Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Techie Tips to Hike Smart

Chris Writes:

Ask any Hiker and they will agree that there is no genuine substitute for a real life map and compass, at least not without spending hundreds of pounds. But sometimes when the weather closes in, it can be useful to have a bit of a technological helping hand. If you have a mobile phone with inbuilt GPS, you may already be able to get one.

Viewranger are a company that make software for many popular Nokia and Samsung phones which lets you know exactly where you are and what's around you. Their software offers offrad mapping and topographic data by way of 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 ordinance survey maps. Full coverage of Great Britian is pretty expensive, but for extra security and peace of mind on a holiday you can buy maps which cover national parks in Britain for not too much more than the actual paper OS maps themselves.

The advantages of this are obvious - advanced map skills such as triangulation, countour navigation and detailed micro-navigation can be supplemented by the software. This is especially handy for those wishing to learn such skills, or simply for when you get lost. Other hikers may simply wish to use the software to plan and take walks anywhere in the UK or Europe with supported maps.

More information can be found at Viewranger

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