android offline mapping app

J

Jeff_DML

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I know everyone loves Gaia but i hate re-occurring yearly fees.

Thinking of buying Backcountry navigator

BackCountry Navigator

Is there any other good ones that I missing? US Topo Maps didnt seem to get good reviews from what I saw.

I want it for offline offroading/camping plus back country MTB

TIA
Jeff
 
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I use the official Google Maps Offline Maps. I download wherever I'm going. Offline maps only good for 30days. Must be updated after 30 days. Works great for areas of with zero cell coverage. I also have offline maps of the major metro area where I live. Normal driving Navigation with Offline maps has faster and more accurate acquisition. When I do lose cell coverage the Google Navigation keeps navigating. It will notify "Back Online" or something like that. Also handy for travelling and avoiding international data charges.
 
I used BackCountry Navigator for a few years on multiple trips with pretty good success. I went so far as to map out my routes and import them into BCN. I do like the ability to use different map sources in BCN; it came in really handy when camping in the Ozarks and I needed Forest Service maps instead of standard maps.

Now I use BCN and GIA both depending on where I am going. I have all my Big Bend Ranch State Park stuff in BCN so I tend to use that; but I do a lot of research and planning new trips in GIA. I do like the GIA interface and zooming/scrolling better than BCN.
 
thanks for the replies

Found Locus Map Free app and it seemed pretty nice, was able to download USGS topo maps for offline use. But it was missing some critical tiles in the map of the area I am going to so going to pony up for BCN.
 
I used to use BCN for a while. I recently discovered OsmAnd and so far I like it a lot. The main maps are Open Street Maps, but they have pretty much all the forest service and other back rounds as well as hiking trails. One can download maps one state at a time in the US or whole countries elsewhere. One big advantage over BCN and Gaia is that it can do turn by turn navigation without having to pre-plan routs (one can also import GPX files). Choosing the bicycle option does turn-by-turn on dirt roads. I just used it for 10 days along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and it worked great. You can do turn-by-turn navigation on forest service and other dirt roads to places like Point Sublime or Kanab Point! I got the Hillshade and contour line add-on which make the maps look really nice.

https://osmand.net/
 
BagiMT said:
I used to use BCN for a while. I recently discovered OsmAnd and so far I like it a lot. The main maps are Open Street Maps, but they have pretty much all the forest service and other back rounds as well as hiking trails. One can download maps one state at a time in the US or whole countries elsewhere. One big advantage over BCN and Gaia is that it can do turn by turn navigation without having to pre-plan routs (one can also import GPX files). Choosing the bicycle option does turn-by-turn on dirt roads. I just used it for 10 days along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and it worked great. You can do turn-by-turn navigation on forest service and other dirt roads to places like Point Sublime or Kanab Point! I got the Hillshade and contour line add-on which make the maps look really nice.

https://osmand.net/
Click to expand...


Sounds like some good software. I will have to get it a try. There is a lot of time spent in plotting the route to follow prior to a trip.
 
question for BCN, when you zoom out do roads and trails disappear and only reappear again when you zoom back down to a certain level? (like how google maps does)
 
jhguth said:
question for BCN, when you zoom out do roads and trails disappear and only reappear again when you zoom back down to a certain level? (like how google maps does)
Click to expand...

not really on topo maps that I use but the maps do seem to change based on zoom level.

You can download a demo app, think it is the same minus no offline map suppport
 
Jeff_DML said:
I know everyone loves Gaia but i hate re-occurring yearly fees.

Thinking of buying Backcountry navigator

BackCountry Navigator

Is there any other good ones that I missing? US Topo Maps didnt seem to get good reviews from what I saw.

I want it for offline offroading/camping plus back country MTB

TIA
Jeff
Click to expand...
I use Avenza maps which is free and you just have to download a georeferenced map to your phone/tablet/whatever and when you are within the map area it will show like a normal map. kinda basic but its all free
 
tx_shooter said:
Sounds like some good software. I will have to get it a try. There is a lot of time spent in plotting the route to follow prior to a trip.
Click to expand...
There is a free version with most of the functionality. Definitely worth a try.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
I use the backroad maps app, and then download the map locally and use locus pro to do the actual navigation. Its pretty sweet.
 
Having used several of the offline mapping apps, BCN is really the best of the bunch.

This series of route planning articles may be useful for anyone creating routes and wanting to take those routes offline.

They use BCN as the android app for offline navigation.

Planning a Trip/Route Part 1 (Google Earth, GPX, KML, and more)

Planning a Trip/Route Part 2 (Taking the GPX on the Road)

Planning a Route the Easy Way (Google My Maps, GPSVisualizer, and Earth)

46242395224_2449a570b2_o.jpg
 
jhguth said:
question for BCN, when you zoom out do roads and trails disappear and only reappear again when you zoom back down to a certain level? (like how google maps does)
Click to expand...

BCN did that to me & on our trip in Colorado it was killing me. I now use US Topo Maps Pro with gpx files & it's great
 
Check out the app Trailforks. It originally started out as a mountainbiking trail app but has branched out to other back country activites such as 4x4ing.
It works great for mountainbiking, I see a bunch of off-road trails have been popping up on the app near me. It's free and also works in a web browser.

Trailforks | Trail Database & Maps
 
Last edited:
wcjeep said:
I use the official Google Maps Offline Maps. I download wherever I'm going. Offline maps only good for 30days. Must be updated after 30 days. Works great for areas of with zero cell coverage. I also have offline maps of the major metro area where I live. Normal driving Navigation with Offline maps has faster and more accurate acquisition. When I do lose cell coverage the Google Navigation keeps navigating. It will notify "Back Online" or something like that. Also handy for travelling and avoiding international data charges.
Click to expand...

Yes! This is what I do before I embark on any new territory.
 
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