Desert Navigation - GPS Apps - Comparison and Reviews

[Zubail]

@Frederic are you sure about WikiLoc offline map? when to make an option 'avaliable offline' it shows satelite image, 

[Frederic]

30 minutes ago, Zubail said:

@Frederic are you sure about WikiLoc offline map? when to make an option 'avaliable offline' it shows satelite image, 

In my case on the app i can click on "offline maps" but it only seems to download the street and topo maps, not the sattelite imagery.

[Zubail]

Yes, my mistake, I thought I switched of internet.. you are right

[Aser]

What about ONX offroad?

I recently got this email....

[Luke K P]

@Aser bronco and arb in the marketing.. how could it not be great!

 

After i got a garmin navigation unit i've started using TREAD app (APP is standalone or can be used as companion for nav unit) for tracking waypoints and routes etc.

items can belong to multiple collections... so for exmaple i have my collection of 'bbq spots' and can choose one and temporarily add it to a new collection 'bbq for this saturday' along with the route etc.

ability to make colections visible on map or not... route planning can follow trails or point to point.

seems much faster than gaia and the offline satellite maps are very high res.

Edited January 30, 2025 by Luke K P

[Frederic]

47 minutes ago, Aser said:

What about ONX offroad?

I recently got this email....

ON X is indeed quite popular in this US, and i was assuming it was meant for US only. (see below).

OnX Backcountry vs. Gaia GPS: A Head-to-Head Comparison - Territory Supply

Will give it a try and add a review soon. Or if you decide to test it feel free to give your feedback !

16 minutes ago, Luke K P said:

@Aser bronco and arb in the marketing.. how could it not be great!

 

After i got a garmin navigation unit i've started using TREAD app (APP is standalone or can be used as companion for nav unit) for tracking waypoints and routes etc.

items can belong to multiple collections... so for exmaple i have my collection of 'bbq spots' and can choose one and temporarily add it to a new collection 'bbq for this saturday' along with the route etc.

ability to make colections visible on map or not... route planning can follow trails or point to point.

seems much faster than gaia and the offline satellite maps are very high res.

The TREAD app looks indeed promising, but will only work in conjunction with a Garmin Tread Device, correct ?

[Luke K P]

the app im just using for collections, routes, waypoints organisation and route planning.

 

[Frederic]

On 1/28/2025 at 12:21 PM, Frederic said:

Been looking at this app that is Android based and tailored to motorcycle navigation (on-road or offroad).

DMD Navigation is the name of the company, selling devices (tabs, phones) that are Android based, but their standalone app seems to work on any Android device. 

DMD Navigation - Ultimate Adventure Navigation App and Devices

Getting Started - DMD Navigation

Will give this one a try soon and post a review.

OBD integration with TPMS feature looks promising !

Gave the DMD2 app a try over the last two days. 

- The user interface is sleek and easy to set up. 

- App is Android only.

- Lots of customization option and add-ons are available (TPMS/OBD/Joystick Controls, Roadbook).

- Offline street maps can be downloaded (but no satellite imagery). This was for me the biggest NO-GO

- When i started the app without internet connection, it forgot that i purchased a membership and kept running in demo mode.

- The app is relatively new and still has some bugs, but the founder is working on them diligently and there are support channels.

All in all, this is a nice app if you are ok with using a constant internet connection. In my case because i use an Android phone for my GPS app without a SIM, this was a bummer. I tried using the hotspot functionality on my main phone but i don't like the fact that my GPS app would have to rely on constant internet to be able to use the satellite imagery. 

 

 

[Frederic]

Made an updated overview to show the differences in the various apps.  It is also an option to pick two different apps for different functionalities. 

Nowadays i use the Caltopo website for my route-planning and archiving, and Gurumaps on my mobile in the vehicle. As these don't sync with each other instantly, this means i need to do this manually.

Additionally i still use the Garmin 276cx with Birdview imagery downloaded which gives me the least hassle of all. The only downside is that you need to download the imagery beforehand via Garmin Basecamp. If i do an unplanned recce in new terrain, then this is an issue of course. In that case i use Gurumaps, either online imagery or the offline downloaded map.

[Frederic]

Quick addition, and FREE

gpx.studio — the online GPX file editor

This little app (running from web-browser) allows for easy planning of routes and tracks. Once your plan is made, you can save your route as a .GPX file and load it into your favorite mobile app.

Looks simple but is actually quite powerful. Take into account that it does not save your tracks (no repository). It's just a small online tool. If you feel Gaia / Caltopo is a bit too complex, this tool could be ideal for you.

Next to the Mapbox Sattelite Imagery, you can also use Google Maps Terrain or Hybrid as layer.

Go to Settings, Layer Settings, Customs Layers. Make a new layer by adding these hyperlinks:

Google Hybrid:

https://mt1.google.com/vt/lyrs=y&x={x}&y={y}&z={z}

Google Terrain:

https://mt1.google.com/vt/lyrs=t&x={x}&y={y}&z={z}