Need help with offline maps (1 Viewer)

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CreeperSleeper

CreeperSleeper

Cascade Cruisers
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To be honest, I don't even know exactly what I should be asking so I'm going to give you a lot of info first.

This is my background: I have never used a stand-alone GPS system other than my Garmin golf watch. The only experience I have with digital mapping is with the factory navigation system in the 4Runner and Google Maps. Everything I do is with a paper map usually a Delorme Atlas or a USFS unit map. I will use the navi or Google Maps (along with physical landscape features) to help find my position on the map, which is usually faster than calculating lat / long.

And now the "problem": I was given a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 for work, but it doesn't do what I need it to for work. I was thinking about using it for a digital map. The tablet is running Android 8.1.0, has 32GB of internal storage, and can use up to a 400GB MicroSD card. Bottom line is I don't know anything about this stuff and could use some recommendations on where to go from here.

I really need something that is simple to use (or I will just go back to my paper maps). I don't want to spend hours trying to find and download maps that I need. From my limited research, it seems like Benchmark digital atlases in Avenza Maps would do everything I would want, but I don't want to spend $25 per map. I already did that when I bought my atlases! I've heard that Gaia is good, but it seems like the features and usage would be over my head.

Any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Please feel free to ask more questions. I'm sure I am ignorant about almost all of this, so please speak to me like the dumb redneck I am. LOL!
 
I use an app called Backcountry Navigator and download free maps off the webs.

backcountrynavigator.com

BackCountry Navigator

MOBILE GPS for the Outdoors Learn More
backcountrynavigator.com backcountrynavigator.com
 
45Kevin said:
I use an app called Backcountry Navigator and download free maps off the webs.

backcountrynavigator.com

BackCountry Navigator

MOBILE GPS for the Outdoors Learn More
backcountrynavigator.com backcountrynavigator.com
Click to expand...

Thanks Kevin! Do you mind me asking what free maps off the webs and where you get them? Also, could you walk me through that process? I honestly have no idea what all that entails.
 
I would find the area I wanted to wheel in and download map tiles onto my Galaxy Tab 7. The files are fairly large.
BC Navigator will lead you through this process. It is not the easiest app to use but a little practice will get you through it.
The app is quite cheap IIRC. Less that $20 a few years ago.
I have not tried any other nav apps so I don't have any comparisons.
The nav in my camper van has an SD slot and I am going to try using downloaded topo maps on that one of these days.
 
I just started playing with Gaia. I have some more experience with GPS than you do as I also have a older Garmin 60csx and Garmin 800 for biking so I am familiar with waypoints, tracks, etc.

I started with a Gaia account online, and then downloaded it to my phone to start, with cellular I had access to some of their maps. On my phone it was free to get the hang of it.

I got a used Samsung Tab E, 16g, 8" screen off Facebook marketplace and added a 128g card to it. I was able to google a couple month free trial period which opened up several other maps, roads, topo and satellite etc. I just started small with downloading local road and topo for my area and started using it in my car. Since I have DL'd the maps from home wifi, they are saved to the 128g card and they are then accessed offline.

It works pretty well so far, I'm still playing it, I have some little complaints but oh well.

I think your TAB A with the bigger screen would work very well. Give it a shot.

You can also download Google maps for offline use.
 
I use Gaia too. It's pretty easy to use and does exactly what you need. The first time I used it I made my own map and then downloaded it into the app. Worked fantastic offline.

Google maps does work offline ONLY if you put your destination in somewhere online. Same with GAIA. You need to download the maps beforehand.
 
Chad, my complaints are minor, related to the app and not the maps, and might be user error.

With my TAB E, 8" screen Gaia uses a top and bottom toolbar which eats into the useable screen, IF these toolbars were transparent or had the ability to toggle them open/close it would be helpful for me.

When you download the different map pages/tiles you can view them under the lower 'saved' tabs. But unless you name each download specifically its hard to see just what you have downloaded. If Gaia could change the way you viewed what you had downloaded it would be nice. I look at the 'saved' tab for maps I downloaded, open it up and it opens up a map highlighting whats been downloaded. IF that makes sense.

Some other little stuff, day/night mode for screen brightness, etc .. but could still be user error
 
CreeperSleeper said:
Yeah, I just know that if it is too difficult, I just won't do it. LOL!
Click to expand...

Yeah finding saved maps is just as easy as described above. When I made my own map for Gaia, I routed my route on Google Maps using coordinates and then once my route was created I converted it into a GPX. You have to get a Google API key but it's free. This is the website I used.

www.gpsvisualizer.com

GPS Visualizer: Convert GPS files to plain text or GPX

GPS Visualizer's free conversion utility can create GPX files or plain text from GPS data in any format.
www.gpsvisualizer.com www.gpsvisualizer.com
 
CreeperSleeper said:
And.... You lost me...
Click to expand...


start small, download it to your phone, turn off the cellular to the app so it has to use wifi at home, download their road base map tiles for your area and play with it in the car.. easy pesy

And... If you find yourself in Salem area, LMK and we can borrow some wifi and get it set up


way out west said:
Chad, my complaints are minor, related to the app and not the maps, and might be user error.

With my TAB E, 8" screen, Gaia uses a top and bottom toolbar which eats into the useable screen, IF these toolbars were transparent or had the ability to toggle them open/close it would be helpful for me.

** and thanks to YouTube, I found out how to toggle the toolbars closed and open
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I'm new to Gaia app as well and figuring it out slowly. I paid for the $20/yr version. The dumbest thing is the app can't route from point A to point B, even though there's a track log already imported into the map.

For example: I've downloaded the NMBDR GPX into the app and it shows me this beautiful red line going to all the spots. I asked it to tell me the distance from A to B using the established trail or my track log and it does a straight light, as the crow flies. Says it can't do routing while offline. I ask you, WTF is a GPS app good for if it can't route while away from the cell signal?
 
^ Hi Ali, unfortunately it is quite typical for these kind of mapping programs to be unable to route. Routing requires considerable extra data that connects the points that make up trails into vectors that connect and can be followed for routing reasons. Once cell connected the app is using cloud servers and data on them to implement the routing algorithms and to then display it in the app.

An offroad app that does bread crumbs basically just drops GPS x/y dots along the route you take at some sample rate. Possibly dots are lost depending on GPS coverage, so connecting the dots may actually route you across a ravine or through a mountain :)

I've used off road mapping programs for a few decades and routing is something I never assume they can do and something I also don't miss. I only use routing on roads, in towns/cities etc. Out bush I use my eyes and brain to figure out what track is likely to take me where I want - if I guess wrong then it all becomes part of the adventure and I've likely found a different/interesting way to get lost :)

Anyhow, treat the offroad apps as a way to see where you are on a track, much as you would have used paper maps and a GPS in the the dim past, or paper maps and sextant in the even dimmer past :)

Create tracklogs of trips and mark waypoints as you find interesting things you want to revisit/explore. Annotate the waypoints etc for the future. It's all part of the fun...

cheers,
george.
 
Thanks George. I'm so used to using the Topo USA software on my laptop that I need to realign my expectations with reality. I can route offroad all day long so I'm spoiled.

I'm not convinced i'm going to switch over to the "APP" world when it comes to this activity but I'll keep an open mind. A local buddy showed me his surface Pro laptop which is the same size as a 10" tablet and this got me thinking. My tablet is also 10" so I maybe able to stay with the PC software after all. :meh:
 
I use Gaia with a Tab A. It works fine. The NatGeo maps are fantastic. I have a paid subscription. I don’t know if they’re free.
 
FJ60Seth said:
I use Gaia with a Tab A. It works fine. The NatGeo maps are fantastic. I have a paid subscription. I don’t know if they’re free.
Click to expand...

But needs an internet connection to snap to trails to route - as per their own online guide. So, again, the issue is that when you really need it (and most likely NOT with cell/data coverage) it won't route like you would expect of say google maps to get you to the next burger stop...

I'll be in oz in a couple or so weeks and heading bush with my older son for about 4 weeks. I have no expectations of routing to anywhere while out there :) Though I have downloaded topo maps and a LOT of bing aerial photography resolution data for my tablet that is running backcountry navigator. Half the fun will be getting lost out there and the other half will be finding our way back to 'non-lost' status :)

cheers,
george.
 
george_tlc said:
Half the fun will be getting lost out there and the other half will be finding our way back to 'non-lost' status :)

cheers,
george.
Click to expand...

Ditto 100%
 
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