Individuals planning to go out into the wilderness anytime soon can take advantage of various iPhone apps to help navigate and learn about the environment. Apple once said, “there is an app for that,” and this declaration continues to prove itself as developers release software with a variety of uses, including in even the most unforgiving landscapes.
While social media apps and mobile games are familiar to most users, others can help people communicate and gamers strategize. Although, Apple has authority on what the platform hosts, as is currently being proven through its recent decision to remove Fortnite from the app store, there are still plenty to choose from. Whether it be assisting with daily tasks like ordering food or during less routine and more novel situations, including traveling.
However, some apps have become essential resources for explorers and adventurers because they can potentially save an individual’s life, prevent a hiker from getting lost, and help identify the wildlife. Those who want to be prepared for the outdoors might want to consider downloading some of these apps, including Survival Guide, Cairn: Hiking & Outdoor Trails, and Seek by iNaturalist.
Surviving The Outdoors With Apps
The Survival Guide app’s name tells you all you really need to know about this app. Essentially, it is a field guide in the palm of the users' hand, and offers chapters on numerous topics including, shelters, the psychology of survival and fire procurement. Furthermore, the app has guides for when someone is in a unique situation, which can help people survive in areas with cold or tropical weather, and even the desert or the sea. Making it helpful for lost individuals who need to set up for long-term survival situations.
Arguably, one of the best survival tips a person could have is to avoid getting in a situation where they are in a life and death environment, and Cairn can help with this. The hiking app helps individuals choose their method of exploration, with support for hiking, skiing and exploring on horseback. Members can select their pace and check if they would like to receive alerts about the sunset or available cellular service. The app shows a series of trails and estimates how long the adventure will take, in addition to showing the trek’s distance. Moreover, the best feature is that the program will notify emergency contacts in the event that someone fails to return. In fact, the app supplies live-tracking features to facilitate rescue operations.
Alternatively, Seek can be used to help identify plants, animals and fungi, helping to satisfy an adventurer's curiosity. Once an individual enables the camera, they can take pictures to identify organic life and learn about what appears in front of them. Furthermore, individuals can learn what other nearby users have observed and collect badges. The app also reminds individuals that they should stay aware of their surroundings, not to eat anything, and to ultimately respect wildlife.
Overall, it is worth remembering that while the wild can be beautiful and offers great exploration opportunities, safety matters. An iPhone can be a useful tool for the outdoors, and power banks can further help to ensure a phone lasts the distance, but apps like this can provide another layer of survival support and enhance the way an adventurer interacts with the environment.
Source: Survival Guide, Cairn & Seek