Topo Map Navigation With No Subscription Fees

[GotAU?]

For off-road mapping with subscription fees, there’s Gaia and XMap (I don’t know which of these will work beyond the US, probably Gaia only), and there are a few other subscription mapping apps that you have to pay for maps with.

In the US and Canada, I have been using Topo Maps (for Apple IOS (there’s a great looking non-subscription fee program for Android listed in the next post below). 

https://topomapsapp.com/

it costs $8 initially with no subscription fees after that, and provides unlimited free use of all USGS topographic maps of US, and all Canadian Topo maps as well. To use these, you preload the maps in either low or high resolution mode onto your phone so you can use it without cell phone coverage. You can navigate with it via your phone or iPad with GPS and it shows where you are real-time on the topos, and you can put in and export custom waypoints. It also has a search function to show where different named features are including many mines. I use the waypoints to mark claim boundaries and other points of interest.

Phones have GPS built in, but if your iPad does not have built-in GPS, you can get a separate Bluetooth unit like a Garmin GLO for about $99 to give it that utility. I use it for my older dash mounted iPad for off-road navigation in my truck.

Topo Maps iPhone zoomed in screenshot made in low- resolution mode (not a real claim!):

[Redz]

Back country navigator pro has around 9 topo map options and several hybrid satelite topo options. You can also download the property boundaries as an add on.

[Dutchman4]

8 minutes ago, Redz said:

Back country navigator pro has around 9 topo map options and several hybrid satelite topo options. You can also download the property boundaries as an add on.

This (BCN) is also what I have been using for about 6 years and does everything I need it to.  One time fee and I also bought the BLM map overlays for CA, NV, AZ.

[GotAU?]

On 3/19/2023 at 6:01 PM, Redz said:

Back country navigator pro has around 9 topo map options and several hybrid satelite topo options. You can also download the property boundaries as an add on.

That’s a great recommendation for both IOS and Android users!

Free maps and one-time fee also, in addition to some for pay features. It also has some other countries covered as well: 

https://www.backcountrynavigator.com/backcountry-navigator-pro

[jasong]

BCN is what I've been using and recommending on forums since it came out, but it seems like the Pro version is no longer being updated and they are only going to update the XE subscription version from now on? Maybe I misunderstand it. I'm going to start looking at alternatives just in case it disappears someday or starts to be incompatible with newer Android/iOS versions.

The BLM themselves have an app called S1 Mobile Mapper that is free. It was supposedly incororating topos/ownership/PLSS layers too, but they never did that last I checked a year back? Would be nice if they got that working, seeing as literally all this data we want to use is taxpayer funded and we already own it anyways, kinda a gut punch IMO to have to pay for a private app to really use/view it. 

[GotAU?]

6 hours ago, jasong said:

BCN is what I've been using and recommending on forums since it came out, but it seems like the Pro version is no longer being updated and they are only going to update the XE subscription version from now on? Maybe I misunderstand it. I'm going to start looking at alternatives just in case it disappears someday or starts to be incompatible with newer Android/iOS versions.

The BLM themselves have an app called S1 Mobile Mapper that is free. It was supposedly incororating topos/ownership/PLSS layers too, but they never did that last I checked a year back? Would be nice if they got that working, seeing as literally all this data we want to use is taxpayer funded and we already own it anyways, kinda a gut punch IMO to have to pay for a private app to really use/view it. 

They are viewable for free, and you can download them to Google Earth, they just don’t come with the bells and whistles provided through the navigation programs:

https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/

 

[Dutchman4]

On 3/19/2023 at 6:01 PM, Redz said:

Back country navigator pro has around 9 topo map options and several hybrid satelite topo options. You can also download the property boundaries as an add on.

Hey Redz,   Can you tell me more about the "hybrid satelite topo options".  I don't believe that I have used this feature and would like to know how to enable it.

[geof_junk]

If you are located in Australia have a look at OziExplorer Web site. It does everything anyone needs.    https://oziexplorer4.com/au/    I have used it for 20+ years initially shareware it was so good got a reg version soon after. Used for bushwalking and prospecting (keep all my nuggets locations and maps with it.)  By the way it is able to do any country.

[Redz]

11 hours ago, Dutchman4 said:

Hey Redz,   Can you tell me more about the "hybrid satelite topo options".  I don't believe that I have used this feature and would like to know how to enable it.

Under the map layer options  there is USA: TOPO MAPS and USA: IMAGERY. Under the IMAGERY there are a number of maps labelled hybrid that combine base map features with imagery (roads towns etc) and some that give a better idea of contours

[Dutchman4]

will check it out, thanks