MapOut

I always use MapOut for planning for hiking routes. It's great at showing all the hiking trails and the recommended hiking routes. Its elevation estimation is quite accurate. I sometimes consult books and other sources for hiking route suggestions and it's a breeze to create a tour in MapOut. A one-time purchase is so much better than other subscription-based apps since I only hike ~20 times per year. Using MapOut for cycling is a bit of a worse experience. Well for one road cyclists need paved roads, gravel cyclists can tolerate some unpaved roads, but I couldn't find a way for MapOut to differentiate these. That's why I had an unpleasant experience of planning a tour in advance, and then when I arrive there on a road bike I find it's only an unpaved trail. Also MapOut doesn't have turn-by-turn navigation or the ability to create a cue sheet. I can get rid of my cycling computer if you add navigation on the Apple Watch.

I think after 10 years of using iOS, this is the first app I have reviewed. I have several tools I use for navigating while hiking and biking, but there are several standout features of MapOut. First, offline maps are a must, and the OpenStreetMaps are pretty good, and include topography and many trails/paths in addition to roads. Second, .GPX import works very well, and routes are easily named and organized. Graphs for elevation of the route are clear. Third, the method of creating new routes is genius. Double clicking sets the start point, and then you drag over map features (roads, trails, etc) to draw the route. The app snaps the route to known features, but also allows for “off trail” routes. Very intuitive and fast. Finally, a feature that I have always wanted, is you can set a start end end point on a particular route, and it overlays mileage and elevation from that point. So, for example, on a multi-day trip you can set the day’s starting point and have all statistics begin at that point. Great work!

I purchased this because nothing else really worked well for areas where there is spotty cell reception. I do a lot of backcountry trail runs and typically use something like Strava or Google Maps in offline mode for general geolocation. Strava doesn’t work without a cell signal, and frequently tries to close the app that I’ve had open, at which point the route is gone is cell signal is unavailable. Google Maps offline is just not really very good at all, not detailed enough, though it does show your spot on a map. MapOut is 100% offline downloadable with detailed trails and extra abilities like creating routes beforehand. It is extreme reliable and is really a panacea for mapping with little cell signal. The maps are so detailed, sometimes I pull it up inside the city to find new trails or routes. It reminds me of those dedicated Garmin Explorer GPS devices. MapOut is very cool, and very worth the money.