# GPS and phone questions



## graycloud (Jun 4, 2016)

Have you tried Avenza map ?


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## CeeEee (May 30, 2013)

Download the OnX maps. Access them when you're out there. You'll see your exact location. Do not turn off your locations services or it won't work.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Ok so all I gotta do is download where Iam going and it’s real time? Awesome! Thanks! I’ll give her the onion!


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

Yeah, OnX is the shiznit. Usually i just download the 10 mile sized maps and then a 150 mile map for roads at take outs ,put ins and to cover any map holes. On most permit rivers, it has bigger rapids, campsites marked out ect. , as well. The green lines will show the downloaded area and similar to Google maps you’ll show up as a blue dot. 
For example…..


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## BenSlaughter (Jun 16, 2017)

Be aware, leaving location services on whilst in the backcountry will suck your battery down QUICK.
I notice it just just when location pinning is on for my camera. Never realized it was even a thing until I noticed it pinned my photo locations when on the MF. 

Kinda weirds me out, honestly....


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

BenSlaughter said:


> Be aware, leaving location services on whilst in the backcountry will suck your battery down QUICK.
> I notice it just just when location pinning is on for my camera. Never realized it was even a thing until I noticed it pinned my photo locations when on the MF.
> 
> Kinda weirds me out, honestly....


that’s weird. never have that problem.the big drain on mine is if I don’t put it into airplane mode and it’s trying to get a nonexistent signal for the phone/data. that’ll suck down the battery fast on mine.


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## BenSlaughter (Jun 16, 2017)

Yeah, without putting it on airplane mode, I only get about 2 days of battery life.
Airplane mode yeilds 8+days.


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## cnalder (Jul 7, 2016)

I use GAIA app exclusively and love it. Download topos and aerials before you go. Uses your gps so you always know where you are. I don’t leave on all the time and never track, it’ll eat your battery. App is $10 a year.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Yeah I’d just like to know kinda where iam sometimes. Like on this trip where the camps kinda are and where some points of interest are. Gotta find the skeleton so I can traumatize my kids! I otherwise don’t care cause there’s only one way off the river (knock on wood, salt over shoulder) and that’s down. Once iam kinda oriented and kinda guess mph I can just use the paper map ( I think). My hunting grounds have grown small since I broke my back so I never go to far and my handheld last a good bit. Last year I got my cow on private and loaded her whole with a tractor (real backcountry hunter huh)


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## BenSlaughter (Jun 16, 2017)

On rivers, I try to follow along on the paper maps. But I'll admit, on some rivers there are times I DKWTFIA, and typically, I don't care. Unless there are assigned camps, I know I'll find a landmark, eventually. 

Totally different when you're in the mountains...


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## Roseldo (Aug 27, 2020)

If you haven’t manually turned off location services on most of your apps, you are sharing a lot of data with folks who have an interest against your privacy.

I am a huge fan of apps like OnX or Gaia for navigation (I love all the layers). I know most of the BLM/USFS guys use Avenza.


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## sarahkonamojo (May 20, 2004)

Yes. Second the turn off location services. Besides geotagging photos (and publishing) just makes places more crowded.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

You do that every where you go or ? Lol! Iam so dumb lol


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## HitMcG (Jun 6, 2018)

I have used OnX for hunting. I bought the chip for the state I live in and put it in a handheld GPS when it first came out. It worked very well. That handheld is not very usable anymore, and no longer supported by Garmin, so a couple of years ago, I was in the market again. After a lot a research, I went with Gaia on my phone. It isn't as geared toward hunting as OnX, but I can get the info I need from it, it is MUCH cheaper than OnX (nationwide annual plan), and does everything I want it to do. I download the area I will be in before I lose phone reception (multiple layers, depending on what I need for that trip) and put my phone in airplane mode the whole time. Just got back from a 5 day float and didn't have to charge my phone at all. I used it regularly to figure out which river mile I was at so I knew what campsites were coming up. It worked very well. You can also download maps from other sources (which is what I did for this trip) and have that as a layer as well.


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## Roseldo (Aug 27, 2020)

The private lands layer has saved my butt a few times looking for camping on trips that didn’t go according to plan.


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## fkn newf guy (8 mo ago)

wwwcamld?








lemme know if ya need the newf too


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

I love On X offroad for riding the dirt bike trails, my Android will last a couple days without doing anything, turning anything on or off. I use it in conjunction with US topo maps pro app, can't say enough good things about either of them, but for rivers, I have a handheld Garmin GPS (works on my inreach explorer too if I'm feeling rich and turn it on) and download the rivermaps.com gps files for whatever river I wish. Use it a lot on GC trips for locating camps, and camp alternatives when the camp I want is occupied. It will show rapids and stuff too in another layer if you want. Like the ability to put my own waypoints and comments in the GPS file for future reference.,. A couple friends tried the GAIA app, said it ate battery and took a while to figure out all the in's and outs. Said it really had too many features for them, but some people are techhies, and some like easy. Put me firmly in the latter class.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

+1 to onX. I use it for everything. Used it this weekend to find a random remote place to go camping. It’s real time gps on any device. When I go out I download a map for the area I’m going too. And put my phone into airplane mode. Works great and my battery last a long while. Just got my Inreach mini a week ago. Gotta set it up, but from my understanding, use the garmin app (which I believe you can with your explore) to get maps and communications threw garmin.

I chose to go with my phone (as well as paper maps) because most garmins can’t do more than what my phone can. Why have two expensive devices?


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

westwatercuban said:


> +1 to onX. I use it for everything. Used it this weekend to find a random remote place to go camping. It’s real time gps on any device. When I go out I download a map for the area I’m going too. And put my phone into airplane mode. Works great and my battery last a long while. Just got my Inreach mini a week ago. Gotta set it up, but from my understanding, use the garmin app (which I believe you can with your explore) to get maps and communications threw garmin.
> 
> I chose to go with my phone (as well as paper maps) because most garmins can’t do more than what my phone can. Why have two expensive devices?


Because you don't need a phone in the backcountry? Many times, I prefer to leave the phone at home and take the in reach explorer or the handheld GPS, if I need to communicate I can use the inreach, and if I don't the GPS on either of them works. Not to mention they are ruggedized, and most phones aren't, I understand the offerings from Apple are considered to be egg fragile, but I don't think my Android is all that rugged either..

I don't think the inreach mini has the ability to use maps, at least my friends unit does not. Using the Garmin app though you can use your phone keyboard to send and receive text messages a lot easier than using it's digital on board keypad..


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

MNichols said:


> Because you don't need a phone in the backcountry? Many times, I prefer to leave the phone at home and take the in reach explorer or the handheld GPS, if I need to communicate I can use the inreach, and if I don't the GPS on either of them works. Not to mention they are ruggedized, and most phones aren't, I understand the offerings from Apple are considered to be egg fragile, but I don't think my Android is all that rugged either..
> 
> I don't think the inreach mini has the ability to use maps, at least my friends unit does not. Using the Garmin app though you can use your phone keyboard to send and receive text messages a lot easier than using it's digital on board keypad..


I take photos..so my iPhone in a defender case is my weapon of choice. Dropped it countless times. Luckily nothing bad has happened yet. (_Knocks rigorously on wood_) I’d love to take a real camera but they are too clunky and expensive.

If I didn’t take photos I’d somewhat agree with you. Any smartphone is around the same price as a gps. And you already have a smartphone. At least most folks do. So I chose to no buy aAnd a phone has a longer battery life than a gps. At least this is from my experience.

the garmin app that communicates with the mini has maps. You can download them for off line use too. And I believe the mini has a “follow the way back” feature, where you won’t see a “map” but a “trail” to follow back if you get lost.

I think this really just comes down to personal preference. The Zoleo is also another sweet sat unit that works with you phone and offers offline maps coms. As long as you check your boxes that’s really all that matters.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

My GPS typically last 2 days on two double a batteries. I have a phone for talking on, and a camera for taking pictures with LOL..

The darn Apple phones cost like $1,500, you can get a pretty sweet camera for about half of that. My Nikon w300 dive camera I paid under $300 for, is waterproof, shockproof, and takes something like 500 pictures on a battery's charge, which you can replace, unlike the Apple phone..

At the end of the day, I suppose it comes down to how much money you want to spend, and how much functionality you need.. I have two friends, they bought the zolio thingy, one now owns and in reach explorer and the other one owns and in reach mini. They both said without elaborating that they weren't happy with the zolio for what it cost, apparently obtaining a satellite connection was pretty difficult with them, but I have no first hand on this..


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

I agree the phone is to expensive but in today’s world it’s a camera a phone and worse a work computer. We paid 700 so better than 1200. My wife’s desk top was almost 4k !! Anyway. I just like knowing sometimes and my family gets shitty with me cause I tend to just keep going all the time and they hate that. We finished a trip once a day early cause I just kept on rowing and then all of a sudden we’re at the take out and my wife was a frowny face. Only thing I don’t like that Iam reading now is you gotta do 10 mile males . So that’s 8 or 9 I gotta manage and iam a real knuckle head with a computer lol.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> We finished a trip once a day early cause I just kept on rowing and then all of a sudden we’re at the take out and my wife was a frowny face. Only thing I don’t like that Iam reading now is you gotta do 10 mile males.


Okay Charlie, I have a feeling I'm going to regret asking this, but what are 10 Mile males? Hopefully this doesn't have anything to do with your seat, swing, or camp chair...

And why was your wife unhappy that you reached the takeout?


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Oh snap that’s supposed to be 10 mile maps!! Because I have a bad habit of saying we’ll just go around the bend and see and then it’s getting dark… so we got to the take out a day early (no map or gps!!) so she’s not fond of my ,” let’s see what’s down there, I bet there’s a better camp spot.” We’ve rowed iwell into the night once too but that’s a different story (missed the take out, no gps or map) lol.


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

MNichols said:


> My GPS typically last 2 days on two double a batteries. I have a phone for talking on, and a camera for taking pictures with LOL..


Congratulations! you’ve renewed your boomer status for 1 full year with this post.

😂👍


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Alrighty then...

Charlie, a word of advice. 

Especially as you start running more difficult Rivers, you might want to give a thought as to where you are in any particular given moment in time.. 

a GPS might help you with that, but then again maybe not? 

I think I would be upset if we ended up at the takeout a day early too.. but just what are 10 mile maps?


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

griz said:


> Congratulations! you’ve renewed your boomer status for 1 full year with this post.
> 
> 😂👍


Bwahahaha 😘

I guess I have.. do I still get my senior discount?


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Oh jeez you are like my dad! These guys said the onx maps where only 10x10 miles downloaded. So I assumed that meant for this trip (87 miles) I’d need 9 maps in my magic phone download zone? Maybe I read that wrong. I’ll re read or better yet go to the site lol. I just like being on the water at dusk is all and usually there’s a hatch happening too!!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Oh jeez you are like my dad! These guys said the onx maps where only 10x10 miles downloaded. So I assumed that meant for this trip (87 miles) I’d need 9 maps in my magic phone download zone? Maybe I read that wrong. I’ll re read or better yet go to the site lol. I just like being on the water at dusk is all and usually there’s a hatch happening too!!


Or, you could just buy a GPS, and download the waypoints, and not have to worry about it.

I don't know about on x for rivers, but onx offroad doesn't need, or seem to need to download much of anything, it seems to have a good radius of information from wherever I happen to be

And thank you for the compliment, your dad must be a really smart guy!


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Okay onX mobile 101: (it’s stupid easy)

to download a map for offline use:

First find desired location:









Second add a new map (click “new map”)








Simple as that. Then when you don’t have service you got maps! Detailed sat view as well as topo. You can do hybrid as well. I have 256 gb of storage on my phone and pretty much only use 5 miles wide. And still have plenty of space on my phone.

Here’s some examples of zoomed in spots of locations you might be interested..


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Let me explain (dad) onx in a handheld works with the chip. So you buy each state as you need or want. My gps is old but works but scrolling and expanding is a pain with a little joy stick and buttons ect and the screen and clarity and what not not great. So… since I got this new tangled phone (there wireless now!) I thought I’d explore a different option. So onx online and a phone - you download a map and it works. Can’t just use onx on it like normal? (You holding a horn in your ear going WHAT!! )


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Ya better plug ur apple phone in, the battery apparently is dying..

Bwahahaha 😘

So it doesn't show camps? The off-road version has topo maps, which take up a whole lot less space than satellite imagery, is that an option in the hunt version?


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Let me explain (dad) onx in a handheld works with the chip. So you buy each state as you need or want. My gps is old but works but scrolling and expanding is a pain with a little joy stick and buttons ect and the screen and clarity and what not not great. So… since I got this new tangled phone (there wireless now!) I thought I’d explore a different option. So onx online and a phone - you download a map and it works. Can’t just use onx on it like normal? (You holding a horn in your ear going WHAT!! )


Yes Charlie, I'm aware how the off-road version works, I wouldn't figure the hunt version to be a whole lot different..

And no, I don't have a horn to hear with...

Why is your phone tangled? Tangled with what?

Perhaps it might be time to buy a new GPS, the new ones have full colored screens, I got my GPS map 64 in the pawn shop for 40 bucks, it's rated as one of the best available, and I believe they still make them








Garmin GPSMAP® 64 | Handheld Outdoor GPS


GPSMAP® 64 is a handheld GPS designed for rugged terrain with a 2.6" color screen and 250,000 preloaded caches.




www.garmin.com


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Let me explain (dad) onx in a handheld works with the chip. So you buy each state as you need or want. My gps is old but works but scrolling and expanding is a pain with a little joy stick and buttons ect and the screen and clarity and what not not great. So… since I got this new tangled phone (there wireless now!) I thought I’d explore a different option. So onx online and a phone - you download a map and it works. Can’t just use onx on it like normal? (You holding a horn in your ear going WHAT!! )


I assume you mean “normal” like google maps?? You can use it like normal when in service or connected to the internet some how. It’s when you have leave service you have to download a map. Will still work like google maps, you just have to download the data before hand.

IMHO ditch the chip. From my understanding Most current garmin gps units don’t accept them. There’s a few left, but garmin is now pushing their own hunting maps.




MNichols said:


> Ya better plug ur apple phone in, the battery apparently is dying..
> 
> Bwahahaha 😘
> 
> So it doesn't show camps? The off-road version has topo maps, which take up a whole lot less space than satellite imagery, is that an option in the hunt version?


It does show camps and does topo. You download both when you chose a location. It’s just considered a “layer”.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

westwatercuban said:


> It does show camps and does topo. You download both when you chose a location. It’s just considered a “layer”.


Nice. It's always worked just fine for what I needed on the dual sport, never had to download anything, but I always selected the trail I wanted to ride before I left the camp, used it a lot in Moab, but I guess it has pretty good cell service.. Never tried it on the rivers as I have all the river maps way point files downloaded to my GPS, and generally leave the phone in the car, preference to lose \ break a cheap gps or cheap camera to a comparitively expensive phone.. Besides, I don't want to talk to anyone that's not on the trip 🙄


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

MNichols said:


> Nice. It's always worked just fine for what I needed on the dual sport, never had to download anything, but I always selected the trail I wanted to ride before I left the camp, used it a lot in Moab, but I guess it has pretty good cell service.. Never tried it on the rivers as I have all the river maps way point files downloaded to my GPS, and generally leave the phone in the car, preference to lose \ break a cheap gps or cheap camera to a comparitively expensive phone.. Besides, I don't want to talk to anyone that's not on the trip 🙄


Kinda hard to talk to anyone when your phones gonna die anyways 😂😉


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

westwatercuban said:


> Kinda hard to talk to anyone when your phones gonna die anyways 😂😉


Why I don't have an apple 🍎 phone 🤣😂


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

I just assumed that onx would not work without service? I dunno iam more a old man than pa pa here. I just have old farming and chip . Turn on and there you are. I would buy a gps but I got this here fancy Phone! And a chips pretty speedy too. I dunno that’s why I posted so you turds could tell me! If I go to hunting store I get some cranky old guy telling me to get a compass and learn stars and shit! Those rapids look fun!!


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

If you do airplane mode and turn it on once in awhile it last a week. I have battery packs too from when I was doing photo stuff so I don’t care about that. I just didn’t want to buy another expensive thing.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> I just have old farming and chip


Alrighty, is old farming somehow connected to tangled phones?

WTF Charlie!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> I just didn’t want to buy another expensive thing.


Then boating is likely not for you!

You do know what a boat is, don't you? It's a big hole in the water that you throw money in...

Bust
Our
Another 
Thousand

But remember an old adage charlie, if it first you don't succeed, then skydiving is likely not for you either!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> I have battery packs too from when I was doing photo stuff


Might want to loan a couple of those to Westwatercuban..


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Oh my god 😂 we might have to bust out the Telegraph to explain how onX works 🤣 so much for that $700 phone!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

I got lost at farming and Tangled phones...

If I can figure it out, surely we can explain it to Charlie!

See charlie, it all started like this. There was this farmer that had a tangled phone, and he was going to go on a Deso trip with his two ill-mannered children and angry wife! He busted out a map, and a compass, and remembered everything that he learned from orienteering class that he was taught when he was a boy scout...


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Look here you two jack officers, my new FANGLED phone has mind reader turned off and I got fat thumbs!!! Me and the missus have done a lot of trips ! We have a 17 year old raft! I just never did whitewater before cause it’s scary and I crash a lot!! So just tell me how to work the damn thing so I can go to ihop for early senior discount time!!! Lol!! I wanna come down there and do west water with you guys! Invite me!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

You're invited if I had a permit 🤠

As far as working the new fangled thing, keep the boat straight, oars in the water, point your boat at danger and row away from the danger.. 

Easy peasy!


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## BenSlaughter (Jun 16, 2017)

Ok, cause I'm quasi ignorant, too...

Say I have OnX. Download the map when I'm at home. Turn my phone to airplane mode before I get on the river....OnX just functions like any map, but doesn't tell me where I AM on said map?
But if I nudge my airplane mode off, it will tell me where I am on said map app?


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## Roseldo (Aug 27, 2020)

BenSlaughter said:


> Ok, cause I'm quasi ignorant, too...
> 
> Say I have OnX. Download the map when I'm at home. Turn my phone to airplane mode before I get on the river....OnX just functions like any map, but doesn't tell me where I AM on said map?
> But if I nudge my airplane mode off, it will tell me where I am on said map app?


GPS functionality should still work in airplane mode. I know it does with Gaia, and the base functionality of OnX should be roughly the same.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

BenSlaughter said:


> Ok, cause I'm quasi ignorant, too...
> 
> Say I have OnX. Download the map when I'm at home. Turn my phone to airplane mode before I get on the river....OnX just functions like any map, but doesn't tell me where I AM on said map?
> But if I nudge my airplane mode off, it will tell me where I am on said map app?


Yes works like nothing changed. Gps still works in airplane mode. Not sure why but it does.


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## BenSlaughter (Jun 16, 2017)

westwatercuban said:


> Gps still works in airplane mode. Not sure why but it does.


Nothin creepy about that!! 🤨


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

So since I really am dumb. What’s the other thing about “turn off in apps cause people see your info” ? What’s that and do you turn it off all the time or just off grid for battery conservation?


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Pinchecharlie said:


> So since I really am dumb. What’s the other thing about “turn off in apps cause people see your info” ? What’s that and do you turn it off all the time or just off grid for battery conservation?


So we turned a gps thread into a phone 101 thread 🤣😂


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

It’s only cause you guys mentioned it as though it was important!!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

westwatercuban said:


> Yes works like nothing changed. Gps still works in airplane mode. Not sure why but it does.


GPS on your phone is a receiver, WiFi, Bluetooth and LTE transmit, so airplane settings turn off transmitters, not receivers 😜


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

For me it’s just for off grid. They are tracking us no matter what. I threw the towel in ages ago.




MNichols said:


> GPS on your phone is a receiver, WiFi, Bluetooth and LTE transmit, so airplane settings turn off transmitters, not receivers 😜


the more you know!!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> It’s only cause you guys mentioned it as though it was important!!


Everything we say is important Charlie.. The sooner you learn that the better we'll get along 😜🤣😂😁


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

westwatercuban said:


> For me it’s just for off grid. They are tracking us no matter what. I threw the towel in ages ago.
> 
> 
> 
> the more you know!!


Our emergency dispatch can triangulate your position to within a thousand feet in some cases using cell sites..


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)




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## gpasquin (Oct 10, 2021)

This thread went sideways a few directions but for what it is worth, this what I have found to work for me in the backcountry (e.g. no cell coverage):

Caltopo, Garmin Inreach and my phone (Samsung Galaxy S21). 

The Garmin stays off unless I'm sending a text, checking weather or have an emergency.

The phone stays in Airplane mode, which still receives a GPS signal for my location.

Caltopo has great maps and layers and I can plan my route on my desktop computer to get prepared.

The Caltopo app is on my phone and I can download the map layers and preplanned route and it will show me where I am as I go.

Gaia, Onx, Avenza all sound pretty similar to Caltopo. So to each their own but Caltopo/Sartopo is what my local SAR team uses and it works for me too.

Caltopo is free for most of what is needed. 
Garmin Inreach: ~$300 upfront and then $12 per month depending on what plan you sign up for. This is purely an insurance policy when things go south to call in a helicopter or just to keep my family up to date when in the backcountry.

And the phone - they are the most expensive and obviously you need to keep them charged too so make sure you have a backup energy charging source.


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