the backcountry, he pre-downloaded maps for offline use within the Gaia GPS app. This process is simple: just open the app, navigate to the desired area on the map, download the map tiles, and save them for offline access.
Gaia GPS supports a wide range of maps, including topographic, hiking trails, and NatGeo Trails Illustrated maps, all available offline once downloaded. Two map layers available within Gaia GPS are the Open Hiking Map and the detailed satellite view called Imagery + Roads. The Open Hiking Map includes both basic topographical features and known hiking trails, while Satellite Imagery provides a detailed view of the landscape.
The iPhone 6 battery, with battery conservation settings such as Airplane Mode, closing all apps except Gaia, limiting ad tracking, reducing motion, and setting the date and time manually, lasted an impressive 7 days during the 10-day hike. However, it's important to note that Gaia GPS's track-recording feature can drain battery life and requires the phone to be powered on the whole time.
To conserve battery life in cold weather, the author suggests keeping the phone warm and, when possible, storing it in a pants pocket, even while sleeping. Additionally, using Gaia GPS only when necessary, such as confirming GPS location or navigating in bad weather, and closing the app after each use can help save battery.
The LifeProof FREē POWER smartphone case provides double the battery power for long-distance treks, offering an additional layer of security for those who rely on their smartphones for navigation.
Gaia GPS can serve as a useful backup along with regular paper maps, offering a modern twist to traditional navigation methods. Its ability to pre-download maps for use with a smartphone's GPS makes it a practical choice for hikers seeking to save money and reduce weight compared to dedicated devices.
In conclusion, to prepare for offline hiking navigation, select the desired map area in Gaia GPS when you have internet access and download it onto your device before heading out. This ensures that you can confidently navigate trails in remote backcountry areas without the need for cell service. For more detailed instructions on how to use Gaia GPS for hiking, check out the author's tutorial in a separate post.
During his hike in the Arctic Circle Trail, the author utilized Gaia GPS on his smartphone for navigation, supplementing traditional methods with modern technology. For offline use, he pre-downloaded maps within the Gaia GPS app, choosing from a variety of options such as topographic and hiking trail maps.
