Top 5 Apps For Outdoorsy People Who Like To Camp
Just recently, I came back from my summer vacation (yeah, bloggers get tired too :)) where I spent a week camping with my friends on a small beach in Montenegro. I’ve never camped before and the experience is something I will remember for as long as I live. My friends and I are far from being experts when it comes to setting up tents and all the other camping stuff, so we turned to modern technology – our smartphones!
Nowadays you can pretty much find an app for everything, but we were astonished by the number of really useful camping apps, specially developed for people who are outdoorsy. Here is then, an ultimate list of camping/outdoors/hiking apps one must have when going camping or hiking in the nature.
1. Flashlight (Free)
Although these days most smartphones come with a flashlight app, the use for a camera flash on a smartphone is so much more versatile. There are specialized apps that combine compass and flashlight meaning you will never get lost while taking a late night hike. There are also apps out there which can serve as an SOS warning. You never know what might happen, especially if you’re going canoeing, therefore it’s not such a bad thing to have a good flashlight app.
2. GPS Kit ($9.99)
This is by far one of my favorite apps since it is specially developed for hikers. Although it sells for $9.99, it is worth every cent. It acts as any other professional GPS device and there are some pretty neat features that come with it. You can use it to track your location and never worry about being lost out there. Just turn on the app, put it in your pocket and start exploring the scenery. Oh, and it’s not using any data which means that you can use it anywhere without worrying about roaming fees!
3. AccuWeather (Free)
Yes, most smartphones do come with weather apps out of the box but they may not be so reliable as you think they are. Living in Belgrade can show you how certain apps just do not work in big cities where the weather fluctuates on hourly basis. I, therefore, found out that AccuWeather really stands out among the rest of the apps when it comes to precision weather readings and forecast. The app comes free which just makes it even better!
4. Bushcraft ($3.99)
Bushcraft for iPhone lets you choose your terrain (desert, snow, forest, coast, at sea). You can watch hours of instructional video as we as look at dozens of images and diagrams. It really comes in handy if you want to learn more about first aid, and reference advanced survival techniques used by the world’s special forces. It retails for $3.99 in the AppStore and there is also an iPad version of the app.
5. Survival Guide (Free)
Survival skills could come in handy in several different situations (e.g. a natural disaster). However, they can also be used to better appreciate nature and for recreation. The techniques shared in the Survival Guide app provide advice to get basic necessities such as water, food, shelter, habitat, signal for help, navigate safely, avoid unpleasant interactions with animals and plants, and for first aid. This app is definitely for the more serious camper and backpacker.
If you set your mind about going camping, these are just some of the apps you might find useful. Keep in mind that these apps tend to drain the battery faster than usual and that some of them rely on data usage which may not be available in the areas where you are going to. Always make sure to check on these things before you depart and make sure to learn those basic survival skills – you never know when you are going to need them!
Image source: www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
