{"id":749,"date":"2019-03-20T15:22:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T19:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleverhiker.com\/uncategorized\/how-to-use-your-phone-as-a-gps-device-for-backpacking\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T11:40:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T15:40:29","slug":"how-to-use-your-phone-as-a-gps-device-for-backpacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverhiker.com\/backpacking\/how-to-use-your-phone-as-a-gps-device-for-backpacking\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Your Phone as a GPS Device for Backpacking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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One piece of gear that’s revolutionized navigation in the backcountry is the smartphone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your smartphone easily doubles as an excellent wilderness GPS device. It\u2019s constantly acquiring satellite signals even when cell tower is miles away. With the right app, you can use this feature to your advantage by turning your phone into an affordable and reliable navigation tool. We don’t condone going into the wilderness without paper maps because things happen to your phone (we’ve had our visit the bottom of an alpine lake, smashed by taking a tumble on granite rocks, or just die from getting too cold). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, we highly stress the importance of knowing basic navigation skills<\/a> and learning how to use a map and compass<\/a>. That little dot on the gps map is easy to overly rely on. GPS mapping on your phone is convenient, adds a layer of navigation support, and often speeds up our route-finding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Do I Really Need A GPS Device?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In short, yes. When you\u2019re in the backcountry, navigation is absolutely critical. Without it, you can easily wind up lost and find yourself in a very dangerous situation. By bringing a GPS device (along with your map and compass), you will always know exactly where you are, which will help keep you safe and will make your trips far more stress-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s very common to be uncertain about how far the next trail junction, campsite, water source, or key landmark is along your route. Or maybe you already passed it without noticing? So are you still on the right trail or not? Because this isn\u2019t feeling quite right… and\u2026commence panicking. However, with a phone’s GPS app, all those questions are answered almost instantly. Once you learn how to use one of the many mapping apps, you\u2019ll find it very useful for pinpointing your location, tracking your progress, and route planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For us, learning how to turn our phones into GPS devices has been a huge game-changer on our backcountry trips. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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phones are a useful tool in orienting and navigating while out hiking or backpacking. – photo credit: dave collins (cleverhiker.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Why Use Your Phone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Garmin may still hold its seat as the leader in handheld GPS devices<\/a>, they are probably starting to sweat. They aren’t exactly budget-friendly, simple to use, and they add bulk to your pack weight. Plus, Apple (iPhone 14 and later) and Google (Pixel 9 series), and the Samsung Galaxy S25 series offer satellite messaging, which is a huge safety benefit. We have an iPhone 14, and at least for us, satellite messaging is included.<\/span><\/span> In our minds, a phone is an essential backcountry tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be used to your favorite GPS watch<\/a> for tracking your activities, and some GPS watches have offline topo map capabilities. However, they should be combined with a more comprehensive offline phone navigation app in case you get lost, change routes or your watch dies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Breadcrumb routing is useful for following the track back to the start. – Photo Credit: Miles Knotek (CleverHiker.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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How Phone GPS Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

GPS systems are obviously pretty complicated, but here are the basics. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. In short, this is a network of about 24 active satellites used for navigation. Your GPS-enabled phone acts a receiver, communicating with these satellites to pinpoint your exact location on earth. This location tracking is obviously very useful, especially for applications like wilderness travel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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No Service? No Problem.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may be wondering if you need cell service for your phone\u2019s GPS to work, and the answer is no, you don\u2019t. GPS relies on satellites, not cell towers. So even when you have no signal, your phone\u2019s GPS will be up and running. And that\u2019s a very good thing because you\u2019ll be hard pressed to find cell service in most remote wilderness areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, even though your GPS system will work without cell service, it\u2019s very important that you download the correct maps to your phone before you get out of service. If you don\u2019t, your phone will still be able to locate you, but you\u2019ll show up as a blue dot on a blurry map, and that won\u2019t be useful at all. Plus you’ll drain your battey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, in order for your GPS to work best, your phone needs a clear signal path to the sky. This means heavy tree cover, deep slot canyons, or other impeding objects may make it hard for your phone to get an accurate GPS signal. That said, in our experience, we\u2019ve mostly gotten excellent GPS coverage with our phones, even in dense forests and deep canyons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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We try to use our phone sparingly while enjoying the backcountry, but have two forms of navigation is safest. – photo credit: dave collins (cleverhiker.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Which Apps Work Best For Backpacking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to GPS navigation apps, there are a few we recommend above the rest for backpacking trips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n