Author Topic: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)  (Read 2642 times)

Roburite

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #15 on: 14:04:12, 28/11/20 »
Sorry Fernman and others I hadn't realised that it had been on my phone and unused for so long. Deleted now! It was a really good app sorry it has gone

paule

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #16 on: 22:29:04, 28/11/20 »
Sorry Fernman and others I hadn't realised that it had been on my phone and unused for so long. Deleted now! It was a really good app sorry it has gone


It isn't gone, at least in Ireland, I use it on android, have for a few years. I don't use the hyper local app although that does seem to work, I just use my GPS and save a webpage, have home, work, walk 1 etc. On my phone home screen


https://darksky.net/forecast/51.7000,-8.5000/uk212/en [nofollow]


I like it for short rain weather, seems more accurate than anything else over a couple of hours

fernman

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #17 on: 11:44:01, 18/01/21 »
A failing of every weather app I've tried previously was that the radar maps only show you what it's been like up until the current time only. What I wanted was something like the BBC TV forecast map behind the presenter that shows the coming conditions.

Yesterday I found an obscure app called Ventusky which does that.

It opens on a map of UK centered on your location, it can be zoomed in by pinching, and it shows wind movement plus a choice of temperature or precipitation (more choices are avaible if you pay). I feel the rain one is the more useful.
At the foot of the screen there are two sliding bars, one where you can select the day/date, the other where you can select the time in either 1 hour or 3 hour intervals, so for example on the current day you can advance it forward and see what rain if any is  coming your way and when.

GoneWest

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #18 on: 16:32:29, 18/01/21 »
A failing of every weather app I've tried previously was that the radar maps only show you what it's been like up until the current time only. What I wanted was something like the BBC TV forecast map behind the presenter that shows the coming conditions.

Yesterday I found an obscure app called Ventusky which does that.

It opens on a map of UK centered on your location, it can be zoomed in by pinching, and it shows wind movement plus a choice of temperature or precipitation (more choices are avaible if you pay). I feel the rain one is the more useful.
At the foot of the screen there are two sliding bars, one where you can select the day/date, the other where you can select the time in either 1 hour or 3 hour intervals, so for example on the current day you can advance it forward and see what rain if any is  coming your way and when.

Or, if you want to go back to first principles, you could pull up this site on your browser:
https://www.weathercharts.org/ukmomslp.htm

This appears to be the internet version of the stuff I used to pull over the radio (using Weatherfax software) when I was sailing.
« Last Edit: 16:35:53, 18/01/21 by GoneWest »

GoneWest

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #19 on: 16:40:14, 18/01/21 »
...or just use the BBC Weather App (no map with that, but you can set your location) or get the same BBC info via a browser.
« Last Edit: 16:43:47, 18/01/21 by GoneWest »

fernman

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #20 on: 17:47:06, 18/01/21 »
Or, if you want to go back to first principles, you could pull up this site on your browser:
https://www.weathercharts.org/ukmomslp.htm

This appears to be the internet version of the stuff I used to pull over the radio (using Weatherfax software) when I was sailing.

Very nice (I attended a WEA meteorolgy course between 1985-86). But it's not the same as the wind arrows and the blue rain going over the town names on the Ventusky map.


or just use the BBC Weather App (no map with that, but you can set your location) or get the same BBC info via a browser.

The point of Ventusky is that it is a map that shows weather movement. The BBC Weather app may be one of the better forecasters but without a map it doesn't do what I want. And when I watch their live forecasts I find I concentrate too much on the pretty girl presenting it, after which I still don't know what the weather is going to do!

wbmkk

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #21 on: 08:26:06, 19/01/21 »
Yesterday I found an obscure app called Ventusky which does that.


Quite a lot of poor reviews, which always sets alarm bells ringing for me

fernman

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #22 on: 10:52:26, 19/01/21 »
Quite a lot of poor reviews, which always sets alarm bells ringing for me

Interesting! I've just looked at the reviews on G Play, 50% of negs about it not working/updating - no such problems for me, and 50% about the widget - I don't use widgets, they grab too much screen space.

gunwharfman

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #23 on: 10:02:02, 21/01/21 »
I've seen the word widget on my phone, no idea what it is and have never bothered to find out. What am I missing?

gunwharfman

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #24 on: 10:14:11, 21/01/21 »
I don't know if this is to do with this subject? I've bought a tiny gadget, one phone USB at one end of 3" of cable and one normal-sized USB socket at the other end with a USB plug inserted. I had to provide a small SD disk (I don't think I've used the correct description?) to plug into it. It now works like a zip drive that I can use between easily between my phone and PC.

It only cost me £5 from a local phone shop.

I've started to use it by downloading various documents to it, like my rucksack carry list, etc. Not sure yet if it has potential to be of benefit to me when Hiking? I haven't tried yet but I think I will be able to download maps and photos to it which will then display on my phone screen or display on my PC. If you already own one, any suggestions about how best to use it?

For example, is it possible to download an app to it, like LastPass, so I can keep this app off of my phone completely until I actually want to use it?

motorlaunch

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Re: What are the most useful apps for backpacking (Android)
« Reply #25 on: 22:11:33, 07/02/21 »
FLOWX is a weather app. It provides a weather chart showing weather movement for the next five days. Very useful for seeing how rain clouds and wind are forecast to move across the country.

 

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