In February, the Ice Age Trail Alliance introduced a new online map for the 1 two-hundred-mile Ice Age Trail thru Wisconsin. The Interactive Hiker Resource Map suggests reliable trail segments, connecting routes, and trailside features like parking, camping, water, and ColdCache websites (geocache websites at herbal functions alongside the trail). It’s a convenient, useful resource for planning a hike and works well sufficient on a cell phone to serve as a map of the path.

Even better for on-the-trail navigation is the agency’s Mammoth Tracks app, which has the identical capabilities as the new map along with such extras as mileage, elevation, and waypoints for land formations and different trails, plus you could download segments to be used when you don’t have a provider. Some may scoff at a generation like that, bleeding into our preciously non-virtual herbal reviews. I turned into once a mostly tech-free hiker, too. Then I was given hooked on seeing the records that include tracking your hiking and the extra level of protection a GPS-enabled tool offers.

In moderation, mobile telephone apps have their location in outside adventures as a device for navigation, documentation, and diversion. That would not suggest I think humans must be available hiking with their faces completely pointed down at a sparkling display. But an app tap here and there can yield a few fun outcomes — from being able to identify a tree to recording how much altitude you gained and misplaced.

There are hundreds of apps for the outdoors and every hobby you do in it, such as an infinite quantity of health apps and trackers. Since I normally hike and backpack, I focused on exact apps for those activities. Remember, a digital map is never a substitute for a paper one. Phones die, fall into rivers, and get stepped on. A bodily map isn’t as vulnerable to being rendered unusable. Always carry one with you while you’re trekking and recognize how to examine it.

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Some apps, like Mammoth Tracks, give you the potential to download maps to apply when you don’t have a carrier and hold to tune your hike even if you’re offline. Because apps can be a huge battery suck, I’ll often load a map once I get to a trailhead (or earlier than, if I suspect I won’t have a provider there), start recording once I begin trekking, and then placed my smartphone into airplane mode to conserve battery. Your smartphone’s GPS feature works even when you’re offline.

Privacy is also something to bear in mind with vicinity-tracking apps. I favor maintaining my routes non-public. While that doesn’t prevent the app from using my facts, it at least maintains most people from understanding precisely where I’ve been. Of course, if you want to do the identical, ensure your settings are set as a result. With all that in thoughts, right here are eight appropriate apps to have in your lower back pocket when you’re hiking in Wisconsin. All of these are to be had on Apple and Android gadgets, and all are loose, with maximum imparting premium versions with extra functions.

Mammoth Tracks

The Ice Age Trail Alliance’s map app is a brilliant aid for navigating the 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail through Wisconsin. The free model of the app comes loaded with 29 miles of the path through the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Maps of the east, vital and western segments of the path price $9.99 every or $24.99 for all three.

This app helps you locate trekking and cycling trails near you, see others’ opinions of the paths, add favorites to your list, and track your hikes’ distance, elevation, and time. Of the multitude of hiking apps out there, this is maximum consumer-friendly, with clean navigation and certain, well-designed maps. The seasoned model ($29. 99 according to 12 months) consists of map downloading for offline use, custom map advent, and further map overlays.

Map My Hike

This app from Under Armour is just like AllTrails but is constructed more with athletes in mind, offering greater features like split breakdowns. It’s also like-minded with wearables like Fitbit, Jawbone, Google Fit, Android Wear, Garmin, and clever footwear from Under Armour, which could song your stats even whilst you don’t have your cellphone on you. The premium version ($5. Ninety-nine according to the month or $29. Ninety-nine in line with 12 months) offers an ad-free experience, non-public education plans, and live tracking to percentage your location with human beings you pick out.

Gaia

This app offers several first-class topographical maps for truly exploring. Like different trekking apps, it tracks distance, time, and elevation. Maps also note surrounding capabilities like peaks, waterfalls, and campgrounds. An integrated compass is a bonus. The member version ($19.99) allows for downloading maps, plus different kinds of maps (avenue and satellite tv for pc). The top class model ($39.99) consists of greater maps and NatGeo Trails illustrated and hunting layers.

Google Maps

Still the gold popular for street navigation, Google now allows you to download instructions and maps for offline use. The apps’ Street View feature is likewise helpful for figuring out parking regions and trailheads.

Weather Underground

Weather apps are beneficial for not understanding if you want to deliver a rain jacket or the cold-weather drowsing bag on a ride. However, in sunrise and sundown instances — putting in a camp inside the darkish isn’t an awful lot amusing. No app is a hundred% accurate of direction. However, that is one of the qualities, imparting precipitation chances and temperature swings via the hour. Special capabilities encompass creating a Smart Forecast based totally on distinctive sports and hiking and cycling.

The paid version ($1.99) will dispose of the now and again pesky advertisements. Think of this app as an interactive subject manual. Snap a photograph of a plant, and the app scans its database and gives the most probable fits. You can take an image in the app (hints assist get the great photo of identity) for on-the-trail identity, snap a shot and add it for identification later.

SkyView

Know what you’re looking at whilst you’re stargazing with this app. Through augmented reality, the app uses your smartphone’s camera to discover constellations and other celestial gadgets. The app doesn’t require a information or WiFi connection, meaning you may be capable of using it in which the stargazing is great — in the middle of nowhere.