GPS Apps and touring speed

[lowangle al]

I recently started using the app Strava to record my outdoor activities. It records distance, time, elevation gained, average speed and maximum speed. It also records your route which can be seen in a map view or a satellite view.

What I found from my few tours in Pa. is that my average speed on rolling terrain is about 4.5 mph. On a yo yo tour my average speed was 4.2 mph and I climbed about 600 feet/ hour. This was with T4s and Vector BCs.

I really like the app but it seems after a period of time it stops working and I have to load it again loosing my previous information. I think they want me to pay for the feature to be able to share your info with others which I'm not interested in, so they shut me down.

What apps are others using and what are your touring speeds and gear?

[lilcliffy]

Hi Al and Happy Holidays!
Great idea for a thread!

I have been using Avenza- with my phone- for a few years. I use it for navigation and orientation primarily. I usually plot out backcounty routes on my computer- looking for sweet combinations of vertical, slope and open forest- and then load geo-referenced pdfs into Avenza on my phone.

I have never explored whether Avenza records and calculates time-traveled and therefore travel speed...I will have to explore that once I get enough base to actually ski again!!!!
Gareth

[Danylewich]

I have done a lot high route off-trail backpacking in the Sierras and Rockies and for these uses I highly recommend GaiaGPS or CalTopo. I think they would work very well for Backcountry skiing as well Both are amazing mapping software. You can get contours, elevations and layers from a variety of map services, including NRC, US Forest Service maps, snow layers, etc. Plus track and manage your routes, dropping pins, labelling features, etc on your phone. Distance, speed, elevation, elevation tracking maps, vertical gain. You can also use a GPS watch (i.e. Garmin or Suunto) to record your route and details and then upload in to either one. Or use the app on the phone to track your route. Before you go out download the area you are skiing in and you don't need cell service, but can still access your location on a map. Highly recommended.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[Tom M]

I've been using a garmin GPS watch, the vivioactive 3, for the past couple of years, and I like it alot. You can customize the watch face to show just about any metric you would like to track; distance, moving speed, split times, pace, elevation, elevation gained/lost, heartrate, calories burned, time, etc. The best thing about the watch is that it has an lcd display that is easy to read in direct sun, even with sunglasses, which is the big weakness of many of the other smart watches. It syncs with your phone or computer via Bluetooth. The Garmin App is amazing, with all kinds of data and analysis. You can easily export the track to Google Earth. Here are a couple screenshot examples from my computer.

[Tom M]

I also use GAIA GPS on my Android Smartphone for navigation, both in summer and in winter. I really like that you can plan your outing at home on the computer, download USGS topo maps, and then use the app in the woods in areas where there is no cell coverage. It also compiles all the speed, distance, and elevation data. The only thing missing as compared to my Garmin Watch is the biometric data (heart rate, calories, VO2 Max etc) It is a fee based app, but I think it is well worth the cost and I prefer it over my hand held GPS mapping units.

[Smitty]

I've been trying out Runkeeper. Looks to be similar to Strava. You select what type of activity you are doing, and it has a real-time readout of distance and speed, as well as route tracking overlaid on Google Maps. No real-time elevation, but you can see the plot of speed and elevation vs mileage after the route has been completed. Simple, free, so far so good. You can get more features with a subscription, but I'm happy with what I get from the free version. There's an online portal with a bit more analysis and where you create routes for future. Not sure if you can tie in biometrics, I don't have a smart watch.

Snow is pretty scant up here so haven't gotten the Gamme's out much at all. My tours have been mostly flat bushwhacking on the USGI's until there is more snow cover, crossing lakes and dodging deadfall in cutlines, 5-10 km outings, 3-4 mph averages. I've been feeling out some new (to me) boots I've picked up since last season. I mounted my second pair of USGI's with Voile 3 pins so my tours have been a mix of the Alico March boots, some old Garmont Excursions, and the usual Alfa Kikuts on my NNN-BC USGI's. Variety is the spice of life! Now I just need some more snow so that I can get my other skis into the rotation!

[jyw5]

I use the Garmin Fenix 5X. It's great! synced with Strava.
It tracks HR, VO2max. the two things that no phone app can do. The new Fenix 6 also does O2 sat. which is great for high altitude climbs.

Skiied today in flat light, 1 ft of fresh heavy snow, 48 F at sea level. 35-39 F at 3300ft. Some areas were boiler plate from wind/sun crust...Broke trail the entire time.

Asnes FT62, BC NNN, Madshus Glittertind boot. Used Pomoca 62mm straight race skins with Colltex ski/skin wax for the first 1400ft vertical. switched to 45mm Nylon X skin kicker after and never took them off...alot of switchbacks going up and more controlled skiing coming down. I face planted and fell at least a dozen times.

It was a slow day...but pretty typical of these past few seasons... flat light, variable conditions, and windy.

Average speed was 1.9mph. max was 18mph.

[Telerock]

I use a paper map and Brunton compass; stupid boomer...what I’Ve been missing.

[fisheater]

I use a paper map and Brunton compass; stupid boomer...what I’Ve been missing.

I live in the lower peninsula of Michigan. All I use is a ball compass. Really stupid boomer I am, I am

[lowangle al]

Thanks for the responses, I think I'll load the runkeeper app on my wifes phone to compare with strava and I also plan to use one with the ability to download topo maps.

Telerock and Fisheater, for me it's not so much about navigation it's more about feedback and curiosity. I like to know how far I've gone, average speed, maximum speed and elevation gained. It also keeps a running total of your activities so you will know your season totals.

That being said I did use it for navigation twice in the last week. The first time I was bushwhacking behind my house and needed to find the shortest way home, and I was able to do that. The second time I used it to find and mark the shortest and most direct route while bushwhacking from one trail to another. If I ever really needed to use it for navigation I would also take at least a compass because I have had my phone die while in the middle of a swamp and was relying on my phone compass.