- All Trails
All Trails is one of the most popular running, biking and hiking apps, covering more than 50,000 different trails in the north American continent. By browsing the app you can discover trails that are located from across the country to right next your backyard and filter them according to your preferences by length, difficulty level, user rating and even kid or pet ‘’friendliness’’. Having a loyal following and an active online community of outdoor travelers, All Trails allows you to view geotagged photos, reviews and tips for all trails, as well as to share your own with other outdoor enthusiasts. The best part is that the app allows you to plan and record your own routes and use the maps without an internet connection for those adventurous off-the-grid trips. In addition, you can opt for the All Trails Pro membership for an annual $50 that will allow you to download, edit, print and share your custom itineraries.
Price: Free or $50 for an upgraded membership
Download:
iOS and
Android
- PeakFinder AR
If you love hiking in the mountains and altitude is what gives you an adrenaline rush, then PeakFinder is certainly the app for you. Using your smartphone’s camera as a real-time mapping device you can now find out the names and recognize of every peak in your sights; from the grandest mountaintops to the smallest hills, PeakFinder gives you access to a database of an astonishing 350,000 peak names worldwide. All you have to do is point your phone towards the summit you want to identify and its name will pop-up on the screen. Apart from being able to render the surrounding landscape for a radius of 200 miles, PeakFinder also features a digital telescope to pinpoint pinnacles that are further away from your location and a motion sensor compass.
Price: $4.99
Download:
iOS and
Android
- Spyglass
Spyglass is undoubtedly one of the best apps out there for those who love nature and want to be more than well-equipped on an outdoor adventure. No matter if you prefer hiking, skiing, surfing or camping, this app is definitely a must-have, an awesome all-in-one toolkit for the great outdoors. Apart from the all classic app features such as a compass and a GPS, Spyglass also has a speedometer, an altimeter, a sextant, an inclinometer and an astronomical navigator, all of which operate in a real-time augmented reality 3D environment that creates stunning visual effects. Through Spyglass you can easily track and save multiple waypoints simultaneously and of course take amazing pictures with all the relevant data embedded on them to share with your friends and fellow travelers.
Price: $5.99 for iOS, Free for Android
Download:
iOS and
Android
- Weather Live
One of the most important aspects of an outdoor trip regardless of the means of transport, activity and destination is the weather. Nothing can be more frustrating than bad weather ruining an excursion that you spend days or even weeks planning. Why not be prepared then for any weather condition so you can plan ahead and pack accordingly or even change your plans on the fly? Weather Live is a visually impressive app that features an animated radar and worldwide satellite coverage on cloud and rain maps that will allow you to know what kind of weather is headed your way and be well-prepared for it. In addition, it offers extended forecasts for the upcoming days and on-spot information about wind speed and direction, precipitation, pressure, humidity and visibility, all of which is extremely useful information when hiking on a mountaintop or camping in the woods.
Price: $2.99 for iOS, Free for Android
Download:
iOS and
Android
- StarWalk
Without a doubt, one of the greatest pleasures of adventure traveling and taking outdoor trips away from the city’s light pollution is looking up at the night sky and seeing thousands of stars. Stargazing is campers’ favorite pastime after dark and it is inevitable that at some point, someone will point up to the sky and try to paint a constellation for their friends to see. Usually with little success. Star Walk is here to change all that. Developed by Vito Technology, this app is an interactive astronomical guide that helps you locate and identify every single star and celestial formation in the sky simply by pointing your phone towards it. It also features a ‘’time machine’’ that shows the stars’ movement through space and time and all kinds of trivia and interesting information. With enough practice, you might even learn to find your way and navigate just by looking at the night sky, the same way travelers did way before the era of smartphones and the internet.
Price: $4,99 for iOS, Free for Android
Download:
iOS and
Android
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