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Author

Ruthie Irvin

Ruthie Irvin

Ruthie works on the communications team at Gaia GPS. She loves exploring the outdoors and camping with her husband and daughter.

AdventuresEmergency ResponseFeaturedGaia GPSUser Profiles

Gaia GPS Assists in Backcountry Rescue

by Ruthie Irvin October 11, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin
Wood River Fire & Rescue execute a rescue mission using Gaia GPS

Wood River Fire & Rescue execute a rescue mission using Gaia GPS

From Dispatch to Planning

On June 13, 2016, three fire departments responded to a technical rescue in the Wood River Fire & Rescue service area in Idaho. The patient had tendon damage from falling, as well as some broken leg bones. The injury happened in the backcountry, but Wood River’s extraction team knew the general area—west flank of Kelly Mountain—and headed out immediately.

The victim’s spouse shared a set of GPS coordinates, but the team received them on the road, with no access to the internet for planning. Fortunately, two people on the initial rescue team had the Gaia GPS app on their devices, with downloaded maps for recreational backcountry skiing in the area. After inputting the coordinates, they could study the maps in Gaia to answer questions like, “How close can we get by road?” and “What’s the best approach for access?”

On their way to the location, the Hasty team (first group sent on a rescue, to determine patient’s condition and plan the overall rescue) received a set of updated coordinates, which they then mapped in Gaia GPS. The update didn’t add up—the new location added 10 minutes of flight time to the rescue, which indicated a drastic error. “We know these aren’t the right coordinates because I can see this isn’t anywhere near where these people said they were,” Bass Sears said of the erroneous points.

Since the hikers frequently adventured in the area, the team knew to stick with the initial Kelly Mountain spot. Review of the dispatch calls later revealed that a simple switch between Degrees Decimal Minutes and Decimal Degrees coordinates accounted for the issue.

The rescue team knew something seemed wrong with an “updated” set of coordinates (Shown on Gaia Topo in feet)

The rescue team knew something seemed wrong with an “updated” set of coordinates (Shown on Gaia Topo in feet)

The Rescue

Stokes litter: a stretcher designed specially for use around obstacles

Stokes litter: a stretcher designed specially for use around obstacles

Once the Wood River team reached the injured patient, they established a need to carry them via a Stokes litter, and descend 1500 vertical feet to the nearest dirt road that was accessible by air transport. The silence of their initial ascent quickly filled with tons of chatter about the terrain, the maneuvers required to successfully complete the rescue, and radio traffic.

A team of 12-14 people assigned to the rescue on foot, only 2 of them paid full-time employees, worked together to deliver the patient to safety. Sears said that even an hour or two planning for the rescue would have eliminated airlift assistance that day, but using coordinates and Gaia GPS to develop their plan meant the difference. After 6-8 hours of transport, and four helicopter loads of rescue equipment and personnel dropped at the staging area, they safely delivered the patient to the air ambulance.

Emergency responders rest after a job well done

Emergency responders rest after a job well done

The Power of Preparation

GPS technology changed emergency response work forever, but SAR and Fire departments can’t provide expensive standalone GPS units to the thousands of volunteers across the country—that’s where Gaia GPS comes in. At the end of last year, Gaia GPS started a pilot program to share the app and GaiaPro subscriptions free to emergency volunteers, like wildland firefighters and search & rescue responders. In the last 10 months, over 1,000 people have received this powerful navigation tool at no cost, and gone on to use it in their lifesaving work.

Sears cautions that GPS technology also serves a major purpose for the victim of an accident saying, “If you know where you are when you need to get rescued, it’s going to happen a lot faster.”

If you have questions about how Gaia GPS can help keep you safe in the backcountry, write to us at support@gaiagps.com for more information.

October 11, 2016
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Gaia GPSHuntingNew Maps

New GaiaPro Map Layer—MapBox Satellite with No Labels

by Ruthie Irvin October 4, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

Now available to GaiaPro subscribers, MapBox Satellite Imagery with no labels offers a cleaner map view than the version with labels—perfect if you plan to layer the source with other maps in the app (iOS/Android), layer maps on gaiagps.com, or print your tracks on gaiagps.com.

img_6520

MapBox Aerial with no Labels

MapBox Aerial with Labels

MapBox Aerial with Labels

Add the source from the More Layers menu under the GaiaPro Base Maps category. For detailed instructions, check out the Add Map Sources articles (iOS/Android/Web).

gif-mapbox-no-labels

MapBox Aerial with no Labels beautifully displayed with topo layers

Try MapBox Aerial with No Labels, Free

Unsure if you’d benefit from a GaiaPro subscription? Read about the perks of GaiaPro here, and sign up for a free 1-month trial today: https://www.gaiagps.com/user/freetrial.

October 4, 2016
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Gaia GPSNew Maps

SwissTopo Maps Now Available

by Ruthie Irvin September 27, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

Similar to USGS Topo maps, SwissTopo provides beautiful handmade cartography and fine detail. These maps of Switzerland are perfect for hiking, skiing, and planning trips in the Alps.

SwissTopo features heavy elevation shading and contour lines, and emphasizes peak and range names that display prominently.

Add the source from the More Layers menu under the GaiaPro Base Maps category. For detailed instructions, check out the Add Map Sources articles (iOS/Android/Web).

Unlike the USGS, SwissTopo requires license fees for these maps, so we have included them as part of a GaiaPro subscription.

swisstopo

Test Out the New Maps Today

Not a GaiaPro subscriber? Sign-up for a free 1-month trial here: https://www.gaiagps.com/user/freetrial

If you’d like to see additional sources added to Gaia GPS, post your ideas in the Maps section of the Gaia GPS Community Forums.

September 27, 2016
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Gaia GPSNew Features

Add Map Sources on gaiagps.com Main Map

by Ruthie Irvin September 14, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

You can now customize your map sources on the main map of gaiagps.com, and these changes sync seamlessly with the app.

In the past, using non-default map sources on gaiagps.com required adding them from within the Gaia GPS app, then syncing the changes back to the website. So instead, you can now add all available layers directly on gaiagps.com.

Adding a map source on gaiagps.com/map works similarly to the Gaia GPS app. Access the Add Map Sources option from the Layers menu, then choose a source from within one of the available categories, and add/remove with the + and – symbols.

Click on any source listing to view details about the map

Click on any source listing to view details about the map

For detailed instructions about adding map sources on gaiagps.com, follow the step-by-step instructions with pictures in this Help Center article.

September 14, 2016
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AndroidGaia GPSNew Features

Gaia GPS for Android version 6.5.12

by Ruthie Irvin August 12, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

Gaia GPS for Android update 6.5.12 adds the ability to import custom map sources directly into the app as an alternative to using the addmapsource page on gaiagps.com.

Create a TileJSON using a TMS map source by following the instructions in this Help Center article. Test out your TMS URL here: http://trailbehind.github.io/TilejsonTester/.

After creating the TileJSON file, Android users can save it to the internal storage or SD card. Navigate the filesystem from within Gaia GPS to import the file, then find the custom map source in the Layers menu when the import completes. Follow the instructions here for importing via the SD card.

—find the custom map source in the Layers menu after import

—find the custom map source in the Layers menu after import

You can also import TileJSON files in the iOS app, or import the TMS source directly to your account on gaiagps.com, then sync back to the app.

Read more about this release and others on the Gaia GPS updates page.

August 12, 2016
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Gaia GPS

Gaia GPS for iOS version 10.8

by Ruthie Irvin August 1, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

The newest update to Gaia GPS for iOS, version 10.8, includes a major UI change—the removal of Offline Mode.

Since iOS now allows users to disable LTE data for apps on an individual basis, and GPS works in Airplane Mode for iOS 8.4 and later, Offline Mode slipped into obsolescence. This change also fixes a support issue where users didn’t always remember they had enabled Offline Mode.

Prevent downloads over a cellular internet connection from the iOS Settings

Prevent Gaia GPS downloads over cell connection in the iOS Settings

For more details about the other minor tweaks and fixes in this version, check out the release notes here.

Note: A minor point-release (10.8.1) removed the newly added survey popup.

August 1, 2016
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Gaia GPSNew Features

Introducing Pagination and Search on gaiagps.com

by Ruthie Irvin July 22, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

The gaiagps.com datasummary pages got a functionality makeover, with a new search feature and the ability to handle large amounts of data better than ever before.

Find and Organize Your Data Faster

  • search through your tracks, routes, waypoints, and maps lists
  • load your data faster and more reliably with pagination
  • better animations and updated page load indicators

Watch this short video demonstrating the new features, or check it out for yourself at http://www.gaiagps.com.

July 22, 2016
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Gaia GPSNew FeaturesNew Maps

Gaia GPS for iOS version 10.7

by Ruthie Irvin July 7, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

Gaia GPS for iOS version 10.7 boasts several great fixes, and offers a better alternative default map source to display in place of an unavailable main source.

In the past, the MapQuest OpenStreetMap source displayed in lieu of an unavailable map selection. Now, the the in-house GaiaTopo, based on OSM data and stylized with the Gaia GPS user base in mind, acts as the default fallback source instead.

Other important updates include:

  • When you choose to remove a map source from the Layers list, a warning gets displayed if you have downloaded maps associated with it (because deleting a source deletes the downloads too).
  • Some map preview icons didn’t display properly in the past, but that got resolved in this version
  • Fixed folders sync issues that occurred if the app got backgrounded during a sync
  • Fixed an occasional Apple Watch crash that occurred when viewing track stats
  • Fixed issue causing waypoints with custom names to assume an auto-name designated by the app when edited or moved

We’d love to hear from you at support@gaiagps.com with your feedback about the new version, and if you have any feature requests, chime in on the Gaia GPS Community Forum and let other users vote and comment on your idea.

July 7, 2016
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AndroidGaia GPSNew Features

Gaia GPS for Android Version 6.5

by Ruthie Irvin July 5, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

In a continued push to increase development on Gaia GPS for Android, version 6.5 boasts a big list of updates. This includes the addition of the NAD-27 datum—a highly requested feature, especially with Emergency Response professionals. You can now toggle between NAD27 and WGS84 directly from the settings menu.

Other important updates include:

    • Multi-layered downloads now create a single download, instead of a separate download for each layer
    • Resuming or deleting a layered download effects all layers concurrently
    • Selecting “Show on map” for a layered download restores the settings from the time of download (ordering and opacity)
  • Improvements to the compass
  • More responsive map arrow and course-up mode when rotating
  • Substantially faster track and route “guide me” features

For a full list of updates and bug fixes, go to http://updates.gaiagps.com/android/android_6.5.0.html

July 5, 2016
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Gaia GPSNew FeaturesNew Maps

Import Custom Map Sources on gaiagps.com

by Ruthie Irvin June 28, 2016
written by Ruthie Irvin

Now available on gaiagps.com—import custom map sources directly to your online account with a TMS URL. Read here to learn more about finding a TMS URL.

Until now, only iOS users had the ability to add TMS sources to Gaia GPS, and doing so required testing the TMS URL, converting the data into a TileJSON file, then importing that file into the app via iTunes.

Using the gaiagps.com custom map source import feature, skip those steps—test the TMS source right from the website and save it to your account with the click of a button.

Add , View, and Manage Custom Map Sources

Find the Map Sources data summary page listed in the username drop-down menu on gaiagps.com. From there, you can navigate to the “add map source” form and manage your imported maps.

Click the “+ Import an External Map source” button to reach the form.

Screen Shot 2016-06-22 at 10.35.02 PM

—found on https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/mapsources

Follow the instructions provided to format the TMS URL properly for import.

Screen Shot 2016-06-23 at 2.05.35 PM

—Replace numbers in the TMS URL with the {x}/{y}/{z} variables in whichever order gives a correct preview directly below

You can preview the custom map source near Berkeley, CA by default, or input a different set of Lat/Long coordinates to view it for your preferred area.

If everything looks right, save the source to your account with a single click. You can always email support@gaiagps.com for help, too.

—If the preview looks good, click “Add this map source” to save the custom map to your account

—If the preview looks good, click “Add this map source” to save the custom map to your account

Sync, File, and Share Custom Map Sources

Once you import a source, you can view, file, or share the import right from the Map Sources data summary page.

To view and download selections of the custom map source in Gaia GPS, run a sync from your device and then add it from the Imported category. To learn how to add map sources to view in the app, follow the instructions in these Help Center articles:

  • Add and Manage Map Sources in Gaia GPS (iOS)
  • Add and Manage Map Sources in Gaia GPS (Android)
June 28, 2016
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