What apps are essential?

[Earwig]

Following on from the what gear is essential thread, what apps are essential?

Okay, none are essential, so I'll rephrase that. What apps do people recommend to make hikes more interesting or safer(!)?

I have:
Weatherzone - for weather obviously
Fire Ready - bushfires (in Victoria)
Museum Victoria's field guide to fauna - critters in Victoria, the Museum's website has links to guides for other States
Beanhunter - locate the best place for a post-hike coffee
Find iPhone - my wife can use her iPad to track my phone's location (and therefore knows exactly where I am at all times).
Emergency+ - provides links to 000 and SES etc and provides location details (grid reference and address) that you can read to the 000 operator in an emergency
Avenza PDF maps - for reading maps. A lot of Victoria's national parks parknote maps are available for free as geo-referenced PDFs, other maps can be purchased. When hiking though I prefer paper maps and compass as they don't require batteries and I reckon it's a good skill to maintain. (Maps and paper v electronic could be another discussion thread before anyone gets too carried away).

[slparker]

any GPS app whereby you can use your phone to get a 6 figure grid reference. replaces the need for a GPS.

[Earwig]

any GPS app whereby you can use your phone to get a 6 figure grid reference. replaces the need for a GPS.

I haven't found one yet that does AMG, only lat longs in either Decimal Degrees or Degrees, Minutes and Seconds. I want AMG!

[slparker]

I left my phone at home but the app on my android phone gives a grid reference, i can't remember which format but it correlates with the grid on the TASMAP. I think it was MGRS.

[frenchy_84]

I want AMG!

AMG66 or MGA94?
Ive found most will give you E and N instead of Lats and Longs, GPS kit will, I also had a free GPS data app on iphone that did it too ( I know longer have my iphone to double check). Remember that UTM is close enough to be MGA94.

[FootTrack]

The Michael Morcombe eGuide to Australian Birds is an awesome app if you are interested in birds. Fantastic that it is available for windows as well as ios and android, too. The "calls" feature is brilliant - it allows you to replay a variety of calls from a particular species. The majority of species on the app have recorded calls included. Definitely worth the $30 I spent on it!

[GPSGuided]

I fine that apart from mapping apps, I have little time to play apps when I'm out there. In the camp maybe but have to have restraint to save battery juice. Of course, assuming there's even wireless signal.

[Son of a Beach]

I want AMG!

AMG66 or MGA94?
Ive found most will give you E and N instead of Lats and Longs, GPS kit will, I also had a free GPS data app on iphone that did it too ( I know longer have my iphone to double check). Remember that UTM is close enough to be MGA94.

Maps n Trax does AMG, MGA and thousands of other spatial reference systems. It can display location in lat/lon, east/north or even MGRS. (I used to be the developer until about a year ago.)

WGS84 (what most GPS and smartphones use) is virtually identical to MGA94 (the current Australian UTM standard).

[Drew]

Motion X GPS does MGRS. I don't own a real GPS and find that Motion X is good enough for my purposes.

[Johnnie Walker]

Somewhat essential:
- Endomondo to record my hikes / walks. It records distance, speed, altitude, duration etc. I also add notes about weather and clothing / gear / water used. It makes it easy to locate previous walks and print / save the maps.
- Pocket Weather
- OziExplorer with Hema and Natmap raster maps (has GPS as well)
- Avenza PDF maps
- Drop Box or Evernote for the National Park PDF files, check-lists, (trip) notes, etc.
- WikiCamps to find campsites and to know which to avoid

Fun / entertainment:
- Flightradar 24 (check the planes that fly over)
- Moon Reader to read books (off-line)
- Zino to read magazines (off-line)
- Music player (off-line)
- Google Sky Map so I can pretend I know a bit about astronomy
- Smart AudioBooks

[Suz]

^wow awesome list there JW.

my fave app has to be MapOut. that was $6.50 well spent.

[madmacca]

any GPS app whereby you can use your phone to get a 6 figure grid reference. replaces the need for a GPS.

I haven't found one yet that does AMG, only lat longs in either Decimal Degrees or Degrees, Minutes and Seconds. I want AMG!

I use HandyGPS - free, and gives you AGD66, AGD84(AMG), GDA94(MGA) or WGS84.

[north-north-west]

None.

'Essential' means you can't manage without them. I've never been on a walk when I needed to do anything with my phone.

[n5750547]

My favorites ate Wikiloc and BackCountry Navigator. Wikiloc is more user friendly but the Navigator has more detailed maps/trails

Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk

[GPSGuided]

None.

'Essential' means you can't manage without them. I've never been on a walk when I needed to do anything with my phone.

But it depends on one's setup and objective.

[north-north-west]

None.

'Essential' means you can't manage without them. I've never been on a walk when I needed to do anything with my phone.

But it depends on one's setup and objective.

Of course it does, but you can apply that proviso to any piece of gear.

Bottom line: my phone can't provide food, drink or shelter. It is therefore not essential.

[Orion]

[Bottom line: my phone can't provide food, drink or shelter. It is therefore not essential.

Can't you use it to order a pizza or something?

Beer is essential. Beer has food value after all, whereas food has no beer value.

[north-north-west]

[Bottom line: my phone can't provide food, drink or shelter. It is therefore not essential.

Can't you use it to order a pizza or something?

To the Eldon Peak campsite? If only . . .

[GPSGuided]

To the Eldon Peak campsite? If only . . .

You never know until you've tried.

[MickyB]

To the Eldon Peak campsite? If only . . .

You never know until you've tried.

If the pizza isn't there within 15 minutes it's free

[GPSGuided]

With Domino pushing out GPS tracking of their pizza deliveries, I can see how they can turn a delivery to NNW at Eldon Peak into a publicity stunt. NNW, call their Director of Marketing and discuss. LOL

[north-north-west]

Someone should try it as an alternative to food drops on the AAWT.

[GPSGuided]

Drivers prefer to see the customer, for a tip. Food drops are no fun.

[north-north-west]

I said alternative to: just call for the pizza when you reach camp. Tip would be commensurate with speed of service.

[n5750547]

I don't know about ordering pizza but I did manage to watch some of the Rugby World Cup while in D'Aguilar over the weekend. Got to the top of a a big ridge and had 4G service so we figured we had to give it a go.

Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk

[n5750547]

Should also add that we were pleasantly surprised but felt guilty at the same time

Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk

[vicrev]

Buggar, I am missing out on so much when I am walking because I have not got Apps thingy ......Just had a thought ,maybe I could get Uber Apps & do my walks in style,sit in the back play with Apps all the way ....

[JohnStrider]

I quite like WikiLoc. I was using MapMyHike for awhile but it's GPS strength wasn't nearly as good as what I've been able to get from WikiLoc.

[MickyB]

Museum Victoria's field guide to fauna - critters in Victoria, the Museum's website has links to guides for other States

I don't use apps when I'm in the bush but I thought the Museum's Field Guide to Fauna sounded interesting. I downloaded it last night and was very impressed with it. Thanks for the tip Earwig.

Does anyone know a good app for Flora of Victoria? I have one called Flora Explorer which has details for flora in the eastern suburbs but it continually closes on me. It also has a few mistakes with the info