Best Android Overlanding software?

[864runner]

Hey I am currently planning a trip here into the rockies and I need to use my phone (Evo Shift) and its gps capabilities to guide me. It is not my first choice of navigation but funds are limited. That leads me to the question....
What is the best application for tracking my route (no cell service) using cached maps and the gps?

Thanks:victory:

 

[bugnout]

Google maps has a new feature that supports caching maps. This allows you to precache your route and any areas of interest.

In the menu select "More" then "Cache Settings" and select "Prefetch on mobile"

Unfortunately you have to review your entire route at the zoom level you want with the overlays you want (topo) to prefetch them. I think google is planning to enhance this feature in the future so the fetch will be automatic.

The "Clear Map Cache" menu items shows the size of the current cache.

 

[tony_h]

'Best' depends on what you're going to be doing.

For all around use, I hear great things about BackCountry Navigator and they have a 16 day free trial. The app costs $9.99. I'm headed out for a camping trip in 18 days so I'll be downloading it to try it out in a couple of days. You can download maps using Wi-Fi or 3G if you won't have service where you're going. This apparently uses different map services instead of just Google. I'll know more about this in a couple of weeks.

For geocaching, try c:geo. It's free and connects to geocaching.com. Geocaching.com seems to make changes on how data is delivered so it occasionally doesn't work, but fixes are usually available in a day or so. You can also download maps and caches if you won't have service where you're going. For $9.99 you can download the geocaching.com app.

For tracking, try Maverick. It's a free app and exports csv, kml and others.

There are a lot of options and it's gets better as time goes on. Try the different free apps and see what you like.

 

[Sawyer]

I just started using Backcountry Navigator and love it! The maps are great! you can download an area you want to store for off line use. I just used it exclusively in Moab and it was amazing.... I ended up not even using my Garmin it was that much better. As long as you start it while you have coverage, you can then put it in airplane mode and continue to use it off line... but they may have fixed that by now. I highly recommend it!

 

[BirfMark]

mapdroyd is pretty handy

 

[864runner]

Thanks for the replies everybody! I checked out Back Country Navigation and loved it, though had a bit of a learning curve. I used it over the weekend on a short wheeling trip and it guided me the whole way. My only complaint is how it stores the map tiles at each zoom level taking up a TON of memory! I'll try Maverick and the others you have mentioned this next weekend and let you know what I think. As for now if anyone reads this BackCountry is pretty dam good and has my vote!

 

[tony_h]

I'm sure a lot of you know this already but the new version of Google Maps for Android (5.7) allows for caching of maps and other data within 10 miles (box, not radius) of a clicked on point. You can store multiple areas and GM will remove the maps after 30 days. Just go to the Google Labs option (Settings --> More --> Labs) to enable the feature.

I also bought the full version of Backcountry Navigator. Awesome. Still getting used the raster labels though. IMO, best used with North always up, rather than rotating to orient your direction as up. Otherwise, the labels can be upside down, especially when travelling south. Been spoiled with vector labels on Garmin and other GPS sources, but I still love the USGS data.

 

[Fish]

As the old GIS techs used to tell me, "Raster is faster, but vector is correct-er"

 

[2 E L O]

This is great information! I'll have to check out Back Country Nav....

 

[Saratoga]

How about MM Tracker for Android? It can use 'Memory Map' tiles and output to a GPX format. I tried it on my Motorola Defy and it truly is excellent

Just need bigger real-estate screen for my next 4x4

 

[esh]

For those working this way, I have a few questions since I haven't put time into doing much experimentation.

My main questions are past the actual map data, and more into usability. There is much to do surrounding using the map software as a tool in a variety of phases- planning, live use while driving, editing, sharing, and presenting/exporting.

I kind of leave out "routes" which are usually a string of waypoints connected as straight lines, and rarely find a use for them unless turn-by-turn directions are needed. They have some other utility, but it seems more for trips where resources and time management are higher priorities.

How can/does the tool-

Create tracks, save, load?
Create waypoints, save, load? Limitations on label length?
Add labels and symbols (non-waypoint)? Build/import custom symbols?
Save a "map?" (map is all user-added data- tracks,labels, waypoints, symbols)
Edit maps? Removing sections of tracks, merging data from other maps, selecting groups of waypoints or groups of <any map element type> to delete
Export maps to display formats (png/jpeg/tiff)
Export maps to GPX/KML, etc?
Import maps from other formats?
Ease of on-screen (touch based) controls? Drawbacks? Can you add/customize only the controls you want?
Night mode (think OziExplorer)?
3D views?
Layered views (topo/sat/custom)?
Calculate altitude profiles for tracks?

I would like to consider the possibility of going away from Natl Geo TOPO! 7.5' / 24K maps, but there is a lot of functionality needed to make a shift I haven't noticed with the mobile apps. All the Android tablets out are very alluring. Maybe I can get Natl Geo to build an Android tablet app.

It is much more difficult lately to find a reasonably priced PC based tablet. At the current prices and display size/qualities, Androids don't need to be so ruggedized as losing one to elements isn't so much of a hit as a $3,000+ ruggedized PC version.

 

[JKJenn]

The problem with Google maps, even cached si that if you deviate from your route even slightly it tries to recalculate and if you don't have signal, you are sunk. That being said, I find it the best overall navigation software available.

I also use:

My Tracks
Gas Buddy (really can help you save money.) - Gas Buddy Website can help you plan your trip (highway) telling you where to stop for gas to save money.
Aviation Weather apps for detailed weather information
Camera - for breadcrumb like trackingnset t
Sundroid - sunrise/sunset timesse a ton specificially for o
Goggles (if you have cell signal) to identify plants, trees, other stuff
Google Sky
Flashlight

I have downloaded but not tried an inclometer app as well.

I also use a ton specifically for photography.

 

[Saratoga]

Your 'other' thread, which I replied to. Before I saw this one (today):

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/74593-Overlanding-Android-apps

Not that it matters as it seems I've replied here too a while back

 

[crazyeyez]

i know its old, but i have the same phone (evo shift), and was wondering if anyone ever tryed GPS Gride Reference? it says you can download and save maps for offline use, but havent tryed. i got the app b/c it displys corrordinates in the same formate that the Army uses (usefull durring field training, tho havent tryed its usefullness overseas..). included in the app is a compass, the gps posistion display, plus a map overlay. havent figured out how to do waypoints on it yet.

 

[Fireman78]

Maybe I did something wrong, but I recently purchased the Backcoutry Navigator app, and It worked great as long as I had internet. I spent a weekmup in Utah and got nothing but a grey screen. Nothing without internet. Help?