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April, 2024

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Best "Backcountry" Apps

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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
Just thought I'd share my top three. I don't know how I'd get by without them. They are a critical part of my backcountry tool kit.

1: HillMap.com

This is an amazing tool to figure out your route prior to setting out on the trail head.



Feature Highlights:

* Side by Side Topo and sat imagery:
Just looking at Topo alone may lead you over cliffs or across sketch avi paths. Adding the Sat image gives you a bit more insight into the potential route (tip: you can enable cross-hairs in the settings to make it easier to match up the two)

* Slope analysis:
Both the "Custom Slope Analysis" and "Cal Topo Slope" overlays are really helpful to avoid avalanche terrain and find the easiest approach.

* Path routing and profile:
You can plot your estimated path and see its distance, vertical gain, etc.

There are tons of other features like NOAA Weather Radar and SNOTEL. The ones above are what I use the most though.

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2: ViewRanger GPS (Android & iPhone)
I've tried just about every GPS/Topo app out there and this is by far the best IMO. The App itself is free, but you have to pay to download the Topo Map. I think I paid 20$ for a lifetime subscription... Probably the best 20$ I've ever spent though.



Features:
* Offline Topo
* Route Tracking
* POI (point of interest) marking
* Can Sync to cloud (helpful if you lose or break your phone often as I do)

This one is really all about the map itself. The Topo map you purchase is the best I've been able to find anywhere. Most established trails and forest roads are marked. There is color coding to distinguish between private property, National Forest, Nation Park and BLM land (BLM is super helpful when you trying to find free camping on a road trip).

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3: PYKL3 Radar (Android only)

A bit expensive but awesome if you want to get the raw radar data (I'm honestly still trying to learn how to read some of the images). Obviously requires data service, but I find I can get it to load much faster than trying to load a webpage to look at radar.

Cons: UI isn't amazing and the app itself is pricey...
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Anyways, just thought I'd share.

If anyone else has any helpful apps/tools lets hear it.
Jan 7 2015 10:15PM
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1400 - Karma: 675
This isn't an app but I like to bring with me my "Spot" (http://www.findmespot.com/en/). It's pretty much a satellite tracking device. There are various functions with it but the most important being the "SOS" function.

If you ever get in a tight spot you hit the SOS button and this device continually relays your GPS coordinates to closest dispatch. This means you can move around and your potential rescuers will have live coordinates on your position.

I bring mine with me on all my adventures not just skiing.
Jan 10 2015 7:50PM
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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
Last winter some friends of mine were on top of a mountain switching over and one of them cut his hand pretty bad so they needed to get out of there fast. They were pretty far out there and decided a rescue was better than getting out on their own. They had a SPOT with them and activated it, but also had a bit of cell service so after activating the spot they called for search and rescue and told them that the spot signal was the same incident as the phone call. The dispatcher told them that there was no SPOT signal received.

Heli came and picked them up off the top of the peak (luckily it was a broad peak with plenty of room for the heli to land) and when they were back in town they inquired as to why the SPOT didn't work. Turns out the whole system was down for maintenance or upgrading or some shit and there was a 3 hour period where the SPOT system wasn't working.

Only time so far I know of anyone using the damn thing and it wasn't even working. In the end they were lucky and had cell service, but it could have been a real shitty situation if they couldn't get through on the phone and just waited for a heli to arrive that would never come.


As for myself and the OP - I don't really use any apps. Google Earth has everything I need and more. I don't really use a map/compass out there either. I have a really good sense of direction and don't go into the alpine unless vis is good and I know where I'm going. The times I have gotten fogged out in the alpine I have just followed my skin track back down to treeline.
Jan 10 2015 8:13PM
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doyle.
Posts: 1624 - Karma: 596
I use the Canadian Avalanche Association app, that's pretty much it
Jan 10 2015 10:14PM
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jblaski
Posts: 5561 - Karma: 1,027
Wasatch Backcountry Skiing


Utah Avalanche Center


BCA Backcountry
Jan 11 2015 12:59AM
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1400 - Karma: 675
DrailLast winter some friends of mine were on top of a mountain switching over and one of them cut his hand pretty bad so they needed to get out of there fast. They were pretty far out there and decided a rescue was better than getting out on their own. They had a SPOT with them and activated it, but also had a bit of cell service so after activating the spot they called for search and rescue and told them that the spot signal was the same incident as the phone call. The dispatcher told them that there was no SPOT signal received.


Shit really? I have always been afraid of this. That's a gripe I have with it, you can't test it out before you put it into action. Just gotta have faith which apparently isn't enough.

Thanks for the heads up.
Jan 12 2015 5:01PM
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paige.
Posts: 1930 - Karma: 907
doyle.I use the Canadian Avalanche Association app, that's pretty much it


I've got this and the Snotel data app. Useful for quickly checking snow pillow data but it seems a but glitchy still.
Jan 12 2015 6:18PM
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nosnowsnakes
Posts: 301 - Karma: 133
I use an app on the iPhone called Avalanche Forecasts. It's pretty freakin' simple. It uses your location services to link you to that area's avalanche center and the day's forecast. Obviously it doesn't work if you don't have service so you have to check while you're still in civilization and then screenshot the forecast if you think you're going to need to reference it later.
Jan 24 2015 6:53PM
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Most-D
Posts: 729 - Karma: 1,088
I wanna know who's making all these apps! Anyone on NS ever tried to build something similar?
Jan 30 2015 4:09PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
I have a paper map (usually), my eyes, some common sense, and a good attitude. I guess I'm too old for apps.
Jan 30 2015 5:32PM
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Professor_L
Posts: 15 - Karma: 30
It's not really an app but I use caltropo.com for topo maps and just print them out if I need them.
Feb 16 2015 10:58PM
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