{"id":22785,"date":"2023-06-19T16:44:39","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T16:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/2023\/03\/17\/best-hiking-app-for-apple-watch\/"},"modified":"2023-06-19T16:44:41","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T16:44:41","slug":"best-hiking-app-for-apple-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/best-hiking-app-for-apple-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Hiking App for Apple Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to all of the technology available to us today, hiking has never been easier. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so many smartwatches entering the market, we\u2019ve seen an increase in apps that help with practically every day-to-day activity, hiking being among them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naturally, the largest selection of apps is available for the biggest brands, and there are no bigger brands than Apple, so you\u2019re in luck.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With this in mind, we\u2019ve sourced four great apps that you can use for hiking on your Apple watches. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can find each of them below, along with a description of what each app does and how it can benefit you on the trail. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve also written up a small buyers\u2019 guide, a users\u2019 guide that\u2019ll show you which features the ideal hiking app has.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the best apps that\u2019ll turn that sleek, unassuming Apple Watch into a capable hiking companion in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>In a hurry?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve already got a hiking trip planned and need some last-minute assistance, you should check out our favorite hiking app, the AllTrails: Hike, Bike &amp; Run. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See why we like this hiking app below, where we\u2019ve given you some details about what this app can do for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AllTrails has 100,000+ trail maps, including topographic maps, that come accompanied by reviews and photographs from other hikers. Each one has GPS functionality that turns your watch into an activity tracker.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using social media or messaging sites like Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp, you can share your hiking progress with family, friends, and like-minded hikers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can buy AllTrails Pro to have added functionality, such as the ability to download and print maps, see real-time meteorological information about trails, and have Lifeline emergency contact safety features.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background-color: #355ac3; width: 100%; padding: 10px; padding-bottom: 1px; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\">\n<h2 style=\"color: white; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-weight: Bold; text-align: center;\">Best Hiking App for Apple Watch &#8211; Reviews<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Product 1 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 30px; border: 3px solid #355AC3;\">\n<p style=\"color: #23a455; font-size: 40px; padding-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;\">Our Pick<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/app\/alltrails-hike-bike-run\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AllTrails: Hike, Bike &amp; Run<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/app\/alltrails-hike-bike-run\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42921 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/AllTrails.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"186\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Our rating:<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42846 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5-Rating.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"176\" height=\"28\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is one of the most popular apps for straightforward hiking on the Apple store, so it\u2019s only natural that it lands the top position on our list. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AllTrails: Hike, Bike &amp; Run does exactly what it says in the name, providing hiking, biking, and running trails all over the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The popularity of this app is mainly down to two things, accessibility for the whole family and a pre-existing community of users who contribute photographs and descriptions of each hiking trail.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On AllTrails, you can find over 100,000 trails fit for all kinds of outdoor activities, including dog-friendly and child-friendly trails for family hikers since you can filter trail searches by which demographics the trail is best for. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As mentioned, the fact AllTrails allows previous hikers to review and provide images of each trail means you can do some reconnaissance on a trail before committing to it, leaving nothing to surprise you and ensuring the trail is perfect for your hiking needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you prefer to plan out your hike beforehand, AllTrails support GPS and topographic maps that have been hand-picked to ensure accuracy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This GPS functionality turns your Apple watch into a GPS activity tracker, ensuring that you can\u2019t get lost. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The GPS can even direct you to the trail by car before the hike has even begun. This also records certain stats depending on whether you\u2019re hiking or biking, which is perfect for data fiends who like to see their performance in numbers and decimal points.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This may be the popular option, but that doesn\u2019t mean everyone\u2019s AllTrails profile is the same. This is because you can save your favorite trails, adding them to a bucket list for either future hikes or to remember hiking trails you\u2019ve enjoyed in the past. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can use this to find the trails of hikers you know and save them, so you can follow in the footsteps of hiking personalities that inspire you. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Y<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ou can also influence others by sharing your hiking progress on all the most popular social media services like Facebook and Instagram.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you pay for AllTrails Pro, you have added functionality like downloading maps for offline use, including printing them out, Lifeline compatibility so you can assign safety contacts should anything go wrong, and see real-time map overlays for air quality, pollen, and weather reports taken straight from weather satellites. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh, and it also removes those pesky ads that many free apps have, so that\u2019s a plus.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Features over 100,000 hand-curated trail maps accompanied by photographs and reviews from your fellow hikers, including topographic maps.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Includes GPS functionality that turns your watch into a GPS activity tracker.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can share your progress on social media like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AllTrails Pro allows you to download and print maps, use Lifeline safety features, provide real-time weather information, and remove advertisements.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doesn\u2019t cover those areas that are less traveled.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Product 2 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 30px; border: 3px solid #355AC3; margin-top: 30px;\">\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/app\/gaia-gps-hiking-offroad-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gaia GPS Hiking<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/app\/gaia-gps-hiking-offroad-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42922 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/gaia.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"247\" height=\"250\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Our rating:<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-42863 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/4.5-Rating.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"176\" height=\"28\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This next app would be our suggestion for those of you who are looking for a great premium app that justifies its price tag. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That would be the Gaia GPS Hiking app, a robust option that features a lot of information for free but can become a great companion app if you upgrade it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The downside here is that, unlike many freemium apps, there are two different tiers of monetization associated with this app. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can get either the basic membership or the premium membership, each having its unique benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for the standard Gaia app, you\u2019ll find road maps, off-road maps, topographic data for those maps, and even live-weather info, something that\u2019s usually cordoned off behind a paywall with other hiking apps. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gaia users can share hiking trails, including custom trails that users have made.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the basic subscription, you can save these maps so that you can use them offline.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re out in the sticks and find yourself wandering into signal dead zones often, this can be an invaluable feature. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will be a user-specific advantage, but there\u2019s also a variety of hunting maps you can access if you have the premium membership.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is because hunters make Gaia and has since become one of the top GPS apps for it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Otherwise, you can find other more detailed maps like Nat-Geo maps with the premium subscription.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access maps of both road and off-road areas, along with topographical and meteorological information.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can share your hiking trails with fellow Gaia users.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basic membership allows you to save maps for offline use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Premium membership gives you access to U.S. hunting maps.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Has two tiers of paid features.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Product 3 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 30px; border: 3px solid #355AC3; margin-top: 30px;\">\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h3><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/app\/wikiloc-outdoor-navigation-gps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikiloc Outdoor Navigation GPS<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/app\/wikiloc-outdoor-navigation-gps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42923 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/wikiloc.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"249\" height=\"254\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Our rating:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42864\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/4-Rating.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"176\" height=\"28\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, we have the Wikiloc Outdoor Navigation GPS app. If the fact it has GPS in its name didn\u2019t tip you off, this is a great option for those who want active tracking and all the real-time metrics that come with that, like your speed, distance covered, and hiking times. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not just exclusive to hiking either, being compatible with running, biking, and even kayaking or skiing too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using the GPS, you can record your routes and add waypoints for future reference.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This GPS functionality doesn\u2019t just help you find trails, but it also makes sure you stay on them by issuing a sound alert to let you know that you\u2019ve strayed from the designated path.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re prone to get lost or aren\u2019t that great at following a map, this is the perfect app to keep you going in the right direction. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you do get lost, the live tracking feature can help you by keeping family or friends in the know. These are some of the premium features of Wikiloc that you\u2019ll have to pay to take full advantage of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also download maps to your Wikiloc account, too. You can share them with other Wikiloc users or access them even when offline, should you need guidance when you haven\u2019t got the signal coverage to connect to Wikiloc\u2019s online map database.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uses GPS tech to measure metrics like your hike speed, distance, and time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sound alerts tell you if you\u2019re off course.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can download maps for offline viewing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A built-in compass ensures that you never lose your way.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GPS may be too intrusive for data-cautious hikers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Product 4 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 30px; border: 3px solid #355AC3; margin-top: 30px;\">\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/app\/cairn-hiking-outdoor-trails\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Cairn: Hiking &amp; Outdoor Trails<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/app\/cairn-hiking-outdoor-trails\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42924 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Cairn.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"251\" height=\"257\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Our rating:<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-42864 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-1219871-4338262.cloudwaysapps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/4-Rating.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"176\" height=\"28\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; padding-top: 30px; padding-bottom: 30px;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cairn: Hiking &amp; Outdoor Trails is a hiking app that\u2019s oriented around safety above all else, so this is a shoo-in if you\u2019re prone to worrying when out on the trail. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a downside, however, which is that most of its safety features are locked behind the app\u2019s premium paywall.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Otherwise, Cairn works much like any other hiking app in that you can see and follow trails near you, as well as create your trails.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are all viewable when you\u2019re offline, too, which is handy when you\u2019re deep in the hills where internet coverage is sparse. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fortunately, Cairn also has a cell-coverage filter so you can see dead zones on your local maps and avoid losing signal on your watch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two of the main safety features you get with this hiking app are its live tracking and emergency contracting abilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The live tracking keeps tabs on your location, assuming an adequate connection can be established, and reports it to nominated friends. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The emergency contact feature works in much the same way, alerting those contacts that something is wrong when you trigger it or are past your due time to finish the hike.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This alert comes in the way of automated messages that lets them know you are lost or otherwise in danger. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll get a thirty-day free trial of the more safety-oriented features this app has to offer, after which you\u2019ll need to pay for anything more than trail information.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allows you to see and follow hiking trails, as well as create and store them offline for consulting when there\u2019s no internet.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Includes cell-coverage maps that help you avoid dead zones.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tracks your location live and displays it to your friends.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can program automated messages to emergency contacts if you need help.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most safety-oriented features are kept behind a paywall.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Buyers Guide --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #355ac3; width: 100%; padding: 10px; padding-bottom: 1px; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;\">\n<h2 style=\"color: white; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-weight: Bold; text-align: center;\">Best Hiking App for Apple Watch &#8211; Buyers Guide<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Finding the Right Hiking App<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This buyers\u2019 guide, or users\u2019 guide if you\u2019re not planning on directly buying any app, should help you to identify which features make a good hiking app. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most app markets are incredibly bloated, with many apps vying for your attention since, with most freemium apps, you are the product.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, not many of these apps back up their attention-seeking behaviors with a quality experience, and a poor hiking app can be quite dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve cracked the average hiking app open and listed the standard features you should find in them below.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if none of our suggested apps interest you, you can check this guide out and learn what to look for when sifting through the app market.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Trail Information<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obviously, right? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the main feature anyone wants from a hiking app, and it should always be available in the free version of whatever app you\u2019re after since it\u2019s what fundamentally makes them hiking apps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You want to be able to see information on the trails near you and, if the app is expansive enough, halfway across the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The detail in the information provided is what differs between apps. Of course, GPS functionality is something a lot of hikers will want, and fortunately, many apps offer it for free. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with that, you should always look for apps that have topographic information so that you can get the lay of the land, and accurate weather information is even more preferable. Some apps even have map overlays that show estimated air quality or signal coverage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some apps will have a community function where other hikers can review and post relevant details about certain trails, including images, which is handy if you\u2019re traveling well-traveled trails. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other apps take this interactivity even further, allowing you to share trail information through avenues like WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook, among other popular options.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Customizability<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best apps have some customizability, especially when you plan on hiking. This means you can create and save your trails, as well as download them for offline use. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even better, some apps can allow you to print out the trail maps you create for a more personal touch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your app tracks your location or movements via GPS, the more data-savvy among you will appreciate an app that gives you the option to limit this surveillance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Safety Features<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with most outdoor activities, it\u2019s great to have features that help if disaster strikes. These kinds of applications are perfect for smartwatches since they\u2019re on your person at all times and take some difficulty to fall off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two main safety abilities that exist for commercial hiking apps are tracking and contracting. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tracking is when a watch uses the GPS functionality to allow you to monitor yourself and report your location and progress to a contact. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contacting is where the app monitors you and, if your hike isn\u2019t over by a due date or you manually trigger the app, an automated message will be sent to your emergency contacts warning them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Free or Premium?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll have to choose whether you should get a free or a paid-for premium app. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In reality, most apps use a freemium model, where you can access most surface-level features for free while enduring ads, but you have the option to go premium. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out an app\u2019s premium features and see if you think it\u2019s worth it and weigh up the price. Some premium apps may have just as much, if not more, to offer for a lower price.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Apple Watch 3, 4, and 5 Hiking &amp; Backpacking Review\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qOh8r43XctI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thanks to all of the technology available to us today, hiking has never been easier. With so many smartwatches entering the market, we\u2019ve seen&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1477],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22785"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22785"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22785\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82585,"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22785\/revisions\/82585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/appstoreapps.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}