My Favorite Outdoor Apps

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If you have done a trip with me, you know that I am not a fan of relying on anything that requires batteries.  However, I have to admit that I have way too many apps on my phone that I like to play with on trips  I don’t rely on them, I still carry paper maps, compasses and use “brain power” when identifying plants, birds and edibles in the field.  But I have to admit, they are fun to play with!  Here are some of my favorites. All are available on iOS and Android and priced between free and $20.

Song Slueth - Outside of a few super common birds and waterfowl, I am horrible at identifying bird songs! Song Sleuth records bird songs and suggests matching species. The app covers the 200 most common vocalizing land birds in the U.S.A and was developed by Wildlife Acoustics, in collaboration with world-renowned bird expert and illustrator David Sibley. I have used this app extensively on our Cedar Key kayak trip which is on a warbler migration route.
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​Navionics Boating Marine & Lakes - This app gives you up to date nautical charts for kayaking and fishing and includes information on weather, tides and currents. You also have the ability to download maps and routes in advance to save battery life and data. I have used this app extensively on most of my kayak trips and have found it very useful. The only drawback is it can be hard to see your screen in bright sunlight. That’s why I carry a chart!

​AllTrails - Discover the best hiking, running, and biking trails around the world. Explore 100,000+ hand-curated trail maps plus reviews and photos crowdsourced from millions of hikers, mountain bikers and trail runners. I have found this app to be useful for pre-trip planning and finding appropriate trails for my needs.

​PlantSnap - This app is used to identify plants of all kinds, anywhere in the world! Flowers, trees, succulents, mushrooms and more can be quickly recognized with PlantSnap.  If you’re like me, you don’t have internet access most of the time when out on trips. This is especially true when I’m on an Adirondack trip. The cool thing about this app is you can take a picture, save it to your gallery and identify it later when you have internet access. The last app I was using (which I really liked) didn’t have that ability.

​Starwalk - This app is just plain fun!  Whether you’re on a camping trip or driving down a country road it will display and name the stars and planets above you. It also includes detailed information on the history and mythology of the various constellations, stars and planets, as well as a coordinate the viewer for easy reference. A night mode allows you to stargaze without burning out your night vision, and an augmented reality view overlays the star chart over your camera view. I have used various versions of this app on camping trips in the Everglades and Adirondacks.

​Again, I don’t think apps are the answer to everything and they should not be used exclusively for navigation or safety.  But they are fun to play with and can enhance your outdoor experience. I’d really like to hear about your favorite outdoor app! Comment below to share your knowledge on the topic!!

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