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Gaia GPS

Company NewsGaia GPS

Donating to Great Wild Causes

by Aileen
written by Aileen

This week marks the start of Gaia GPS Giving Back. Check out this page for the full details.

Under this new program, we donate 5% of app purchases made through special affiliate links to wild causes that we feel align with Gaia GPS:

You can increase donations by:

  • Buying Gaia GPS (and other apps) through these links – 5% of all proceeds gets donated
  • Posting these links/placards on your blog or website

Donate

We’ve done pro bono work in the past, such as for the Haitian Earthquake and to support volunteer workers. But today marks the first time Gaia GPS will commit to giving money directly to good causes.

Choose between two organizations actively working to preserve and protect the outdoors:
Leave No Trace, in its simplest form, is about making good decisions to protect the world around you. Through relevant and targeted education, research and outreach, the Center ensures the long-term health of our natural world. Leave No Trace is built on seven core principles, developed to help educate and guide recreationists in sustainable minimum impact practices that mitigate or avoid recreation-related impacts.

  • DonatePlan Ahead and Prepare
  • Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
  • Dispose of Waste Properly
  • Leave What You Find
  • Minimize Campfire Impacts
  • Respect Wildlife
  • Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Learn more at: https://lnt.org/learn/seven-principles-overview

DonateASC matches scientists with skilled explorers to collect data while out in the field. With this unique opportunity, researchers are able to push forward necessary conservation efforts , with valuable information provided by adventurers. Check out one of their recent projects monitoring the Unita Range for Canada lynx and wolverine, two of the Rocky Mountains most elusive and rare carnivores. For this project Gaia GPS was used to navigate to remote off-trail wildlife cameras. http://www.adventurescience.org/uinta-carnivore-survey.html

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AndroidGaia GPSHow-To

Gifting Gaia GPS

by Aileen
written by Aileen

Give the gift of Gaia GPS, and share your love for the outdoors with family and friends. Click the link below to give a Gaia GPS Membership, Premium Membership, or a 5 year membership.

screen-shot-2016-12-05-at-11-52-18-am

Gaia GPS Membership includes access to more than 57 unique map sources along with unlimited offline map downloads for navigating without cell phone service.

Premium Memberships include all of the Member benefits plus map source stacking capabilities and access to an additional 250 premium map sources and overlays.

Countless different types of adventurers use Gaia GPS—from hikers, hunters, trail runners, cyclists, skiers, kayakers/rafters, horseback riders and off-roaders, to pilots, firefighters, SAR technicians and other emergency responders, too.

If you know anyone that does anything outside, and you think they might benefit from incredibly detailed offline maps, track recording, geotagged photos and more, click here and send them a Gaia GPS membership today.

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National Geographic map of the PCT, as seen in the Gaia GPS app.
App Comparisons

Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

by Ashli Baldwin
written by Ashli Baldwin

Editors Note: This article was published in 2015. Some information may be out-of-date.

This article makes it easy to understand the pros and cons of Gaia GPS vs AllTrails. Check out an at-a-glance comparison of features, along with a more detailed breakdown comparing app vs app, website vs website, and membership vs subscription.

In summary, Gaia GPS shines for people who go into the backcountry. Gaia GPS has better maps and GPS features, and offers all features plus hundreds additional mapsFor backcountry use, AllTrails lacks many maps and features.

The free versions of both apps include a trail search feature. If you do casual hikes in places where you have an internet connection, you can use either to search for trails, find route information, and stay on track as you hike.

*Not Available on Android devices

App vs App – Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

App

Gaia GPS

Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

AllTrails

Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

Features

Basic

Free

Premium Member

 

Basic

Free

Pro

 

NatGeo Trail Maps √  
Map Downloads for Offline Use √ √
Printing √ √
Route Planning√√ √
Data Sync √ √
Export Trip Data (GPX/KML)√√ √
Import Trip Data (GPX/KML)√√ √
Track Recording√√√√
Trail Search√√√√
Number of Map Sources125138
Coordinate Formats 5511
iPad App√√  
Watch App√√  
Folders√√  
Custom Map Sources√√  
Distance Markers & Announcements√√  
Backtrack√√  
Nautical Units√√  
Vector Topo Maps*√√  
Datum Shifting√√  
Areas (polygons)* √ √  
Custom Waypoint Icons√√  

Gaia GPS

Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

Useful as a replacement for a Garmin GPS, Gaia GPS offers a powerful set of features for downloading maps, recording tracks, and collecting data. Users of Gaia GPS include record-holding backpackers, search and rescue personnel, firefighters, GIS teams, and wilderness guides.

Gaia GPS is free to download. A Premium Membership includes unlimited map downloads and access to dozens of map sources. The free app gives you server backup of all tracks, photos, and other data. Gaia GPS makes it easy to record data, sync/backup with a server, and share trips. It also offers a deep array of backcountry navigation features and customizable settings.

The Gaia GPS app now includes a trail search feature, as well. You can search for hikes anywhere in the world, and quickly download maps and routes of trails you want to do. The feature also makes it easy to sort hikes by length, difficulty, or star rating, and view community-sourced photos, and reviews.

AllTrails

Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

The AllTrails app is best known for its trail search feature. You can search for many well-reviewed trails, typically day-hikes near your current location. The basic app allows track recording. Additional features—like offline maps in the app or plotting routes on the website—require a subscription. Non-pro members can view three map sources in AllTrails. Downloading maps of any kind requires a subscription.

Some casual hikers will find this app suitable, but it’s not a robust enough tool for planning multi-day backpacking trips.

Membership vs Subscription

Gaia GPS – Premium Membership

You can use basically all the core features of Gaia GPS, including a trail search feature, for free. With a Premium Membership, you can layer maps and overlays and print maps from gaiagps.com. You also get access to National Geographic Trails Illustrated, NeoTreks, France IGN and other Premium maps. Click here for a full list of available maps.

AllTrails Pro

AllTrails offers a subscription upgrade, which provides basic features for the app and website. Many of the features available in AllTrails Pro come standard in the Gaia GPS basic app.

AllTrails Pro benefits include the ability to download maps, plan routes, and access a few extra map sources.

Website vs Website

gaiagps.com

A handy extension of the app, gaiagps.com allows for seamless syncing and backup of data between web and device. You can view online maps, manage your data, search for trips, and create snap-to-trail routes to sync directly back to your device.

The brand-new hike search feature has access to one of the largest trail databases on the planet. Search trails and download maps to the Gaia GPS app, right from your desktop. Test it out at gaiagps.com/map.

alltrails.com

The AllTrails website has a reputable search feature, which takes center stage. Much like the mobile app, the website provides trail reviews and search as the core, free offering. Trail pages include pictures and reviews, and span many well-known trails.

Both Gaia GPS and AllTrails allow printing of maps (with a subscription). The AllTrails website also includes a “map creator tool” similar to Gaia’s hike search feature , as well as the ability to back up your data, but both features require a subscription.

Conclusion – Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

Gaia GPS offers the best solution for the backcountry. You should buy Gaia GPS if you want to go backpacking, or do work outdoors.

The free AllTrails app offers a few good features for doing day hikes, especially if you can access the internet. But the AllTrails subscription doesn’t match up to the professional-level Gaia GPS features, and can’t beat Gaia GPS in the backcountry.

 

Gaia GPS

Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

AllTrails

Gaia GPS vs AllTrails

App

Great maps, features, trail search, and data sync for backcountry trips.

Free

Record a track, view an online map, and search for trails.

Free

Website

gaiagps.com – Search for trails, plan trips, and use with the app.

Free

alltrails.com – Search for trails. Most features require a subscription.

Free

Subscription/Membership

Add specialized maps, download, and print maps.

Required for most features, including map downloads and route-making.

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Gaia GPS

Gaia Team Profile: Ruthie Irvin

by Ashli Baldwin
written by Ashli Baldwin

Ruthie Irvin joined the Gaia GPS Adventure Support team in August of 2014, though she did some contract work for the company in 2011. As senior Adventure Support team member, Ruthie wears many hats around here. On top of familiarizing users with the app, she helps onboard new team members, writes blog posts, and leads the revision process for the support team.

Ruthie lives in College Station, Texas with her husband and Gaia QA Engineer Zachary Irvin. In the year since Ruthie started full-time at Gaia GPS, she and Zach welcomed baby Hazel into the family. On weekends, Ruthie enjoys taking Hazel on day hikes nearby.

 

IMG_4585

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Gaia GPS

Welcome Ashli Baldwin

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

We’ve been remiss in introducing everyone over the years, so we’re doing short profiles on the folks at Gaia GPS. We introduced Aileen Gardner last week, and going chronologically backwards in time, we’re featuring Ashli Baldwin today.​

Ashli brings serious outdoor cred to the Gaia team, having recently thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. She spends her weekends outdoors and weekdays with Gaia GPS. Ashli joined the Gaia GPS Adventure Support team about 6 months ago, and her work spans user support, Gaia GPS documentation, marketing, and much more.

Ashli also has her own outdoor blog, Tentside, and she also writes articles for the popular Appalachian Trail blog Appalachian Trials. She has a degree in music from York College of Pennsylvania, and is an avid musician and expert flautist.

Ashli Baldwin - Gaia GPS Adventure Support

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AndroidGaia GPS

Gaia GPS for Android update – v6.0.3

by Ruthie Irvin
written by Ruthie Irvin

You can download the new release of Gaia GPS Android (v6.03) from the Google play store, or update your device.

Most noticeably, we fixed the lagging display of waypoints/POIs when panning the map. Check out the release notes here for full details, and you can also view release notes in the app.

Send us your comments and bug reports to android@gaiagps.com. If you have any feature ideas to improve the app, submit them to the Idea Forum, and get notified about progress and community comments.

android POIs

POIs and waypoints will show smoothly on the map again.

 

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Gaia GPS

Expanded coverage for elevation lookups

by Jesse Crocker
written by Jesse Crocker

The Gaia GPS elevation lookup service, which is used when marking waypoints, and when planning routes, now includes worldwide coverage, going from 80°S to 80°N. The elevation data previously included some gaps, which could result in incorrect results in some areas, these gaps have now been corrected.

Map of elevation coverage
These updates were made possible by Nasa’s recent release of 1 Arc second SRTM digital elevation models, and by the addition of ASTER GDEM elevation models to cover the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Test it out now at gaiagps.com.

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Gaia GPS

Welcome Aileen Gardner – Adventure Support

by Ashli Baldwin
written by Ashli Baldwin

We’re delighted to welcome Aileen Gardner to the Gaia GPS team. She’s been training with us the last two weeks as the newest member of our Adventure Support team, and she’s already jumped in with thoughtful editing and other contributions to writing and marketing.​

Aileen adds another smart and outdoor-focused person to the Gaia GPS roster. She earned her B.S. in business administration from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She once did a 4-month roadtrip, replete with backpacking and mountain biking, and now spends all her free time exploring the mountains and trails around Portland.​

Fun fact: Around this time next year, Aileen is likely to be answering your adventure questions from an off-grid tiny house in the mountains of Central Oregon. She is currently hashing out design details for a 150-200 square foot eco home, and construction is due to start next summer. Living a fairly simplified life already, and spending the majority of her time outdoors, it seemed only natural for Aileen to venture further off-grid, into a smaller space.​

adventure support

Caption: From Aileen’s weekend hike on Mt. Hood on gaiagps.com.

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Gaia GPS Outdoor News
Gaia GPS

Outdoor News – Gaia GPS 9/4/15

by Ashli Baldwin
written by Ashli Baldwin

This week, Gaia GPS is working to bring you the latest in outdoor news. From controversy on the Appalachian Trail to goodies for the kids, and wildfires in the west, here are the stories that you should know.

Scott Jurek

Fans of the Appalachian Trail will know that long-distance runner Scott Jurek beat Jennifer Pharr Davis’s AT record by just 3 hours in July. (NY Times)

His final summit was not without controversy, however. A park ranger cited Jurek over minor infractions on his record-setting trip while hiking through Maine’s iconic Baxter State Park. Tensions between park officials and Appalachian Trail hikers have the future of the trail’s northern terminus in jeopardy. (NY Times)

Free National Park Entry

Beginning September 1st, all fourth grade students will have access to their own “Every Kid in a Park” pass. This pass provides free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more! (NPS)

Wildfires

Wildfire dangers had closed a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in Crater Lake National Park through the junction with Lightning Springs Trail. Wetter and cooler weather has allowed park rangers to reopen the trail for the weekend. (AP)

Contaminated Colorado River

A comprehensive study found the Colorado River that cuts the Grand Canyon is contaminated with toxic levels of Mercury and Selenium. (NatGeo)

Events

Gaia GPS users will be hosting the Appalachian Toyota Round-Up this weekend. The event takes place annually over Labor Day weekend in Oliver Springs, TN. It is held at WindRock Park, the largest privately owned off-road park, with over 72,000 acres and spanning 4 different counties.

If you enjoy our weekly Outdoor News round-up, let us know what you want to hear. Send us an email to support@gaiagps.com.

 

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