App, App and Away — 10 Apps to Help you Spend More Time Outdoors
Technology sometimes takes the rap for our couch potato lifestyle — it’s never been easier to live life through our phones. Here’s Skurt’s list of apps to get you outside and exploring in no time.
ViewRanger
ViewRanger finds the best trails to follow, so you can turn your casual afternoon stroll into an adventure. ViewRanger detects local or worldwide routes and saves them to your device, so you can plan ahead when you are going out. To make your trip that little bit easier, the app will give you precise direction and will allow you to see your GPS location at all times. Not the best with directions? Don’t worry — if you get lost, ViewRanger will alert you and help you get back on track — it also works offline, so no need to worry that you will run out of data or will end up in a no signal area. The app also allows you to store photos and record your trip — perfect for sharing with friends and family.
All Trails
AllTrails is here to take you on the best hikes, bike rides and runs. The app features a collection of over 50,000 trails around the world. Each map has been carefully constructed with tonnes of detail making it an ideal app for the outdoorsy folk or anyone trying their hand at outdoor activities. The app will find the perfect trail for you as it filters trails based on difficulty levels, rating and whether a trail is dog, kid or wheelchair friendly. You can save your trails for future use, record your activity and follow fellow travellers and friends for inspiration.
Oh, Ranger! Park Finder
Find your nearest park with Oh, Ranger! Park Finder. Oh, Ranger! offers a huge database containing every federal and state park in America, so there’s plenty to choose from! This is a great app for families looking for activities that the kids will enjoy. All you have to do is choose the activity category and select the parks with the activities you want to do. Where it’s hiking, bird watching, driving, boating, fishing or hunting, Oh, Ranger! Will find the ideal park for you.
SAS Survival Guide
SAS Survival Guide is at your service to assist you and set you up with handy survival techniques for your next adventure. John “Lofty” Wiseman, a former SAS soldier and instructor, has written this guide to top-class survival skills to help you to prepare and take on the great outdoors. The app features the full text of the book, videos with essential survival tips, photos of dangerous and interesting things to identify on your travels and a Morse Code signalling device. One you’ve finished training, you can quiz yourself to see if you’ve got what it takes. The app also comes with useful features of a sun compass, a survival checklist and a comprehensive first aid kit.
Mountain Project
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH0VCE1Apdt/?taken-by=mountainproject
Mountain Project takes you to the peaks of adventure with their extensive database of rock climbing destinations and routes. This is perfect for any thrill seekers who love being on the rocky slopes. This app works offline, so there’s no need to worry about where you’re going when you run out of data. You can also capture your memories and take high-resolution photos which will sync to your Mountain Project account. Connect with fellow mountaineers on the Mountain Project Forum or just look through the forum for advice and trips. You can browse through 1110,000 worldwide routes and bookmark your favorite future endeavours. Rock climbing is a challenge to say the least, but with Mountain Project, that challenge will be made easier and more enjoyable so you can truly embrace your experience.
Sky Guide
Sky Guide is a great app to have fun by the campfire. All you have to do is hold the app towards the sky and watch the Sky Guide find a universe of constellations, planets and satellites. This app is a fantastic family activity and a great way for kids to get involved and get learning. Sky Guide can take you into the future and let you know where the Moon will be positioned. It can also show you what the sky looked like on the moment you were born or show you flashbacks of the past in the form of history’s greatest comets. Even if you’re in the middle of nowhere, Sky Guide will still work without WiFi, Cellular service or GPS, so you can explore the universe anywhere you go.
iNaturalist
With iNaturalist, you can learn about nature everywhere you go, meet fellow nature lovers and record the beauty of the natural world. iNaturalist allows a community of outdoor lovers to connect and share their passion for nature with pictures of recordings. Take the chance to learn about the birds, animals and plant life that surround you and educate yourself on all the wildlife the natural world has to offer. Simply record your findings, share with the community and discuss what you’ve all found on your everyday adventures.
Yonder
Yonder will help you map out your next trip by showing you the trails, treks and adventures that are nearest to you. Search through thousands of geo-located pictures and videos worldwide and share your expeditions with your friends and family through the photos and videos you collect. With 20,000 destinations and 25 activities to explore, you’re spoilt for choice when perusing through their database. You can follow hikers, climbers, bikers and skiers from around the world to see the trails and places they are exploring.
Geocaching
Geocaching is here to take hiking to a whole new level, incorporating the fun of a treasure hunt, this app will have you searching for geocaches around the world. These hidden containers called geocaches are spread out over 185 countries and it up to you to find them. This app is not only fun but gets you moving and exploring. You get continuous updates of your geocache on your journey and you can message other players for some handy tips. This is a great and interactive way to explore with a challenge.
MTB Project
The MTB Project is the ideal guide for passionate mountain bikers as it provides you with the perfect trails for you. The app features offline maps, GPS routes, elevation profiles and so much more. MTB Project suggests the best routes to explore and has local experts advising you on the challenges and highlights that you’ll experience on your bike ride. With 77,000 miles of trail and new rides constantly being added to the database, you’ll have plenty of adventures to choose from.
Time to explore the great outdoors? Hire your car from Skurt and receive your first delivery free — simply click the image below to get started.
Words by Julianna Barnaby
